New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-03
GIRLS TRADE SCHOOL.
Remarkable Progress of Manhattan
Institution in -Four Years.

LnSIlJNL}On IN 4 our Il cars
The record Of the Manhattan Trade School for
Girls for the last year as revealed at its recent
fourth annual meeting on Thursday reads al
most like fairy tale. Founded only four years
ago. totally movement in America, with no
other school TO serve as its model in three years
the school found itself so crowded for room in its
first quarters, on 18th street, that it had TO
pand It's work or turn away crowds of girls
pleading for admission. 1t had no money to ex-
paEd yet its board OF directors voted unani-
mously TO expand In four months Of 1905 the
finance committee raised S125,OO0. bought the
building at No. 200 East 23d street and the
school moved in and in running order by
summer. In this splendid building. admirably
equipped and suited for the school, there is room
for five hundred students. and with the removal
Of screens eight hundred can be accommodated
In the old building the per capfta expense was
S16S year with the greater economy of adj
ministration possible IL is hoped to reduce
this per capita to $50 this year.
The causes which produced the large sum OF
S125OOO for new experience were the results
Of the three years work Employers. doubtful
and Indifferent at first had found that they
could get girls trained for their workrooms and
capable OF advancing their interests at the
school. Makers Of intricate and difficult power
machines had offered to give or lend these ma
chimes TO the school free Of charge. that pupils
might be trained 10 operate them, thus demon
strating in the most practical way possible their
sense Of the value OF the trained girl opera tor.
The girls themselves trained at the school found
that they could earn more money than they
could have done without the training. with pros
poets of still higher wages so that more and
more girls asking the school for training.
More important than either OF these causes,
within the three years there had grown Up in
the United States a widespread feeling that in
dustrial training must be Incorporated in the
public school system and leading educators and
captains Of industry were watching this little
school as an experiment and a model
The new building has advanced the work along
many hhes. instead Oh uliilS o' iI'I-T ~ ne
power operating room, there are now nulety'
run by two electric motors. In the old build
Ing there was no room for fine dressmaking. In
the new there is ample room for specialization.
The making Of uniforms, gymnasium and bath
ing suits, underwear, sample garments and
suits has gone on apace and more and more
orders are taker Tor fine. elaborate essmalxing
A swimming suit has been designed and has
met with such praise from professionals that
School swimming suit" New work has been
instituted Ike the designing and making OF
sample garments for the trade, and the stamp
ing and perforating OF patterns. Even in the
elementary sewing classes the pupils have be-
gun at once upon practical articles. and the
sales OF these have been enough 10 cover all
expenses OF practice and materials.
In advanced dressmaking the need of hem
stitching and embroidery for elaborate gowns
has caused a correlation with the electric power
department Girls IN this department have pro-
duced the machines the Bonnaz embroidery,
4 fine and expensive trimming, for which Amer
lea has always gone 10 Europe hitherto.
This year has seen the beginning of what
Will develop into regular trade shops in the
school For instance. when orders come in
from customers II Is evident that they cannot
be entirely filed by young students There
must be trained professionals in the shop Also.
the students work five hours a day-the school
day. not the working day. To obviate these
difficulties trade workers employed at mar
ket wages. and their number will be increased
as time goes on thus enabling the school 10 fill
more orders and give the pupils greater variety
of work for practice. The trade workers are
not always 10 dc the more difficult things.
Often they are 10 do the easiest, so that the
students may learn the difficult II little girl
enters big dreSsmakiuR establishment as ap-
prentice she IS likely to be kept making pockets
for year two. when she is not running err
rands. She has learned to make pockets and
IS useful 20 the proprietor In thai capacity, but
she is not learning dressmaking
AT the school, when she has made one pocket
right she will never make another. She will be
taught something else. and the paid worker will
make the pockets. That is the difference be-
tween business and education This system of
paid workers has begun in the sewing room. and
will be extended into every department. till the
School has series of we'll equipped shops. where
all sorts OF things are manufactured for the
trade. new development OF 1906 has been a
little store. where products OF the various de-
partments are for sale. This store has enabled
the school TO give line of training fully
as useful any other. and has brought to light
another line OF ability among the students
Every now and then girl Is found who has no
aptitude for any line OF manufacturing. She is
not handy" she has no constructive talent. But
she can go into the store and take care of the
stock. sell goods take orders and keep accounts.
She is, in fact natural storekeeper instead of
an operator. me store gives her an OppOT-
tunity to develop into valua BILE clerk or sales
woman, and the practice in keeping accounts Is
most valuable to all the girls for they are all
ignorant of the slightest rudiments Of II when
they enter, and they never can rise TO response
BILE positions like forewomen without knowing
something Of accounts well of their trade.
TO INVESTIGATE DRESSMAKINC
The school has promised itself a new line Of
activity in the way Of investigation OF the
dressmaking industry and attempt TO organ
ize IT. What little the management has
learned through placing its girls leads To the
conclusion that this Is the most disOrganized and
haphazard OF all industries Girls are called
upon for abomnable overtime work without
extra pay when orders TO be finished on
the other hand, the girls will calmly stay away
from the shop because they have been to n
dance the night before. leaving the Cressmaker
at her wits end for help to finish orders prom
lsed The same irregularities exist among the
patrons. Women will disregard their fittings
and then demand that orders shall be finished al
the time promised. though il takes all night
work to do 1t. They will go off TO Europe
without paying their bills. and though the
dressmaker knows she will get her money some
time. she is hampered for ready money and
makes employees walt for their wages which
may be a terrible thing for them The same
lack or organization and strict business rules
prevails as In all purely feminine industries
which, being the latest TO come into the busi-
ness world are the least organized
The aim OF this department" said Mrs Mary
Schenck Woolman, director of the school. will
be to find better footing for this useful and
valuable trade: but we have only begun the
work OF Investigation"
The paper box department. has had an en-
yiable record during the year II has intro
duced the making OF fine, expensive boxes for
jewelry and silverware. and also novelties Of J