Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-20
Do Our Schools Meet tho Needse

To the Editor OF The star:
Wit. all the educational experiments of
the past twenty-five years there is a
pretty widespread conviction that the
ordinary training Of the present day
fails to meet the conditions and de-
mands Of the country. We speak OF the
ma jority of our children and youth. Hard
" one in a hundred OF them takes col
lege course. What becomes of the ninety
nine? Some go into stores, some into
factories, some into the service OF the
government and some to the farms. A
few, comparatively. learn trades, the great
majority being shut out by the rules OF
the labor unions AS consequence many
drift into idleness, tramping and crime.
The chief inspector OF the Boston po-
lice is quoted as saying that 1.-The loss
of trade education on the part of boys
and men is a potent and constantly grow
ing cause of crime" From the other
side of the continent San Francisco
judge says that go per cent Of the crime
of that city is the result of this enforced
idieness on the part Of young men who
are not allowed to learn trades" This
is the testimony from all over the coun-
try, and it Is a serious arraignment
On the other hand is general COM
plant of the want Of skilled labor. A
prominent paper that has to do with the
fat says: 1.-The greatest evil from which
this country Is now suffering is the de-
cline in the efficiency OF labor. 1t finds
EXPIRE Ssion in Slouchy work on the part
of those who know how to do better. and
Door work on the part of those who have
never been taught or arc incapable Of
learning
To this fact of incompetent workmen
and bad work are due how many ''acci-
DENTS with appalling loss OF life and
destruction Of property. in mills and fac
tories. and in the construction of houses
and bridges and on railroads?
In many lines of business our great
rva, is Germany. and Germany is forging
ahead and threatening our interests
dustrial training of her boys and young
men.
What shall be done to save both our
commercial interests and-of far more i'm
portance-our boys and young men? Our
systems OF education should have some
thing to say to this. Superficial training
in twenty branches with thoroughness in
none, or dabbling in studies that will
never be used will not meet the case. We
spend hundreds of thousands of dollars
on our public schools to teach much
that is important and good deal that
Is not important. Congress appropriates
large sum yearly to give college edu-
cation to deaf mutes and far larger
sum to other charities. 1t gives imme nse
amounts to train boys for the army and
navy We are not criticising these ap-
preparations. But would not an equally
great service be rendered to the whole
country and to the youth of the country
by establishing In the District of Columbia
model trades school. where boys from
very state and territory could be thor
oughly trained in any trade they might
choose? They would be made masters Of
their respective callings and be fitted for
useful and honorable citizenship Such
an institution must be under the control
of men in sympathy with its object. 1t
mus not be, as some trade schools are
In the hands Of men whose effort is to
defeat the very object for which they
we're founded. 7. S. CHILDS.