The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-09-20
FROM PARIS.
Mr.. Johnson Urges SIndustrlal
Education,

80 rue de Caumartin Paris, France,
August Goth, 1900.
Americans, as rule, are given too
much to boasting of the greatness and
advantages of our country without
carefully measuring the strength of
other nations. do not know of any
thing better calculated to inculcate
wholesome respect for the strength and
ability of other peoples than travelling
abroad and getting Ultimately acquain-
ted with what the world is doing in
educational, artistic and manufacture
ing lines. 1t was with the hope OF
gathering information that would be
OF material assistance to us in the de-
velopment and enlargement Of our
educational work that / decided to
come abroad this summer and study
at the Paris Exposition and IN the va
rious countries Of Europe especially the
question of Industrial Education, and
I must say that I am amazed at the
vastness of the undertaking. have
been fortunate in coming in touch
with prominent educators and men
who have shown a disposition to render
all assistance that was in their power
and the more I study the matter the
more thoroughly do I realize how
much we are behind in certain lines
OF educational work In America.
1t would take too long to undertake
to lay before your readers the many
startling and interesting facts that
have been brought to my attention.
I simply write for the purpose of urg
ing upon al! State Officers, school
hosrds and all others who haye charge
LOT the educational interests of our
country to give the matter OF Indus
trial, education more consideration
han shey have ever dons before. 1t
sneeryes it.
1 Ia every part Of the world we may
/ ios4k aa9r sharpest and closest conlpeti-
tion in manufactured articles. So far
l as the production of raw material there
is no part Of the world that is so for
tunateIy situated as the United States
and no part of the United States so
fortunately situated as the Southern
/ States for supplying raw material of
almost every character and description.
AS matters stand now We are send
ing our Gotten abroad and receiving
six and seven cents pound for it and
millions OF dollars worth OF it is being
manufactured in goods of various kinds
ard returned to US at from three TO
ten dollars pound. It is true we
have been working up great deal ol
the cotton in the South but in tie
coarser grades of cotton goods which
DO not afford such large profit to the
manufacturer or such liberal wages ta
the workers as the finer and better
: grades OF nuslins. lawns, etc, etc,
4 We are also sending abroad vast
quantities OF iron, steel, lumber, mar
bic and other material which is being
manufactured into various ingenious
and useful articles and returned to III
J at from so to 500 per cent. profit.
By establishing industrial training
, in our schools, by giving our owr
/ children other advantages, we may
soon have a large number OF sklllfu
, artisans, artists, and workers in various
lines who will use our raw material In
, supplying our varied and increasing
wants and thus keep great deal o
the money that we are now sending
} abroad at home and afford more Iiber
al margins for building up our indus
, tries, for educating our families and
, advancing our interests in every pos
sible way.
Very soon after my return to Amer:
} ca hope to lay before our friend
: some very practical suggestions tina
t will prove of material advantage on al
e lines haye indicated. I simply writ
D thus briefly to bring the matter ear
: nestlv to the attention of the reader
J. of your paper and with the hope tha
, every good citizen will cooperate ii
e the movement to advance the cause o
e education along right lines.
i Yours very truly,
l. B. F. JOHNSON
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e THE SAVAGE BACHELOR.
70 Indianapolis Press.
l al