The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-06-04

of good workmanship. It is alse
striking illustration of the folly
OF parents, and the responsibility
for its existence lies chiefly Will
them. 1t is natural, of course, fo1
parents whose own circumstances
have been cramped, to wish fol
their children something better
and parental pride and ambition
not infrequently override the pa
rental Judgment The develop
ment of the boy is noted with care
full solicitude; and the first sign of
precocious depravity is too often
mistaken for precocious smartness,
and a brilliant professional career
is at once mapped out for the
promising offspring. His whole
education, if any attention be Civ
Ell to so important matter, is di-
rected to that end, regardless of
his own tastes or capabilities. He
is taught to share the extravaganza
hopes of his family, and without
the stimulus of present employ
ment and physical training, learns
to despise manual labor and forms
habits that unfit him for success
full pursuit of the profession he ex-
poets to adorn. The result is, of
course, the ruin of the boy.
This tendency to belittle man.
ual employments on the one hand,
and to unduly magnify the i'm
portance Of professional callings
on the other, is largely response
BILE for that lack of skilled labor
about which there is so much COM
plant. But there are other causes
which operate unfavorably. In
this railroad age time is of more
value than gold. To the young man
the three or four years required to
master the details of any handi-
craft requiring skill seem a long
time. So they are; but an equal
or greater time is required to fit
him thoroughly for the practice
OF medicine or Of the law. In the
former case, however, there is the
advantage of immediate and profit
able employment, while in the lat
ter, years must be spent in men
tai and professional training after
the preparatory work is done.
Still another cause which is cal
culated to deter young men from
acquiring a practical knowledge
OF the useful trades is the course
pursued by the journeymen's un-
ions. On this subject, a contem-
porary presents the following SEN
sible reflections: One of the most
Objectionable of the rules adopted
by nearly all Trades Unions is
that which forbids employers to
have more than two or three ap-
prentlces at once, no matter how
many men they employ. Accord
ing to this rule, which is rigidly
enforced, carpenters, plasterers
and bricklayers are allowed to have
only two apprentices, while stone
cutters are graciously permitted
to employ three. Other trades
have similar regulations. The OBJ
Ject Of the rule is to prevent en-
ployers from giving mems work
to boys, and there is an element
of justice in it which deserves rec
ognition and should be made the
subject of reasonable regulation.
According to the present practice.
however, it works grievous inius-
tlce, for wherever Union rules are
in full force it absolutely shuts
out the great majority of Ameri-
can boys from all the leading
handicrafts, or at least from &C.
curing such a knowledge of them
as will enable them to take rank
as skilled mechanics. AS a con-
sequence, our trained handicrafts-
men come mainly from abroad, or
the ranks are filled up with young
men who have gained the crudest
smattering Of trade as ''helpers.
In some of the trades, however.
no such arbitrary rule exists as
that referred to above. AS we have
already observed, here is the op-
portunity for the ambitious youth
of our country who do not care for
agricultural pursuits and against
whom the professions are closed.
From almost any point of view the
young mechanic has the advan-
tage of the young professional.
He has an unfailing means of sup
port. He has none of the worry
and distraction incident to the 9th
er's life. He has ample exercise
and regular rest, better health and