The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-09-23
Some Lessons That May be Learned
From the Paris Exposition.
MORALS AND MANNERS OF THE PEOPLE
Mr.. Johnson Points Out the Value of Industrial
Training and Hopes to See an Indus
trial and Textile University
Established.

trial and Textile University
Established.
To the Editor Realizing the import
ance, and, indeed, the necessity of the
schools in America, and especially in the
Southern States doing more along the
line of industrial education, l decided to
come abroad this summer and carefully
study the situation from every stand
point and / believe that the information
/ am gathering from various sources
will prove of material advantage in the
educational advancement of our people.
1t is a good thing to study the classics,
to master the various languages, and
these features of our educational work
are very necessary for those engaged in
professional life. The great masses OF
our people, however, need to sustain
themselves by other means. Industrial
training is of prime Importance and l
think should occupy a foremost place in
our educational work. The hand express
es itself in many more ways than our
other senses and when the training Of
the hand is combined with the skillful
cultivation of the BRAIN we have as a
result of this combination the best ar
lists, engravers and artisans in various
lines.
HOW THE SOUTH LOSES.
There is one more important factor en-
tering into our educational life (much
neglected here) which we must never
under any circumstances overlook, and
that is the highest standard of moral
and religious training which will develop
the noblest and best faculties of the
heart as we'll as the brain.
AS matters stand now we are sending
from the South millions of pounds of cot
ton for which we receive six and seven
cents pound and are buying back mill
lions of dollars worth of the products of
this cotton, which, when it reaches US
the second time in the finished material,
costs two, three, and even as high as
five dollars a pound. l heard a short
time ago that some cotton goods brought
as high as $270 a pound, this of course
was in the preparation of expensive stuff
in which but few can indulge. There is
no reason in the world why we should
not manufacture at home the most beau
tiful grades of threads, lawns, madras
and all other styles of cotton goods.
Thus our cci.ton is made up in a
thousand useful and beautiful ways and
returned to us at a cost of from ten to
a hundred times as much as we received
for it. The same general statement is
true of our iron, marble, lumber and
many other classes of raw materials
which the South possesses in such abund-
ance.
VALUE OF SKILLED LABOR.
To manufacture these goods properly
requires skilled labor of the highest
class The Importance and necessity Of
our supplying our own wants more large
ly is apparent, and we should move ac-
lively in the matter of manufacturing
the finer grades of goods.
There are many things that we have
to learn of our friends on this side of
the water and the more quickly we real
ize that wisdom does not live and die
with us as people the better it will be.
1t Is sad but a notorious fact that in
America we do things, as a rule, in too
careless a manner when it is just as
easy to do them in an attractive and
even artistic manner Besides the pleas
ure of having everything reach a high
standard of excellence there is a COM
mercial value in properly harvesting,
preparing and marketing our products.
1t is a we'll known fact that the cotton
sent from America to the European mar
kets, though of a superior texture is Of
ten baled in dirty, careless and even
unSightly manner. In fact much of
the cotton is wasted by such antiquated
methods of handling as we have been
using in the past. There is no reason
why the bales of cotton should not be
packed with greater cleanliness and Sc
curity and thus make a finer showing
in the markets.
A large proportion of our people send
their butter to market in the buckets
and wooden pals. Sometimes these yes
sells do not look very attractive. In Eu-
rope it is entirely different Every
pound of butter is packed in the most
attractive way. l have noticed in Amer
lea that those farmers wives and dairy
hands who were careful to have their
butter the right shade, the right grain
and attractive in appearance always got
from % to 20 cents more than the care
lessly prepared buffers on the market
though many of them are really just as
good as the higher priced brands.
THE PARIS EXPOSITION.
contrary the Exposition is undoubtedly
a great success from the visitors stand
point At almost any time of the day
the prominent buildings and leading av-
enues are constantly crowded and l have
never before in all my experience seen
such an aggregation of educational ex-
hibits of every character and description,
and no one who takes the time and
trouble to look into these matters care
fully can turn away disappointed In
deed there is sufficient material gather
ed to provide careful and constant study
for years, for the best features of Amer
lea in schools as well as every country
on the face of the globe are here repre-
sented and in the majority of instances
the directions for studying methods are
so explicit that every one can gain new
ideas and suggestions if they really seek
to learn.