The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-09
TRADE SCHOOLS IN
 IN FOREIGN LANDS
Movement Strong in Austria
 and Germany
STUDENTS ARE PROFICIENT
Utica, N. v. Correspondent Calls At tention to Superior Workman ship In Germany on Account
 of Technical Training.

Washington June s-(Special. )--Consul S. C. Mcfarland of Reichberg, Austria, supplements the recent article in Consular and Trade Reports on the technical edu- cational movement in Austria by the fol- lowing interesting report:
 The number of technical or trade schools in the many varied lines of manu- fracture, and which are playing an im- portant part in the development of Aus trian industries, Is constantly on the in crease. The latest to be instituted Is another school for the glass industry that will be established at Topltz, in this district, with government and district sub ventions. These technical or trade schools, largely supported by local and federal authorities and encouraged by the manufacturing interests, teach the practi- cal processes and Improvements In dif- ferent lines of manufacture, and their scholars generally step from graduation into practical positions requiring thorough technical training.
 Technical or trade schools should not be confounded with the equally prevalent commercial school teaching languages and business methods, with especial refer ence to the office conduct of international trade, and are open at nominal tuition to graduates from the gymnaslums or common schools between IA and 20 years of age. For instance, the entrance to the Reichenberg weaving school Is 80 cents; annual tuition &; annual supplies, $2. Foreigners are charged double rates. | Many scholarships are provided and worthy pupils aided in various ways. These schools exist throughout Bohemia, covering every important line of manu- facture In this district alone are ad- vanced schools for the higher branches of many trades-schools for weaving knit ting, iewelry, gold, bronze and engraV- ing, building and contracting, woodwork ing, modelling schools for ceramic and all lied trades, ceramic and allied arts, metal industry, glass industry and spinning.
 The commercial schools so called should not be confounded with the common American commercial schools or college. While stenography. bookkeeping. etc., are taught as in the American commer- cial schools, the curriculum of an Austrian commercial school comprehends all topics necessary for a student to familiarize himself with all or any particular foreign trade--language, business and social cus- toms money values, banking and com mereial methods, economic conditions, etc. The impulse that such intensely practical education is giving to the inter national trade of Austria can hardly be overestimated, and partially explains, at least, with only cheap labor as an origi- nal asset, the wonderful development here in all lines of manufacture.
 | Not content with existing schools of this character 1t is now proposed to crown the system with what might be called a university of export to be located at Vienna and organized to give the finish ing touches to trade education. Not only this, but short-term special classes are proposed, to which manufacturers and their employees are to be eligible for the study of special subjects, such as, for instance, Indian or Brazilian trade. A meeting of educational and industrial ex- perts, including representatives of cham bers of commerce and manufacturing sociations, was held recently in Vienna, and the project seems assured. General opinion favors the private conduct of such a school, but national and local aid will be necessary.
 Advantage of Schools.
 correspondents writing from Utica, N. Y, calls attention to the large num- Der of technical schools in Germany, un- der control of the government, which | he says accounts to a considerable degree for the large quantity of German knit | goods imported into the United States and | into nearly every other market in the world. He says Germany supplies a large quantity of high-grade goods which can not be made in the United States be- cause of a lack of sufficiently qualified operatives. There are S3,3S7 knitting op- eratves In the United States, and yet they are without any means of improving
 themselves in their trade by instruction 1 in a technical school. He also says that there Is no handbook of knitting published by which operatives might increase their knowledge of knitting by self instruc- tion.