The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-12-20
NEED OF MANUAL
 TRAINING SCHOOLS Judge Roulhac's Views Discuss ed by Prominent Citizens MAYOR RDRENNEN EMPHATIC Wants to See Normal Training Schools Dottlns the State of Alabama.
 Frank peedmeyeTs Dis
 eliminating Comment.
MAYOR DRENNEN EMPHATIC


 yesterdays Age-Herald for the estab- lishment and endowment of schools in the south for the industrial training of southern white boys and girls was dis cussed interestingly yesterday by Mayor Drennen. Judge N. B. Feagin of the Bir- mingham police court, and Frank Decd meyer, one of the prominent lawyers at the Alabama bar. Mayor Drennen and Judge Feagin endorsed Judge Roulhac's s views. MT. Deedmeyer dissented from some of Judge Roulhac's conclusions.
 "I am glad the subject of industrial education for the whites Is awakening widespread and intelligent interest in Alabama said Mayor brennan. "The problem is one that we must face and face at once.
 Mayor Drennen.
 "The south" said Mayor Drennen, "and especially the state of Alabama. Is no longer exclusively an agricultural com munity. Our industries are rapidly be- coming diversified. Manufacturers have supplemented agriculture. These two | ing in importance.
 "rhe question with Us is how can we industrialize our life without blighting it with materialism. The south is active and energetic. As Henry W. Grady once said, the south is 'enamored of it's new work To do our duty. however, we must have schools of mammal training for all our people, white as well as black.
 "rhe Birmingham high school, I am l glad to say, will soon be, in effect if not in name, a manual training scnooi We have provided that boys and girls there may be trained for work in the l industrial field. I want to see schools of this kind dotting the whole state of Alabama. We hope that the high school next year will have 1000 students I heartily endorse Judge Roulhacs views"
 Mn. Deedmeyer.
 Frank Deedmeyer, attorney at law said:
 "I do not share the apprehensions ex- gro having now better facilities for in- dustrial training than the white south ern boy, may, in the near future, place the white boy at a disadvantage in the industrial field.
 "The negro, except in isolated instances and only where the Caucasian blood pre- dominates, has not the natural ability nor the application to become a formlda- ble rival in this field. He has not done so in Massachusetts, where all the edu- cational institutions have been open to 1 him for more than three generations As Thomas Nelson Page says he there still whitewashes the fences. while his wife does tine washing in the white families.
 "The subject of Judge Roulhac's in- terview deserves, however, general at tention. Except in a few localities the youth of the south is not, as rule, train ed better today for the industrial life than it was when Senator Benjamin H. Till of Georgia, called attention to this matter some thirty years ago, and point ed out the disadvantages the south must labor under in thls respect until q change 1 Is brought about. Today the responsible positions at the southern industrial plants with few exceptions. are held by men who received their training at the north or in Europe.
 | tain training schools for white boys Abolish the fee system in the larger counties of Alabama place the officials who now grow wealthy during one term upon reasonable salaries, turn the sur plus into the state treasury and the rev enue so gained would support two good industrial schools for white boys in our | state"
 1 Judge Feagin.
 Judge Faegin said that one of his ho5- bies was the importance Of manual training.
 with the training of the mind must go training of the head" said the judge "The United States excels the world in the applied sciences. But this excellence in large measure, prevails in the nortf and west. The southern boy of this gen. eration must go back seventy or eight, years and take up the work of man ual training in which his great grand parents exeelled. He must adjust him self to changed industrial conditions. T, do this, he must be given an opportu nity to attend manual training school near home"