New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-01

In the above case the figures for average wages
paid do not show what the weavers can earn. but
what they do earn The price per cut paid for PRINT
cloths was the same 10 all weavers. and yet they
earned from 60 cents a day up 10 ~ 40 day
according to their skill ard industry. Every
weaver employed in the mill might have earned
81 40 a day if he knew as much and worked rs
well as those who did earn IT, Every weaver
was allowed just as good chance as every other
weaver and the difference in actual earnings
measures the capacity of the operator. lllu,t
tons drawn from any industry will show the
same result Take instance that has come
into my own experience during the last iour
months, an experience which has been duplicated
in the past Oftentimes. | have been III want or
stenographer and typewriter. There is no diff
Guilty in getting people who are labelled stenoQra-
pliers. but when one finds one thoroughly com
petent who cOmpreheuds the necessity OF correct
spelling grammatical construction. the use of cap
itals. etc, eA., lie has made long search.
Young men and women get fairly expert in max
ing stenographic notes but this deXterlty does
not make good scnoerapher man who knows
his business thoroughly, whether he is surgeon
or bootblack: who will attend carefully 10 the
technical requirements Of his employment; VINO
will do his level best to serve his client well, Will
have no trouble in securing remuneratlve employ
ment The opportunities for fitting one sell are
81 ample at the present time that there does not
seem to be any valid excuse for young man or
a Young woman attempting 10 enter any employ
nent without reasonable technical equipment.
There are more than 100000 women IN the
United States engaged as teachers. The eNactlons
Of the public school system call for the best
equipped teachers; those whose reading stu1y ana
culture have taken them outside the routine of
aud l,rfg .nflg
of young women now found in Offices as stenogra-
piers typewriters, telegraph operators, account
ants, and in much of the work that would former
~ have been done by young men, can only secure
reasonable remuneration and safe tenure OF office
by technical equipment the character they bring
to their employment and the aSsiduity with which
they fill it, The present statistics of crime are
full of instruction IN this direction. with rare
and exceedingly painful exceptions our penal In
situations are filed with men who lack knO"-
edge of some work, or who, having that hnOW-
edge, do not possess the habits OF industry III ii
sufficient degree 10 keep them 10 its prosecution.
Employers OF every grade are more ana more III
the habit OF demanding qualified IabOr, ana an
glad 10 know that they are more ana more aTIlN-
ing at the conclusion that sober man. as wei
as one well equipped, Is the better one 10 employ
believe therefore, that one must DC ittcu IOi In.
occupation hc chooses Ii lac wishes 10 compete
successfully rs one of the asplrdnls Tor tie places
out or The progress If the country dcnxhdS an IN
crease in their number; and 1t IS rafc tnai men
thoroughly equipped DO not yet Oh and succeed III
their competition.
the connection Of the present time Is in just
this direction. II is competition oil Skill WiiL
skill or skill against the lack Of II. OF course,
IN the very lowest walks of labor IL Is the ordinary
competition of muscle against muscle, or OF
strength against strength, but even III the lowese
walks one sees results oil thorough equipment
The old story of the streetswecpers well illustrates
my point. Half dozen stIeel-swcepers were at
work There had been new man brought INTO
their section that morning, when one OIL me oId
sweepers said 10 a cOmradc " DO you see Nike
He may do very well for straight sweeping, but
when il comes 10 the line WORK around the lamp
posts and corners we old boys must DO II. III is
so in everything. One must learn the art OF his
occupation as we'll as the technical processes
nccted with il. If man takes up printing rs his
trade or calling in life, he should make himself
thoroughly competent III the art Of printing; he
should learn It's history, It's gradual development
and know all about the various devices and pro-
cesscs accompanying it, In other words he should
he not only man who can rapidly set type; he
should be artist in the printing llnc.
The men WHO achieve the highest success at
the present time are those not particularly favored
by Influential friends, but who have carefully quail
flied themselves in the technical knowledge 81
their chosen vocation. Many individual instances
of this might he rected. | remember one that
illustrates now quickly young man went 10 the
top lie is now the managing vice-prcsldent of "a
great railroad system. He insisted land only a
few years ago. taking up the EIdclnsts trade
with "A view to pcricctng himself for great man
agerial positions. He worked rs n hos although
young man in n machine shop, beginning at the
lowest grade Of work-whceling castings and doing !
the ordinary labor about a shop. lie went on !
step by step, finally taking up the mathematical I
side OF the work, and entered technical institute.
He then found employment In a machinc-shOp Of a
great railroad. From that point he advanced to !
he place of foreman, and finally went on to the |
road superintendent of n section. He is now, |
as ! have said, the managing vice president of a |
great So stem. Another instance is that Of n gen.
leman know thoroughly well, who came out OF |
the army as field officer at the age OF twenty |
Tour lie had good academical education. His