The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-05-10
ALL ARGUE
IN FAVOR OF
TRADE SCHOOLS

S'SbtidHy NAbJf'l IUuta,tIidi tuu-
cation from the points of view OF the cdu-
Gator. The workman and the manufactures.
The evening session In Manning hall
attracted a goodAsized audience OF visit
ing educators and the local public. who
heard addresses on the present state and
needs OF industrial education In America
by Eleazer b. Homer. director OF the
Rhode Island School OF Design John
Golden of Fall River president OF the
United Textile Workers OF America. and
James r. MacColl OF this state, presi-
dent OF the National Association of Cot
ton Manufacturers
Chairman George l. Aldfch, supern-
tendent OF schools OF Brookline. Mass.
presided Mr.. Homer read his paper.
which was concerned with Some -Prac-
tical Illustrations of the Value OF Indus
trial Training"
OF the work at the School OF Design Mr.
Homer said: AN attendance OF $40 stu
dents in the regular classes and over 44.OoO
visitors TO the exhibition held In the gal
leries OF the museum certainly means ap-
proval on the part OF the people and con-
tinued interest In the close connection be-
tween art ana hldustry which we are try
ing 20 establish.
''our classes include great variety of
active workers and the presence OF these
serious and mature people lends interest
20 the courses OF instruction devised for
their help and benefit. which would not
be found In ordinary grades Of school
work.
Each year a great variety of busi-
ness interests receive help from our in
struction. In one year alone We have
enrolled apprentices. artists, boat builders.
bookbinders. bookkeepers and stenog-
laphers. cabinet makers. carpenters,
contractors. designers. die cutters,
draughtsmen. electricians. engineers and
engravefs. inspectors, jewellers. librarians,
loomhxers. machinists. masons and me-
chanics, office boys. painters. pattern
makers and printers. saIesmen, school
children, sign painters. sllversmiths. stone
cutters. students. settlers of precious
stones. teachers, toolmakers. weavers and
even wooden manufacturers. Flfty-fve ad-
dit'onal students also registered who could
properly be cassed under various small
trades"
PRESIDENT GOLDEN.
Mr. Golden discussed Industrial Edu-
cation from the Trades Union Stand
point. He told OF the results OF an in
vestigation in MASSACHUSETTS, by a com
which he was a member. which found
that 5000 children In that state annually
left the public schools al the age OF IA
and went TO work. for the most part in
There Is an impression that there Is
opposition among union ,workmen TO in
d9,ssi Ths1s ths said Mr. Goden
trade schools run for commercial profit.
We know their results. But industrial
education is favored by organized work
erS" ~
JAMES r. MaccoLL.
President James r. MacColl spoke OF
industrial Education from the Manu-
fscturers' Standpoint" or conditions In
Rhode Island. he said
Textile manufacturing according to
the federal census Of 1895. employs more
people than any other branch OF manu-
featuring and in Rhode Island Il pro-
wage-earners of the state. In speaking
more particularly Of this branch. my re-
marks TO large extent will apply with
equal force TO all manufacturing.
In the good old days our factories
were filled with native Americans. and
later with Anglo-Saxon immigrants
Within the last decade a radical change
has occurred. The remarkable transform
alton In the character OF general immi-
grafton is reflected in our factories. Ital-
ians. Slavs, Portuguese. Greeks and Hun
gar1ans are supplanting the workers OF
other and better-educated nationalities.
These newcomers represent the most
illiterate nations of Europe countries in
which from 80 per cent 10 10 per cent of
the population can neither read nor write.
They have no talent. either inherited or
acquired. for textile work. their previous
employment having been generally out of
doors. The result Is that both the quail
ity and the quantity OF the production are
suffering. This is one side of the manu-
facturer's problem.
"The other side is that the American
market to which he caters demands a
high standard Of design and workman
ship:
the common scnool can do to advance vo-
catonal training. j understand that
more than 80 per cent of children COM
plete their school education when they
leave the grammar school On the one
hand they must be equipped to earn a
living, and on the other hand this is the
best opportunity TO open their minds to
The great things of life, so that they may
not live as mere drudges, but have
larger outlook, which may expand in the
years to come.
For industrial and commercial sue
cess, l believe a boy Is well furnished
educationally who goes out from this
grade with a thorough knowledge OF Eng
lish grammar and composition, and who
IL a good penman and arithmetician.
Manual training and mechanical draw
Ing for boys and domestic science for
girls should form part of the grammar
school course. These studied will partial
ly prepare for the practical work OF life
opportunities for further development
I'VE need trade or technical schools
OF different grades and especially adapted
to the prevailing industries. In Rhode
Island with so per cent OF our work peo-
pie engaged In textile manufacturing, IL
Is remarkable that there Is no adequately
equipped textile school. no school the.t
has cotton or worsted spinning plant
or dyeing and finishing plant. | under
stand that some OF our mill workers
travel In the evening 10 Fall River TO
attend the school there.
A public session. at which the reports
Of the various affiliated bodies OF the
Eastern Public Education associations
were presented. was held yesterday af-
ternoon at o'clock.
Reports were read by the following:
Mrs Ellen Richards for the Woman's
Education association OF Boston: Miss
Ida King. Dean OF woman's college az
Brown, for the Association Of College
Alumnae; Mrs. A. j. George for the com.
rnftto on the RrOokiIna Educatf,o