The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-02
The Case of the Mechanic Arts.

Mr. Corning made it clear, at the
meeting in the Commercial club rooms
last night, that there is more involved
than the Mechanic Arts school, and
that the proposition for consolidation
is but a part of plan to increase the
seating capacity of some of the graded
schools. 1t will release the MaXfield
school of the space now used by the
training school and relieve the over
crowded schools in that section, while,
by bringing the training school into the
city's center, the assignment of cadets
10 substitute work will be facilitated
1t Is, he said, condition, not a theory,
that confronted the board, a problem
Of doing as much as possible with the
restricted means. The board seems to
accept the condition as invincible when
1t is merely a matter of increasing the
school revenue by increasing the val
uation of personal property, if realty
is insufficiently high. But that is an.
ether matter.
Mr.. Bernard Zimmerman explained
that, in furtherance Of the general ar
ran9ements, 1t was proposed to consoli-
date the academic work of the Me-
ohanic Arts school with the Central
high school and open II the Hallowell
building a school devoted solely to
manual instruction. Nirety-five per
cent of the children of the grades never
get to the high school, and less than
twenty-five of those who do get there
stay to graduate. The object was to
get manual instruction accessible to the
greatest number, he said: to the boy
whose father ate garlic and bread
Gusts, borrowing a comparison made
by another speaker. Were Mr.. Zim-
merrDann in politics. supposition not
to be entertained of any member of the
board of educauCn-we should suspect
that he was playing to the galleries In
this statement of intention. For man.
ual instruction can only be brought to
the boy of the man who eats garlic, or
to the 80 per cent who do not reach
The high school, by carrying that in
strUction down into each grade school
in the city. We do not understand
that 1t Is the purpose Of the board to
do that, or to make manual training a
compulsory course in the Central high
school, but assume that it will be an
optional course. If that Is to be the
situation. the proposed consolidation
will have no effect in extending the
instruction, because now only those who
wish it go to the Mechanic Arts and
only the same would go to the HALO
Well building.
Aside from the gain IN space In other
schools, the consolidation could hardly
effect the economy expected. Four
teachers will be dispensed with, saving
$5,SC0 in salaries. 1t will cost. aside
from the rent Of the Halo we'll building.
sum estimated at $1,000 to make the
transfer, install the Mechanic Arts me-
charical plant there, and put the build
ing in condition for occupancy as
school. AS no other gain is made than
the salaries saved, and as the cost of
moving will largely exceed that. the
economy of the movement is not per-
ceivable. Had consolidation never been
tried, there is a FEASIBILITY in the prop
os1tion that makes 1t look feasible:
but, as Prof. Weitbrecht showed. the
two schools had made the experiment
cf consolidation, and the board, after
four years trial, separated them. The
Plan was not feasible in practice. That
1t will not be If tried again is the opin-
ion Of these best qualified to Judge.
We believe that the board. If it will,
can arrange to obviate the need Of It,
and nothing it may do will meet with
wider popular approval than that.