San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-07-23
INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION.

The munificent gift of 5000 900 to
the city of Houston for library and in
dustrlal school, given some time since
by the Hon. William II. Rice of New
York, has just been supplemented by
an additional gift of lands and cash
which brings the total amount To
$3.50, 900. This generosity to the city
in which the foundations of his for
tunes were laid by Mr.. Rice is com.
mendable as much for the direction
in which his benefactions are extend
ed as for the donations themselves.
The practical educators of today are
agreed that the true education of the
masses must in time take the direc-
ton of a.manual training, as distin.
guished from and In contradistinction
to what is called intellectual train
ing. Under the present system the
sons and daughters of the average
citizen gain nothing from the public
school that materially aids them in
the afterwsrd of lite, when they enter
upon its actual hard work. True,
they learn 10 read the current news
of the day, and to cast up simple
column of figures, but they are not
indicted into any knowledge of
handcraft; they are taught
nothing OF domestic arts; they
leave school after years of
constant attendance without any
training of hand or eye; without
any knowledge of tools; utterly unin-
structed in any trade at which they
could gain livelihood, and are abso-
lutely unequipped for the battle of
lite with either head, hand, or foot If
left to their own resources. 1t is the
design of the industrial school to sup.
ply this fatal lack in the common
school of the present, and every en-
that is given to this idea |
of Industrial education Is to be COM
mended as a step in the direction of |
that universally prevalent idea of in
dustrial instruction that is TO be the !
inheritance of the future. There Is q
too prevalent idea among the youths |
OF this generation that manual labor |
is rather beneath the dignity of the |
Young American, and this idea will |
be more quickly destroyed by a gen
eral system of industrial education |
than in any other way. To the boy or
girl dependent on their own resources
after leaving school the industrial ed
ucation comes as salvation. There are |
openings for skilled mechanics every |
day where there are no calls for clerks !
and office boys. To give a young man |
q knowledge of some handIcraft 10 to
make him independent, and the man |
of means who places the opportunity |
to gain such knowledge within the
reach of hundred boys has conferred |
a lasting benefit on them and on the
community. No one is truly educated |
who does not know how to use his |
hands; and, the acquisition of the
manual skill acquired in any indus
tlial institution will necessitate such |
a training of the faculties of COM
parison, reflection and judgment as
will constitute valuable intellectual
endowment. Houston is to be con-
graduated on the means for establish
ing an industrial school in her midst
with 80 liberal an endowment. San
Antonio it is to be hoped will also
find some ore among her monied men
who in the not distant future will
provide for her as literally as MI.
Rice has for Houston. Every city in
the state, of ten Thousand population,
should have an industrial school as
part of her regular public school
equipment.