Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-17
EDUCATETHE HANDS.
DR.. CURRY SPEAKS BEFORE THE
COUNCIL ON MANUAL TRAINING.
Labor tho Only Producer of wealth-Th,
American school system Too Lite
rary-Committee to Confer.

THJ-tommittee TO CONFER.
The Board CT Aldermen and Common
Council held special joint session last
night to hear an address from Hon. ]. l..
~. Curry on Manual Labor in the
Schools
In addition to the councilmen and al
dermen there were present Mayor Ellyson,
who is president of the City School Board
Mr.. w. F. Fox, Superintendent Of Public
Schools; Rev. DIR. George Cooper, ID. o.
Davis, Rev, DIR. Landrum, and others.
lt was half-past o'clock when President
Dickerson, OF the Board, assumed the chair and
requested Messrs. Campbell, Cary, and StrattOn
70 act as committee 70 introduce DR.. Curry.
lhe committee performed its duty, Mr.. Camp
peu acting rs spokesman. In presenting the
distinguished speaker he referred 70 him as a
gentleman who In peace and IN war had repre-
bentod ably his country St home aud abroad
Alter thanking those present for coming out on
such an oppressive night DIR. Curry dwelt a short
\ time on manufacturing and labor matters and
then plunged into his theme, saying:
"Ciosely connected with educational inte-
rests OF the city and OF the South, this privi-
Iege OF addressing the governing body Of
Richmond is highly appreciated. The public
schools are our crown OF glory and every
citizen should take the deepest interest In them
and labor for their improvement. Our city Is
NhV Napilhl OF tnc SthtB ana IN ltSelf mas peculiar
advantages and gives promise, not Of artificial
prosperity, excited by hurtful, speculative
booms but Of substantial and permanent growth
The Chamber OF Commerce wisely looks after
and makes known the details Of manufacturing,
commerce, banking. TRANSFORMATION, and other
| evidences and agencies Of progress.
" The State has incalculable resources which
| await steady and systematic development.
| The imperial deposits OF minerals, our agricul. .
| tural trucking, fishing grazing, and lumber in-
| terests justify US In expecting transfer 20 our
state OF the material predominance which has
| existed In other sections.
"True development is the result Of tho cOmbi-
nation Of capital and labor. These are correlated
and interdependent. Neither can say: / have
no need of thee. Society Is made up Of different
| and helpful pursuits. Labor, productive indus
try Is the ultimate basis Of wealth. but dist ribu-
| tion and consumption are indispensable factors
| In the aggregate Ol wealth. What is produced
| must be distributed and what to wear, to eat,
| 10 buy, and how TO buy, wear, cook, use, are Of
| the essence OF profit and OF civilization.
| RELATIONS OF EDUCATION TO INDUSTRY.
The legislator and political economist cannot
| safely ignore the relation of education to indus
| try The United States have made greater pro-
vision for universal education than any nation
| in Europe. More money IS given. More chill
| dren are at school, but they are far behind in
| what has been done for industrial education. In
| France, Germany, Belgium, and the other States
| Of the Old World, literary education is accompa-
| automatically industrial training.
This inferiority is strange, as ours is govern
| ment for the people. Our instruction rs too eX-
| clusively literary ana theoretical We educate
| GWdV from productive industry and ont Of the
| ranks Of labor Education Is Of too little practi-
| cal value, and boys and girls when they leave
school little fitted for occupations OF life Often
they know enough but have little capacity They
have had no manual training, no .echnic instruc-
| tiOn, and are disincned 10 manual labor. The
| trend, talk, teaching in the schOOl-rOOm Ignore
| Industrial pursuits The preference, naturally,
| when the pupils leave school Is for what their
| education has had most connection. The boys
| seek for stores and banks. Ii Is lamentably,
painfully true that they find these places Of busi
| ness before they get n decent education. Last
| night when the diplomas were awarded al the
| High School nearly all OF them were given 10
| girls. Clerks are useful, but they produce no.
thing they add not one dollar 10 the real UedHh Of
| Richmond.
DETECTIVE SCHOOL AND COLLEGE TRAINING.
"Our school and college training Is defective,
| partial, one-sded, too limited In scope, too
| didactiye. The kindergarten is right in princi-
! pie and has changed methods and purposes OF
| instruction. Merely intellectual studies have
| too much monopolized time and thought a
new era has daWned. We are on the threshold
OF great educational reforms. Heretofore We
have educated as If all were 20 be lawyers, doc
/ tors, merchants, bankers, preachers. Now. We
want some students in the industrial economies,
and cannot safely shut our eyes = the necessary
| pursuits by which men and women are TO earn "a
| living.
"1hree methods are suggested in this educa-
tional change: (a) Neurological schools, or
| schools OF Industrial science, devoted 70 the
teaching OF science, as applied TO various engi-
! neCring professions, as wen az architecture,
| chemistry, metallurgy, biology, geology. These
| are for professional purposes, require several
years OF study, an extensive plant and appara-
tus, and a costly corps Of scientific instructors.
TRADE SCHOOLS AND THEIR OBJECT.
| (b) "Trade schools where the trade is COM
bined with general instruction. These are IN
| successful operation in Europe and in sOmo
| American cities, and are for young men and wO-
| men In trades. The trade schools OF Colonel
| Auckmuty in New York are on different pr1nci-
| pie. Their object is 10 enable young men to
| learn a trade and improve themselves. Con-
Quoted on the principle Of teaching thoroughly
| hot0 work should be done and leaving the quick
ness required Of first-class mechanic 10 be ac-
duired at real work after leaving the schools.
| 4 system OF trade instruction has been
| carefully arranged by which not only can mode
rate skill be acquired, but the science on which the
| trade itself is based. The graduate knows lar
more Of the science Of his trade than journey
| man, and at the same time IS familiar with the
| various kinds of work iOurneyman Is expected
! to do Tie needs practice 10 work last ana IN va
| rous situations, but the length OF time for this
| practice need not be long, and the wearisome
| drudgery OF a narrow apprenticeship Is avoided.
! Two thousand five hundred men from twenty
| seven States In ten years, and the results have
| becn marvellous.
| :. Iel Manual training, not separate and ire
sponsible but Incorporated into the public-school
system and subject TO and controlled IN tehchefs'
expenditures, &c.. by the regular school authOrl-
| ties. The object Is not to ft Tor speclai trades
| not TO make carpenters cooks, blacksmiths, sc,
| but TO teach the rudiments OF mechanics, 10 Ia
| miliarize with tools and machinery, ana give
| manual deSterity This develops the exc u
| tive side, enables 10 do as well as 20 think. one
| who has learned the nature ana simple use oil
| simple tools as instruments for shaping the STA
pie materials OF industrial processes VIII De able
| 10 enter far in advance upon any Industrial Oc-
| cupatiOn 10 which he may apply hlnseH'
TITS FOR LIFE WORK.
| "This addition of manual training Is in itseli
| educatory. makes an appreciable gain IN aca-
demic studies, a better understanding OF the re-
| la.ion betwecn what is taught and tho affairs oil
life and secures increased interest IN all studies
| ami n broader and more intelligent grasp. IL
| dts for life work and gives n bent 70 labor ana
honors II. 1t helps in the great need OF lmpart-
ing skill to labor and freeing US from foreign Ia
| nor am foreign methods, and II emphasizes a.
| the need of the South intelligent ana skilled su-
| pervisiOn and work"
DIR, Curry urged the appointment Of iudicious
! and practical committee 70 Visit lhe PuDuc
| this eXpeFiment has been successfully naQe. III
| can be begun at small expense, on Limited
| scale II the right teacher IL secured anu
! one years experience will 80 demonstrate
| i,s feasibilitv and advantage that all OppOsi-
| ton will be converted into Jealous Advocacy
THE COMMITTEE TO CONFER
| Dr Curry's address consumed little over an
bour in lis delivery, and was freely nte-polated
win the applause OF his hearers Az its conclu-
| zion MIR Stratton, with few Introductory re-
| marks. moved that the Committee on Schools be
| instructed to confer with DR.. Curry and report
| an ordinance for an appropriation 10 establish
! manual instruction In the schOols. Inc Nuai'
| ruIed Mr.. STATIONS motion out OF order.
| Alderman Mitchell (colored also endorsed the
| remarks OF Or. Curry. ,.,..
| on motion OF Mr. Turpin vote OF THANKS
was rendered DR.. Curry for his splendid address
| The rules were suspended on motion OF Mr.
| Strntton, and by a unanimous vote the CoIni1il-
tee on Schools was authorized 20 confer with Ut:
| Curry with regard to the introducu0h Oi nianu"i
! instructions into the schools.
Manchester News Notes.
Israel sydney, the negro who was ar
| .osted for robbing tho hen-house OF Mr.. Joseph
| Mann. was tried in the Mayors Court yesterday
morning ANA given sixty days In JAN me ON,
ner f,om Richmond who made the arrest slaleu
| 49, sidney was an old offender: that he at
tempted to steal some chickens once before Du;
he failed, and finally stole tne renee iIoiii
thelot. He was shot at that time:
the contract for the erection 0l tne M, Manvno NJ,