Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-27
THESE APPROVE PROGRESS,
Increase of Manual Training FactIi.
ties Would He Very Desirable

increase of Manual Training FaciIi-
ties Would he Very Desirable.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
l desire to express my thanks to The
star for taking up the question of indus
trlal training In our public schools The
question Is Of the first Importance to all
the people, and especially to the colored
people. because of the well-known social
and industrial restrictions which hedge
them in. If ever they escape these restric-
ions, it will be by learning to be trained
and skillful wage earners in the Industrial
SCHOOL l speak for the masses The high
school and the college are excellent insti-
tutions, and should be maintained for
tnose VINO desire to avail themselves of
the advantages which the higher intel
lectuai culture surely brings. But there is
no doubt TO any unbiased mind who will
give the subject the least thought that the
demand or the times requires for the
masses a more practical training than is
no" Afforded by our public school system
II Is gratifying to know, as The Star srs-
gests, that the school board fully agree
with TINS view Of the matter, and are only
awaiting the Necessary appropriations from
Congress.
Washington, the capital. of the nation.
should have g public school system that
would be q model for the rest of the coun-
try. But, instead in the matter OF manua!
training Washington is a long way behind
ALMOST every city IN the
inhabitants!
l Rave no fault whatever to find with the
trustees of the schools. They have done
all they could do with the appropriations
that nave been doled out to theIn-aboul
$4,000 a year for manual training in
Washington, with 41,GO pupils,
But II The Star will take up the matter
and urge It to a conclusion. | am sure il
Will not be long before our manual training
department will be on par with the best
in the country. ANDREW F. HILYER.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
Like Member of Glass ST." 1 desire to
thank The Star for its editorial in favor
of industrial schools for colored children.
Certainly every one must see that a school
in which these people could learn complete
trades would be an effectual means of ele-
waiting the race. But "let each have his
own" 1t would be but the other extreme
to try to force all colored children into
trade schools. to the entire neglect OF
higher education.
The same variety in education that is
good for one set of American citizens is
good for another
1t is only because now and then, with
and without advantages, people of color
have climbed high the ladder of intelIec-
tual ascent that colored people have been
able to refute in any degree the imputa-
ton Of natural inferiority.
That there is among this people no
money, no science, no art, no literature, is
true. But that there are no Tendencies
in these directions, one need not go beyond
the narrow limits of Washington to prove
false. What more than the embryonic
stage along these lines could be expected
Of any race in thirty years?
The majority of those who "groan under
the heavy pressure of the present High
School system, and turn from school in dis
gust, do so because the colored people, in
common with other American people, have
shared the opinion that a college educa ton.
while not fitting man to practice law or
medicine, is all sufficient to prepare him
for the most important of professions
teaching. Professional skill is required to
make High School pupil love his work, as
well as it is to make the little ones in the
first grade interested and happy.
Let us have trade schools, but 1 repeat,
SUM cuiCue.
GEORGIANA R. SIMPSON.