New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-26
GIRLS TRADE SCHOOL.
HANDrCRAFT MOVEMENT IN THIS CITY
THE ENGLISH AND THE AMER
ICAN WORKER.

| .erba oneninp on November of the Manhattan
Trade School for Girls is the first step in very
earnest effort elevate the unskilled girl worker
of the city" said Professor Mary Schenck Wool
man. director Of the school and head Of the domes
| tic arts department at the Teachers College
| a large proportion OF the girls in the public
schools go into business as soon the compulsory
school years completed, being obliged for eco
nomic reasons, to become self-supporting so soon
| as possible. They answer the female help wanted
advertisements accept the first thing that offers.
Irrespective Of their abilities tastes. and usually
remain till they marry in that occupation in which
they happen 10 land. because it is so hard TO find
| more congenial work The only idea with most of
them is to earn enough to live on till they get
married. As there is no regular apprentice system.
they gain their trade experience as best they can.
often taking several years 70 become expert in
! work that might easily be mastered In less than
half the time with regular, adequate instruction
"An this is a distinct disadvantage to the COM
unitv not less than TO the girls themselves Trade
is suffering from the need Of skilled workers. and
the workers themselves are overcrowdinG the I'M
skilled parts of the trades where the wages are
small.
In order to find out the lines which offered the
brightest prospects for the skilled girl worker
basis for the course of training at the Manhattan
Trade School, careful inspection Of trades needing
skilled workers has been made. | spent last sum
mer studying these trades and the part women
plav in them. gathering the opinions of employers.
organized labor and the workers themselves. and
inspecting the equipment Of the technical schools.
trade schools and public schools relative to the sub
ject OF skilled female labor
MRS. WOOLMAN STUDIES WORKERS.
'.I spent from June TO July Is in the factories
where expert handwork is done upholstery
corsets parasols. chiffon neckwear. acework. lin
gerie shoe finishing. box making jewel polishing,
pearl strnging and so on went to the best dress
making establishments and found out how the
girls got their training and what they would have
to know in order rise in the trade. After six
weeks in the cities visited the quiet country viii
lagos where women are taking up handicrafts.
went TO Centre Lowell. i'm Maine-where the farmer
folk making AbenakI rugs under the direction
OF Mr.. and Mrs Douglas Ne!E- set at their de-
signs and see the people working them The
Abenaki rug which is regularly on the market
and costs as much as a Persian rlg-about 50 the
square foot-has been evolved from the native
hooked rug and the heavy burlap foundation which
IS what the English rugmakers use. Now, without
exc option, the native hooked rug Is the ugliest
thing on the face Of the earth. But Mrs. Volk
has Experimental with woods and dyes and Mr..
Volk has made his beautiful designs that the
Abenaki rug Of to-day is permanent and artistic
article made OF hand spun. hand dyed and hand
woven wool. not beautiful as the old Persian
rugs but quite as lovely the They have
more Of a market than they supply, for the
workers are busy with farm work in summer and
can work in winter only.
Then l visited Deerield Mass where the peo-
pie have developed their village industries them
selves, without such kindly patronage the Volks
| have exercised in Centre Lowell Each kind Of
| work-basketry. embroidery. and so on-has its
! superintendent. and once month the women
meet together 10 work,
Il wanted particularly to get at the designs Of