River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-12-31
UNIVERSITY
TEACHES TRADES
University Extension Offers Substi-
tutes for the OLD Apprentice
ship System.

Until a generation ago the young
men who were trying to learn trades
were apprenticed to men who had be-
come successful in the calling, and
were given definite instructions by
these men in return for their work.
During the last few years the system
of apprenticeship has been abandoned
and the results have been disastrous
In many ways. Young men have often
gone into shops and commenced work
at machines and have remained at
these machines until they became
merely automatons, and were beyond
the age when they could learn new
| lines of work easily. There has been
| a constant complaint on the part of
manufacturers that they could obtain
plenty of unskilled, cheap labor, but
| found it difficult to obtain as much
skilled labor as they needed.
When it has been necessary in many
| great shops to secure foremen, the en-
| plOyers have had to go to other shops,
or to technical schools for help. This
! has made the wOrkmen dissatisfied,
and in many cases they have felt that
| their employers we've not interested in
| their welfare, when in reality the en-
ployers would have been glad to pro-
mote men from the ranks of their
| employees if they could have afforded
| to do so.
Practical Instruction Given.
Under the system established and
maintained by the University Of Wis
consin through it's Extension Division
these men are regularly taught by in
! structors who not only have the tech
nical knowledge, but who have also
had practical experience in shop work
and know the conditions, and who have
developed ability as teachers. When
| one of these instructors goes to visit
b class in a large shop he spends a
| half day in the plant. He goes from
| one student to another and watches
| his work and gives him suggestions
| which will make him better work
man. When he finds that young man
| has learned all he can at one machine
or at one line of work he goes to the
| Office and suggests to the employer
| that two men who have each acquired
all they can at the machines or work
which they are doing shall exchange
work. When he finds young man
who gives evidence Of some of the
qualities of leadership he suggests to
the employer that they give him a
somewhat more responsible position.
He also aids the young men by loan
ing them books and journals for col
| lateral reading, and does all in his
power to stimulate ambition, and to
show them that by wider education
they can secure better opportunities.
This personal contact of a strong man
with the students as individuals, and
in their Classes, aided by the stimulus
given by their class room work in
spires an altogether different attitude
toward their studies from that shown
by the isolated student of the ordinary
correspondence schools. The best evil
dence of the value of this work is
given by the enthusiasm of the stu
dents and employers.
Valuable Bulletins Published.
Among the methods used by the Uni
versity Extension Division of the Uni
ve1,Sity of Wisconsin to disseminate
valuable information among the people
in all parts of the state, is the publ.
cation of bulletins, monographs, and
circulars upon subjects of great prac,
teal value which have been investi.
gated by the members of the faculty
or by the various departments OF the
general government, or the state gov
eminent, or even by foreign govern.
ments. The information gathered
from all or any of these sources by
the University Of Wisconsin is care
fully summarized in compact and
popular form and published in bulle'
tin for free distribution among the peo'
pie to whom it will be helpful.
L. Co. 20 hill in
have yet been published, but a large
number are in process of preparation
| Something Of the range of knowledge
which these bulletins will cover is
shown in the titles Of those already
issued: Debating Societies-OrganiZa
ton. Procedure; Prevention and Cure
Of Tuberculosis; Frosts in Wisconsin,
Occurrence, Prediction, Methods OF
Protecting Crops; Method Of Resusci
tating People Partially Drowned, OF
Suffering from Electric Shocks; Meth
DDS of Protecting Trees Against Dis.
eases; The Fireless Cooker.
This method of disseminating infor'
nation is used in connection with the
lectures on practical subjects which
are given by University professors in
various parts of the state. For in
stance when a lecture is given upon
tuberculosis, and the means of prevent
ing and curing it, a very practical
brief circular is put into the hands OF
each one who attends, which states
briefly the rules and methods which
should be followed by a person who is
healthy or wishes to guard against in
lection, the rules of conduct for one
who already has the disease, and fol
members of families and communities
in which tuberculosis patients are re-
siding.