The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-01
ARE THE DOORS
SHUT TO THE BOY?
QUESTION INTERESTS EDUCA.
TORS AND LABOR LEADERS.
He Intimates That the Apprentice
System Keeps the Boy from secur-
ing Work and Makes Him a Loafer
"A Union Business Agent Says
aNo+ SOP
To the Editor Of The Journal.

To the Editor Of The Journal.
I would like to say a few words In re-
gard to our boys running in the streets.
l agree with DIR. Charles M. Jordan, super
intendent Of schools, that many Of them
should be In school, but there are hum
dreds of boys whose parents have sacri-
feed everything to keep them in school,
at least thru the lower grades and in
many cases thru, the high school, and
now cannot afford to send them any
farther. r.. ID ..1s-. =..#
The boys now want to learn a trade
Of some kind, and they start out and
roam from end to end Of this and other
cities looking for work, and wonder why
they are turned down everywhere. and
eventually become discouraged and drift
into ways many times that are not right.
The parents. not understanding the stu
alton, are many times inclined to think
the boy has not really tried very hard
to get work and condemn him for loaf
ing around, which helps to discourage
the boy.
The parents do not know that the shops.
or nearly all Of them, have one appren-
tice, and the union tells the boss he must
not hire another. Then there are other
unions which refuse to let the boss hire
an apprentice who is over 21, 50 the boy
must quit school before he Is 81 If he
wants to learn trade. Again, there are
unions which absolutely refuse to let
the boss hire any apprentice at all. Now,
I would like to have Superintendent Jor-
dan and some Of the leading labor lights
tell us what our boys had better learn
and our girls, too, for that matter, as the
same conditions face them in many places
~. &C. D. Barnum.
Question Live One.
Is the present apprentice system
responsible for the large number of
r. I. L. 49,
on the streets, or In saloons, cigar
stores and similar places? The ques-
ton which Mr.. Barnum propounds in
another form Is one which business
men, employers and working men
with sons have been asking for some
months. s-.a.s
DR.. Jordan, without desiring to en-
ter into controversy on the subject,
admits that the situation is grave and
the problem Of employing the boys
who do not finish school great one.
Prominent organized labor leaders de-
fend the apprentice system and de-
cline to place upon the shoulders OF
the existing conditions.
A Labor Leaders View.
I'VE are as anxious as anybody to
improve the standard of Minneapolis
working men and will gladly take on
good apprentices, but we know by ex-
perience what the proper proportion
between journeymen and apprentices
| should be-" said A. G. cambridge
| business agent Of painters and decor
| ators union. --
The working rules Of the Brother
hood of Painters, Decorators and Pa
perhangers of America, under which
| the local union works, say: "Shops
| employing an average of fifteen jour.
neymen shall be entitled to two ap.
prentices and one for each additional
| twenty journeymen employed" They
also permit the employment of one
apprentice in any shop where three
| journeymen are employed, and pro
vide that the apprentices must be be.
| tween the ages of fifteen and twenty.
one when they are taken In.
I'VE are always looking for good ap
prentices and can place a good man!
now" said Mr.. cambridge, but the
trouble is that few of them will sticl
| to their jobs after being articled. Ou1
experience is that boys with but few
years of schooling make the bes
gone thru high school he had ideals
above those Of learning a trade.
And then there is nothing to b.
gained by anybody in taking on al
apprentice after he is 20 years old. H
| is either too old to learn or els
will not do the mental work which i
required Of an apprentice and the mel
will not take as much interest in hin
or help him as much as If he were
boy.
There is room for apprentices an,
I'll find places for any you bring t.
me, if they are good, intelligent boys.