The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-13
EXPERIMENT IN INDUSTRIAL EDU-
CATION PROVES SUCCESSFUL.
Evening Glasses I'm which Many Man
ufacturing Processes Are Taught
-WOrkmen Attend.
sprIngheId 49, Republlcan.

first one established. 1t was established
I'm October, 1892 when there were organized
classes in machine shop practice, in tool
making and in plumbing. The equipments
of the shop Of the Mechanic Arts High
School are used by the Trades School.
which makes it a comparatively inexpen-
sive institution The Mechanic Arts High
School was established in 1898. and as soon
as the shop equipments were completed
Superintendent Ballet recommended TO the
school committee the establishment of an
evening trades school which might utilize
the equipment of these shops. The school
was opened in October, as stated, and as
many classes were formed as could be &C
commodated at the time. Two years ago
the evening drafting school was incorpor-
ated IN the school and a class in pattern
making was organized. Last October a
class was formed in electricity and another
one in the application Of mathematics to
the mechanical trades. The school at pres
ent consists of these classes, and last year
had total enrolment Of go The actual
attendance at the present time is 275, not
including the number who study electricity.
The course I'm mechanical drawing is a
three-years' course, and consists of two
lessons a week OF two hours in length for
twenty-five weeks each year. Fully 70 per
cent OF the men in this class apply their
mechanical drawing TO their daily work.
about 25 per cent take the course merely
for the sake of training. The course trains
foremen and master mechanics TO do their
own drafting, such as is necessary in small
shops, and all students are trained to read
drawings and to work from them. Many
members Of this class in the past have Sc
cured good positions after completing the
course. They range I'm age from fifteen to
forty-dve. About % per cent are over
twenty-five years of age.
The classes In machine shop practice and
tool-making nave an enrolment or ninety
i've, with an average attendance OF 80 per
cent. They range in age from sixteen to
fOrty-nine, the average age being a little
over twenty-four years. Seventy per cent.
of them are over twenty years of age.
Nearly all of them are now engaged in
their trade and come TO the school to learn
such parts of 1t as they have not learned
in the machine shop. Many Of them can
run one machine and no others; they come
to the school to learn to run other ma
chimes. There were 125 applicants for adj
mission TO this class, twenty-five OF whom
were refused on account OF age and lack of
qualifications. The preference is always
given to men already employed at the
trade. Some Of the members Of this class
are working at other trades which are less
remunerative and wish to become machin-
lists and be able TO obtain higher wages.
As an actual fact the school has helped
many men to increase their wages and a
few TO secure employment who were unem-
ployed- Sixty per cent. Of the members of
per cent. as engineers. 10 per cent. as black
smiths and 20 per cent unclassifed.
A CLASS IN PLUMBING.
The class In plumbing has three lessons a
week and numbers twenty-one. with av-
erage attendance of seventeen. They range
in age between sixteen and forty-three, the
average age being twenty three. Sixty-five
per cent. of them are over twenty years of
age, the remainder from fifteen to twenty.
Ten per cent. of them are now machinists,
10 per cent clerks. 10 per cent. unskilled la
III naV n q nm arff ice n L
ready In the employ of master plumbers. a
few years ago the master plumbers asso-
citation passed a vote to the effect that they
would not employ any apprentices or help
ers who did not attend this class in the
trades school This support to the school
has been of great help. The attendance has
been regular and the men have been earn
est. Lectures are given once a week by the
teacher OF plumbing on various topics OF
the plumbers trade. These lectures are at
tended not only by the members of the
class, but also by many employers and
master plumbers. As many as six journey
men have taken the regular course of in
struction within the last few years In the
two years course students can learn to do
as high a grade of work as was possible I'M
der the old apprentice system after five
years OF service as apprentice. 1t Is very
difficult for the apprentices to get any prac-
tfce, on account of the contract and COM
petitive system, which makes Ii impossible
for master plumbers to give instruction
and direction 1t IS not possible, under the
apprentice system, either TO give scientific
for everything, as 1T is IN the class organ
lied In the school,
The class in pattern making this year
numbers twenty and has three lessons q
week II has an average attendance of 81
per cent, and the average age of the class
Is twenty-five years, the youngest being
fifteen and the oldest thirty-nine. About
50 per cent. average in age between fifteen
and twenty, 20 per cent. between twenty
and twenty-five and 30 per cent. between
twenty-five and thirty. OF the members
tered as now employed as machinists
Is per cent. as wood workers, 20 per cent
clerks and Is per cent unclassfied
The men employed in the daytime as wood
workers who belong to this class will re-
ceive an advancement in wages of about
81 because OF their taking the course. This
is a very common experience. Some of the
members of this class had applied for, adj
mission TO the tOOl-making class, but were
rejected because of insufficient preparatory
training. After one year of wood work
they will be able to begin work in the ma
chine shop.
1t is interesting 10 note the school educa-
ton which the members of the various
classes had in their earlier years. OF the
plumbing class 10 per cent. had attended a
high school, 30 per cent. had reached the
highest grammar grade. 25 per cent. had
reached the eighth grade and 80 per cent
the seventh grade. In other words, So per
cent. of the members of this class had never
reached the high school. OF the class in
machine shop practice IS per cent. had at
tended a high school. 30 per cent. had
IedCncu the nlnt0 grade per cent mao
been in the eighth grade Of a grammar
school and IL per cent. IN the seventh grade;
hence y per cent had never reached the
high school. OF the class in pattern making
only per cent. had ever attended a high
school, is per cent. had reached the ninth
grade. 3 per cent. the eighth grade, 80 per
cent. the seventh grade and 10 per cent. the
grades below the seventh. In other words.
50 per cent. OF this class completed their
education in the grammar schools
MATHEMATICAL TRAINING.
The class in mathematics numbers TWEEN
ty-two and has an average attendance of
20 per cent. This class was organized after
the school had opened in October and the
nature OF the work 10 be done was not
clearly understood. else the attendance
would have been much larger. The eIe-
ments OF arithmetic algebra. geometry and
trieonometry arc taught but only in so far
as practical application can be made OF
them TO the mechanical trades. Men who
use mathematical formulas in their daily
work and who follow them mechanically
without knowing how they derived are
taught the mathematical principles under
lying them. The principles Of physics are
also taught in so far as they apply 10 the
mechanical trades.
The registered membership Of the class in
electricity is forty-seven. but the attend
ance at a number OF single lectures on sub
tects OF special interest was very much
larger About 40 per cent are private
students in electricity and have taken the
course as a means OF education without
any directly practical purpose in view. %
per cent. are connected with firms engaged