The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-06

favored rlch, but especially the common
people.
Inis :, school is the one place where not
only the intellect is Fssduc,ateds but also
the eye and hand. tits well known that
the learned professions are overcrowded.
y! II tnem person can hope to attain
success only after years of ,inremunera-
tive labor and waiting. The poor mans
son, unless he Mss. exceptionally talented,
cannot afford to take the risk and ex-
pense involved. But the developments
of modern Industry create an ever-grow-
ing demand for men that possess both
higher education and thorough me-
chanical training. This is the reason why
the school has become so popular and
successful. Its work has met everywhere
With unstinted praise and recognition.
AT the exhibition of arts and crafts, last
spring, the work of the school called
Forth the highest admiration of all vis-
itorse vet, none Of the articles there ex-
hieited We're padded UP or made ex-
pressiy for the occasion, They were
merely the. products of the . regular
everyday work of the school. .The ex-
:, hhibit that was sent to the exposition at
Buffalo has met with an equally fiatter-
ing recognition. b'foi -
This school Is evidently just, what the
people want. AT its present rate of in
crease it is bound to be the largest high
school in the city within a few years
aFo' transfer ethe girl students from the
Mechanic Arts to the Central would only
relieve matters for a very short time
In another year OR two the building
would again be Just as crowded as it is
now, and the condition at present is such
that some of the classes are actually I'M
able to recite for want of room TO say
that the girls might just as well be
transferred to some other school as they
are not resolving any manual training
any way, is absolutely false and err
roneous. The girls receive manual train
ing just as we'll as the boys do, but in a.
different manner, their wor.A in this line
consisting chiefly of modelling, designing
and drawing, work which trS-..s the eye
70 accuracy aands develops a oeftness and
skill of the hands. the value of which
is. self-evident. 7'',
+ Moreover, the board has absolutely no
power to transfer these girls against
their will The Mechanic Arts is<a state
high school, receiving state aid, and the
students who are registered, there have
under the state law an understandable
right to stay IF they choose. That they
could be transferred with their own con-
sent is out of question They have
expressed themselves too alphabetically
on that point. Every candid observer,
'however3fis forced to the conclusion that
school which can develop in its stu
. dents such a strong feeling of attach
ment and solidarity, must possess quite
uncommon elements of success.
t. There Isl in9 fact nothing left for the
school board but to take the dilemma
by the horns and do now what will be
inevitable anyway within year or two.
and what can be done at less expense
now than at any time in the future Let
the board purchase the adjoining vacant
property and .buildsa suitable addition
to the school, The board is under in
eyitable obligations to purchase that
property sooner. or later. The school
Is built within three feet Of the line.
The erection of tall buildings on the adj
joining property would cut Off The light
from two sides and render the Mechanic
Arts building entirely unfit for school
purposes. To guard against such an
event, it will be necessary to buy this
The property In question isalocated
Just opposite the new capitol It is at
present covered with sunsightly heaps Of
rubbish and stone, but as soon as the
new capitol is completed, it issbeund to
rise in value. To defer the ineyftable 10
therefore unwise from mere business
standpoint. eEe. will be cheaper to pur-
chase now. In its budget last spring the
board did, indeed, include an item of
$4,000 for the purchase of this property,
but. the council in passing on the budget
saw fit to divert this. item to other pur-
poses. This action of the council was
in direct violation of the new charter,
which gives the council the right to strike
out items in the school budget. but not
to divert any item to any purpose other
than that indicated by the board. If,
therefore, the board insists on this item,
the council cannot well do anything but
aequiesce. and it /. is to be hoped, that the /
board will insist. s
A suitable addition to the Mechanic
Arts, building is absolutely necessary. To
hamper the institution from a. mistaken
sense of economy would be resented by
the people. It's rapid growth indicates |
the esteem and popularity which 1t en-
joys. To build is inevitable. Better
build at once and build we'll The en-
rollment of the school, as said before,
is increasing very rapidly. The manual |
training features of the institution should
be gradually enlarged to keep up with |
modern Ideas of progress. A course in
electrical engineering should be put in |
as soon as the. new building, is erected |
and other similar courses should follow. |
And let the new building have some |
ornbitnof,iyol vlIa~it<i Ratnr tx, =, - 4