The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-09-13
TRADES For GIRLS.
What Public Schools Do Not Teach Them
ELrODedn Methods

y
skilled workwoman. went to a
place there where rare laces are re-
paired. They showed me pieces
which belonged to Mrs. Vanderbilt,
Mrs. Hartman and many other
Americans We cannot even mend
our own laces, after buying them in
Europe. / said to the man, Where
do you get your workers. He
opened a door and pointed out
building close by. From that trade
school, said he; / located here to be
near it.
Americans Conceited.
"In France, in Germany, they have
the same sort Of thing. But we in
America are so conceited, so foolish
ly, ignorantly conceited, that we
think our school system is the best
in the world, and we have nothing to
learn from any other country Yet
at our Centennial, in 1876, the Ger
man exhibit was so poor that their
commissioner wrote to his govern
ment that he was ashamed Of it, and
asked if nothing could be done about
it. Later the German government
sent to France, examined her trade
schools, her whole system, and went
home to establish trade schools and
technical museum Of her own. Ger
many was not ashamed to learn of
her ancient enemy, and the phrase
made in Germany to-day tells the
result. Governments send inyesti-
gators here to learn the secret of our
success in every line When do we
send commissioners to learn the
secret Of those things in which they
excel us?'
There was convention in Boston
to discuss the introduction of a whole
system Of trade instruction into the
Boston schools. The agitation is
proceeding elsewhere. But I am
afraid of the public schools. 1 am
afraid they will make their courses
too technical, too stationary. No
educator can sit down in his stuCy
and frame out course that will be
of use. To put weapon for self
support in the hands Of four-ffths of
the pubic school pupils, they must
be taught what the trade wants. The
trade will not accommodate itself to
the school. The school must accom-
modate itself : the trade. And,
most Of all, | fear that trade classes
in the schools will be too immobile.
One line of work may get old fash
Toned in a year 1t must be changed,
and changed quickly.
Manhattan Trade School.
"In our Manhattan Trade School
we have chosen those trades which
have future in them, those in which
it is possible for the girls to rise to
higher positions and better pay. And
we teach them how to utilize in bust
ness the knowledge they have gained
in schools. The little girls who
come to us from the public schools
understand arithmetic in an abstract
way, and can work abstract prob
lens But they cannot figure up the
different materials and tell how
much waist will cost They cannot
tell how much material they must
buy to have so many yards of bias
They can write nicely
and use fairly good English. But
not one of them can write a proper
application for position or any
other kind Of business letter. Not
one of them knows how to make out
a check or keep accounts. They
have had art in the schools. Not
one of them can use it as milliner
or in any other kind Of manufactur-
ing. Neither can we until we have
learned how. But a girl cannot pos
sibly rise to be forewoman unless she
knows such things. They are per-
fectly ignorant of labor laws, even
those enacted for their own benefit.
When we started our school we
asked the employers if they would
pay our graduates any more than the
greenh0rns. They said they would
not. The first year or two they paid
our girls 50 and $3.50 a week at
starting Then they paid So, and
this year they have paid s., and
some Of our earlier graduates are
earning $40, SIP. So and SIS a
week, and they are not yet seventeen
years old.
Il want to see the higher posi-
tons in the factories take rank as
for our women. I would
like to see our high school and college
girls go into them. Whenever 1 en-
tered a great establishment in France
would always ask the forewoman
Or manager where she got her train
ing. She would always reply, AT |
The professional school, and would /
point to her diploma framed upon
he wall