The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-29
as to greatly impair if not neutralize its


THE urgent need of an agricultural
building and equipment was presented be
fore the last Legislature in a memorial
from your honorable body; and, in re
Spouse to the same, a bill was passed pro-
viding for such building and equipment
It's carly completion will give to agricul
ture in North Carolina, and to agricultural
education in this college an honorable
recognition, a magic potency and an in
spring attractiveness which have long
been deserved; and will remove from the
popular mi2d the erroneous impression
that this college is not devoted to agri-
cultural instruction so faithfully and so
zealously as it is to instruction in the
various engineering lines.
TEXTILE DEPARTMENT.
'"The Textile Department has enrolled
~ students during the year. Seven mem
bers of the graduating class are textile
students, and seven others have completed
the two year course, so that the textile
Department has practically Ia graduates
this year. Considering that the depart
ment has been established only three
years, and equipped only one year, this is
very remarkable showing. 1t is the
largest number of graduates offered by
son why this department, with full equip
ment and accommodations, should have
less than 500 students The steady and
rapid increase of mills, the growing de-
mand for fine grades of work requiring
skill and technical training, the disad-
vantage and injustice of importing work
men, foremen and superintendent from
the North instead of training our native
boys for this responsible and lucrative
work, the possibility of labor troubles and
the desirability of having native born
foremen and superintendent who under
stand our people and our labor conditions
rather than foreigners, all clearly indicate
the great duty and the great opportunity
of our textile department. Much of the
work done during the year by students of
this department, in dyeing, in carding and
spinning, in designing and weaving, is now
on exhibition in the Textile building. An
inspection OF it will show not only the
great future of this school, but the great
future of cotton manufacturing in North
Carolina.
There is urgent need of power to run
the machinery in the Textile Department
and of additional equipment for dyeing
and weaving. For lack of funds we have
been forced to use during the past year
such power and machinery as have been
donated. 1t is estimated that 81, $50 is Ie-
quired to complete the equipment and
furnish the power AS soon as possible
an automatic sprinkhng system for fire
protection should be provided throughout
the textile building.
ENGINEERING AND MECHANICAL DE-
PARTMENTS.
"The growth Of the various engineering
and mechanical departments has been
marked. Students have flocked in, anxi.
Gus to learn how to work The shops,
drawing rooms and laboratories have been
crowded and busy nearly every hour daily
from a. m. to p. M We have raised
the standards of proficiency, requiring
thorough work and more work; and have
made it rule to send from the college
at any time during the year students who
were disposed to loiter, or be regardless
of their duties and opportunities.
There is urgent need of additional
equipment in all the engineering and ma
chanical departments. A new engine Is
needed to furnish power and lights. The
machine shop should be extended and pro-
vided with more tools and machinery.
The drawing rooms need to be ceiled as
a protection against cold. A foundry
should be erected both for instruction and
for the making of our own casting. The
supply of apparatus in the department of
physics and electrical engineering is wholly
inadequate, and the large number of the
students enrolled shows what a demand
there is for practical education in cleo
tricity.
COLLEGE SHOULD HAVE 1000 STUD
ENTS.
''The rapid development of manufacture
ing industries in our State, the constant
and large demand for machinists, draughts-
men, designers, builders and architects
chemists, civil engineers and road build
ers and other skilled industrial workers
and managers warrants me in saying that
with ample equipment this college would
enroll at least 1000 students in its vari-
Gus engineering and mechanical depart
ments.
ut is sometimes said that this college
has enough students already Such a
statement fails to realize either the char
acter of education furnished here or the
urgent need of skilled workmen and
technically educated industrial managers
for the development OF the great and
varied resources of our State. 1t is pos
sible to have too many lawyers, doctors Or
politicians, but impossible to have too
many skilled workmen, too many creators
of wealth, too many developers of the
natural resources of our State There IS
now an actual demand in North Carolina
for trained workers far beyond the ability
of the college to supply. Until we can
furnish supply equal to the demand il
is nonsense to say that this college mas
enough students. In my judgment the de-
mand will not be met, until our enroll
ment is in the neighborhood OF 1000 stud
ents. This number is far exceeded in
other progressive industrial States with
less population than North Carolina.
INDUSTRIAL TRAINING NEEDED IN
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
"This college alone cannot hope to sup
ply all the trained industrial workers
needed in North Carolina. There is need
of industrial education and training in
our elementary public schools both rural
and city, and need of special industrial
high schools at various localities through
out the State We must follow the ex-
annie of the rrOgresSiVe West and of