New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-15
QUALIFICATIONS or WORKINGMEN.

The bill now before the Legislature for the
regulation Of the trade Of bricklayers and mason
builders contains mt least two unreasonable ana
Objectionable provisions One Is that no person
shall be entitled to registry as mason-oullder
unless he has served IN apprenticeship at brick
LAYING for m least four years. 1t is, OF course
cmlncntlv desirable that all builders. whether
workers in wood or masonry or iron. shall be
competent. so that we shall have no more Bud
dcnsiek and Ireland disasters. But that end
will not be attained by fixing an arbitrary term
Of apprcntlccshlp There are men who might
serve four years. and four times four years. and
still not be- fitted for the work Of mason-bulld-
crs There are others who. In properly con
Quoted trade school, car and do become fully
compeen, in half III" time required by this Dill.
Under the oldtime apprenticeship system long
term of years was perhaps generally necessary,
for the beginner had TO pick up his knowledge
Of the trade cmprically. rs best he could. by
watching others and by making efforts for him
self minded hy instruction and stimulated only
by rldic,llc and censurc for his failures But in
the modern trade school Ill that Is changed.
The apprentice receives systematic ana syinpa-
thc,Ic instruction from expert teachers. by scien-
tlnc methods and should certainly he able 10
master the trade In half the time formerly re-
aulrcd But the time. whether long or short. Is
no criterion by which 10 judge his ability Actual
knowledge and achievement. ascer'alned by ex-
animation and investigation. are the only guar
antecs of competency.
The other bad provision Is that the Board or
Examiners. which shall pass upon all cases. Is
70 consist Of one architect. one masonbuilier
and three bricklayers. Nothing could be more
illogical For this Board will be charged with
tho examination not merely OF brcklaycrs APP
prcnticrs. but ~ would-be mason-builders. What
fitness have brlcklnyers 10 pass upon their quail
lfcations? II Is exactly as though the under
graduates Of college were charged with OK
aiming candidates for degrees. The higher
NAV properly Judge the lower, but not the lower
the higher. Architects may and should be able
TO determine the qualifications of mason-build-
ers Mason-builders should be able to deter
mine the qualifications OF brlcklayers. But 10
constitute committee Of bricklayers to examine
and determine the qualifications Of mason-buld-
crs is 10 put the cart before the horse the
scholar above the teacher. IL may be desirable
10 have such n Board Of Examiners If so. the
Board certainly should be composed chiefly OF
those who have passed successfully through the
lower grades Of the business and become pro-
iirlcnt in the higher.
The charge is made that this bill Is being
urged by the trades-unions In hostility TO the
tradcschools 1t Is sincerely TO be hoped that
this IS not So II 1t u.s. 1t is most dcplorable
state Of affairs There should be no antagonism
between the unions and the schools. but rather
close sympathy and cooperation. The whole
object Of the schools is to make workmen more
intelligent more proficient and more prosperous.
Certainly those are ends which the unions can
not oppose The vast expansion OF the trade
school system in France. and the general intro
duction there Of manual and industrial training
into the public schools have been productive OF
ncalc,abe good. French artisans and their
| work have thus been made famous for ex-
ccllcnce the world over The development of
exactly such Il system here Is to be encouraged
rather than resisted Certainly any legislation
which Is distinctly and purposely hostile to 1t
should he opposed, and by nobody more earnest.
| " than by the workingmen themselves.