Evening journal., 1895-11-08
nIanual EdneatIon ol nora.

The manual training schools have been
established to meet the clearly expressed
want OF boys, and young men to receive
instruction In the mechanic arts Edu-
cation Of this kind was fsrmorly supplied
through apprenticeship to boss mechanics
and is stu TO considerable extent, but
the trade unions have discouraged this
and Fixed it 80 that nst ono boy out Of
ten. who Is mechanically inclined, can
get the knowledgs he needs through that
channel in our citiss As a result We
have the manual training schools, which
are turning out q far more intelligent
and better class Of meshanics than these
produced by the old system.
The trade unions evidently made a
mistake in ourtailing the number Of
apprentices a master msshanic should
emplOy,n It were done (aa seems obvious)
to keep American boys out OF the trades
and 10 supply the work to foreign
mschanics. This, more than anything else
LED to the establishment Of the manual
labor schools that ara now to be found ia
all Of the large cities and are rapidly
Increasing. In every city and town
throughout the country These schools
are FAR more thorough in their work
than the apprentice system. They not
only show how certain things are done.
but they teach the reasons for doing
them and the philosophy involved in
each particular trade.
AS compared to the apprentices system
the manual school is a. Workingmans
college, aud its graduates possess q
knowledge that few bosses arc capable
OF impartiug to their apprentices This,
though important is not the only object
supplied by these schools which reducs
every trade to a science, and interest the
young men that they teach with 3
knowledge Of the trade chosen, adding
pride In a calling which was entered
without appreciating It's mental advan-
tages. and ia most cases solely because
1t Afforded an opportunity for making
money. The graduates feel that they
are not only good mechanics but men Of
eduoation. &c to associate with lntelli-
gent men In other trades and professions
Another and a very great advantage
afforded by the manual training schools
mas been that they have induced many a
young man entirely unsuited to the pre-
fessions of divinity, law and medicine to
give up the effort. to -bsoome profes.
zional msn, for which they have neither
the taste nor the ability We have far
more ministers, doctors and lawyers now
than We knew what to do wlth-men
who either half siayve, live on their wits
or finally, after much encouragement,
are obliged to undertake work
shat Is more suitable to their
capabilities. A man wants 10
know that which will be an advantage
TO him 10 life. aud this Is the kind Of
knowledge that the manual training
schools teach AS a result they are
growing more and more popular through
out the land, even In rural localities,
where they are not as much required as
IN the cities, for our country mechanics
favor apprentices more and, as rule
teach them more thoroughly than is done
Ia the large cities by master mechanics
II is well for our boys TO remember
hat q good mechanic Is more respected
in the world than psor professional
man, aud that ambition should lead them
TO undertake to do. Whist. they believe Il
is In their power 70 do best.
Roosevelt has gained nothing by going
Into --lttfo-