New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-03
MR.. MOsELYS IMPRESSIONS.


Mr.. Alfred Mosely's letter to yesterdays
London Times" setting forth his Impressions
of American educational and social conditions,
does not contain anything surprising. Anybody
who is acquainted with English schools and
educational methods must have known that the
English teachers and their patrons in visiting
us would, on the whole. be pleasantly aston
iShed at the wonders we have wrought. On
the other hand anybody familiar with AmerI-
can schools must have expected that trained
observers from abroad would be quick to dis
cover serious weaknesses in our system Mr.
MOsely has lived up to everybody's expectations
IN these respects
His favorable impressions need not he re-
counted; they are perfectly Just and to Ameri
cans at least, equally trite. But the same can
not be said Of all his unfavorable views. Per.
| haps the most striking instance is to be found
| In his Observable and inferences concerning
our trade schools Both his theories and his
facts on this topic hardly do justice to the sit
uation Mr.. Mosely finds the motive for the
upbuilding Of n system Of trade schools 10
be widespread fear lest industrial specialize
ton destroy the individuality Of the working.
men. The general principles underlying fitness
for mechanical and industrial processes must
in the supposed opinion OF the American peo-
pie. be taught in order to prevent our citizens
from becoming machines. In their efforts to
! -.
people are being ably assisted by their trade
| unions which are alive TO the danger Of thu
present system.
There are good reasons. theoretical and his
| torical. for questioning the correctness Of the
philanthropists opinions, In the first place the
vast majority Of Americans are not haunted
with the fear Of oversperazation. Where did
Mr.. Mosely get the idea that they are? Whether
excessive specialization is harmful or not surely
* Mt iry,,,o
policy of our educators. The best index OF tho
attitude popularity taken toward specialization
| is to be found in the advertisements Of the
private trade schools; the arguments therein
used 10 win recruits invariably make in tho
opposite direction. Specialize my SON. "a
the cry. Otherwise you are lost" The implied
| opinion of an advertising manager In this Case
must outweigh that OF theorists and observing
tourists.
Ana then there is a question OF fact Are
| the American trade unions assisting in the de
| velopment OF such schools as earnestly as orr
| English observer mpposes? Possibly the last
| few months have seen a great change OF heart
| In certain quarters, but it is not many wears
| ago that educational boards In various parts
| OF the country were being systematically pre-.
| vented from starting even manual training
| schools The unionists who fought them feared
| the possible competition Of graduates We homo
| accurate and can he confirmed But douhts
| Cypress us
AS 10 this theoretical fear Of overspeciaIiza
ton again, looking at it MS the fear Of n broad
| minded observer. can say that II is war
| ranted! Only in part Students OF economies
| and social questions have como to distinguish
| Sharply between two kinds Of specialization.
| the one demands and produces a broad keen
nina, while the other makes the workman mo-
| chanical Everybody admits that the former
! sort Is good. but is the second so bad es #
| Is almost universally painted? This seems
! doubtful Most of the evils charged I'D against
! the supposedly stultifying Specifications nrev-
| alent In the tailoring trade. cotton mills and
80 on are really due in large measure to long
| hours. low pay and unhealthful workrooms
| Given better conditions in these and other lilo
| respects, 1t would doubtless appear that tba
! simple routine Of the label sewer and tha loon,
| girl is not seriously debasing or course oil
| routine has its unpleasant side. but nearly
| everybody on earth save the simple savage has
to put up with it and practise it, After the
! new order of things created by the great in
| dustriaI revolution is once smoothly established
! the. mechanical slave OF routine will Drohob Ir
| discover that he has free time and more
! strength TO devote to his personal ideals than
| his less mechanical predecessors
|