Evening star., 1901-02-02
CENTRAL LABOR COLLEGE
PROPOSED ESTABLISHMENT IN EACH
STATE OF THE UNION.
Objects of Institution Under Auspices
of American Federation-In-
dustriaI Movement.

According to advices received at the head
quarters Of the American Federation OF La
bor in this city, central labor college Will
soon be established in every state In the
Union. Ruskin College Is the name OF ,he
central Institution OF what Is known as the
Ruskin movement In America, and Is To-
Gated at Trenton. Mo. 1t aims to develop
the body as well as the mind. and the
character as well as the intellect. 1t seeks
to turn out inventors, creators. reformers.
administrators. leaders and thinkers: not
mere linguists, bookworms, translators and
specialists"
The college already has farm Of 1.600
acres as a basis for It's Industrial depart
ment. A manufacturing company Is being
organized, and all the domestic, agricul-
tural and mechanical arts will be introduced
as the development Of the department pro-
ceeds. It Is now possible for any student
who can contribute 500 to the Industrial
fund OF the college to be student in the
scnool continuously for four years.
For those who cannot raise the necessary
$1OO merit fund of 500, 600 Is being raised,
to be loaned In sums Of $1oO each to worthy
young people without means. With this
initial equipment the student may then en-
ter the industrial department and secure an
education. even though he had not dollar
OF his own to begin with. This $1OO Is to be
repaid to the college by the student as soon
as practicable after his graduation
The movement starts out with the hy-
po1hesis that no more valuable help can be
given young men or women than to assist
IN placing them in position where they cam
help themselves and make the most of what
Is In them. 1t believes that the most ef-
fect1ve agent to this end Is symmetrical
education, in which the hand and heart are
made the object of as much stress and at
tention as the head. It's first step is to re-
move the barriers that prevent 80 per cent
of the financially unprivileged from getting
even the ordinary college education. It's
second step Is to throw around those who
ccme to it for help such influences as will
enable them to find out what Is In them.
This is done by giving them untrammeled
opportunities to test all their different pow
ers of mind and heart and all their latent
skill OF hand in the college class rooms, So
cial relations, factories, shops and on the
farms, seeing to 1t also that their moral en-
vironments and training are guarded and
regulated as to bring out their moral quail
tiles and test their moral mettle. The third
step is the making Of 1t possible for every
student to master during his college course
some useful trade or profession by which
he can thereafter earn a livelihood
In word. 1t Is the purpose of this move
ment to make it possible for any boy or
girl young man or woman to get a COM
plete intellectual and technical training
without means; to give them a symmetri-
cal training that will put them In possess
sion of all their powers; make them men
and women of well-balanced minds, highly
and correctly balanced tastes, and with
balanced and worthy estimates Of those
things in life that are worth while.