The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-10

increase of over 10 per cent.
Inc proposed solution of the problem
hes in the answer to the question:
How can We give our boys a chance to
learn a trade without being deprived
OF good common school education,
ana at the same time secure a founda-
tlon upon which. to build higher edu
cation If capacity and circumstances
Dermit?" %
The half-time school. established
upon the plan outlined below. will. If
is believed. answer this question and
I soIVe the problem.
rms school is aimed to fit each bow
Ipr the successive grades of me-
| chanics from the machinist up. so that
at any time he will be fitted to take
up ms work outside as a welI-traiIed
mechanic in the grade which he has
completed, and be prepared to enter
the training of the next grade. In 9TH
er words the object of the school is
10 produce many well-trained and edu-
| Gated machinists, and from these mo-
chlhlsts some foremen, from the fore
men Few superintendent. and finally
an occasional engineer The character
OF the individual material in ability
ana natural aptitude determines the
grade OF the product of the school
Whethef workman, foreman. superin-
tendent or engineer. The plan will he
understood by brief statement Of its
prominent features. which will be dis
cusseu moSe at length below
F1rst-A school which shall include
hfst-class commercially successful
sco productive machine shop, which is
department coordinate in import
aiice' ihnuence and educational value
with the academic department
Second-A school in which tha ,rni1s
are to have instruction and practice
IN this shop during halt the WORRYING
hours In five days of each week for q
period of four years.
Experimentation in the public
scnools during a portion of the other
nan OF the time, equivalent to a high
school course, restricted, abridged and
| pupils u 'iiese
FourtE-Special care and method of
selection of pupils who have finished
the grammar school course and who
nave special aptness for mechanical
work. 90
F1fth = Management under a corpo-
IaI RAJ on Whoss trustees shall! be practi-
| cal business men.
Ihe main thing which should deter
mine the point where schooling had
better be stopped and the real life
| work begun, is the natural endowment
| OF the pupil, so that whenever he stops
ne has received the best possible course
| OF schooling and training for his par
| ticulaf career whether it be as ma
| chihlst, draughtsman, foreman or man
| agef And If he has aspirations and
| natural ability for some position high
er not within the scope of the half
| time school. this course NAV lead to
the technical school, Thus he has no
pack steps to take, nothing to unlearn.
ana nothing which he might better
nave left out. He is not handicapped
1 of NV Ts1.-
| technical SCHOOL When he enters the
haf-time school. he need not give up
ms aspirations for this higher educa-
tlon, as is the case today if he leaves
| the public school to learn a trade. he
mas not burned his bridges behind him
but all that he has attained in the half
time school is the best possible under
structure for his hghe; work. even if
ne becomes an engineer and undertakes
| Vie most responsible engineering works
aeVolVing upon mankind.
The shops may be designed and
equipped upon the same general lines
and the same principles which govern
the construction and equipment of or
binary SHOPS, whose sole object is to
| succeed in competition with. the best
| managed shops in the land, engaged in
the production of frst-class| machinery.
| Independent of the school element
which is in this case, however, the sole
object and motive.
The building should be a first-class
one, ample and convenient, including.
as Well as. machine shop, a pattern
and wood working room, a small black
smith shop, plain office, and draught
| ing-room.
Until one has had experience with a
large class of earnest students in a
real machine shop, intimately associa-
ted with a large number of superior
expert mechanics, it is impossible to
believe how quickly the students win
become competent to do good and re-
liable work, and how much informa-
ton and practical experience they will
absorb. not wholly or largely by YER
bal instruction, but by simple OBJ
servation.
Nothing is more fundamentally i'm
| oortant than to do away with ali fear
and doubt about the desirablity and
oracticability of having a real, pro-
ductive. commercial shop in which to
train young men in the skill and tudg-
/ ment necessary for practical efficient
work in machine building, machine OPP
| arations and mechanical engineering.
Judging from general observation on
his subject, 1 believe there is no diff
ference of opinion existing among eth
er educators or practical men regarding
the desirability of having real shop
practice; but regarding the feasibility
Of giving such real practice in com
merciai school shop, there is general
doubt. / wish to say that the doubt
Il is without foundation, and that nearly
all the grounds for Directing to the in
/ PRODUCTION of real productive shops as
q part of technical and engineering
training, are imaginary.
We are aiming at the proposed school
and it is the professed aim of the tech
i nical schools and colleges to aid young
i men to conduct mechanical and indus
! trial enterprises successfully; and no
matter how profound the knowledge or
how scientific the basis beneath the
industry, the enterprise is a failure
! If it cannot be conducted practically
! and made self-sustaining and dividend
paying.
i 1t has heretofore been feared that a
technical school might become a shop
with a school attached. This gives
rise to the danger of a shop becoming
| weak and Impractical.
! There is a strong argument for school
shops which shall be much more in
tensely practical than any which have
ever been established or advocated
School shops should be object-lessons
in every sense as to the conduct of a
i first-class manufacturing establish
ment. They should, to an extent as
complete as possible, illustrate good
and economical shop methods such as
must inevitably lead to a successful
business.
First-We can confidently assure a
more thorough expert knowledge of the
i machinist's trade, and more practi-
i cal skill in its various departments,
than is generally secured by any ap-
premiership in this country or Europe
/ This rather large expectation is based