The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-11-19
FOR INDUSTRIAL
EDUCATION
ITS NEED IN SCHOOLS REcoG.
NIZED BY AMERICAN
FEDERATION.

1
Be Instructed in Principles Of Trades
| Organization to Continue Efforts
for Better Sanitary Conditions in
| Shops and Factories.
| Toronto, Ont, Nov. 13.-Organized
labors attitude on the question of in
dustrial education was set forth in a
report to the convention of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor by the spe-
call committee appointed by authority
of the Denver convention to investi-
gate the subject. The committee. of
which John Mitchell is chairman, held
meetings during the year in New York,
Washington and Toronto.
ut is believed" says the report
that the future welfare of America
largely depends on the Industrial train
ing of our workers and protecting
them. The inquiries of the committee
seem to indicate that if the American
workman is to maintain the high stand
ard of efficiency the boys and girls of
the country must have an opportunity
to acquire educated hands and brains
such as may enable them to earn
living in self-selected vocation, and
acquire an intelligent understanding
of the duties of good citizenship. We
favor the establishment of schools in
connection with the public school sys-
tenn at which pupils between the ages
of IA and 16 years may be taught the
principles of the trades, not necessar
lily in separate buildings, but in sep
arate schools adapted to this particu-
lar education and by competent and
trained teachers.
| Course of Instruction.
'The course of instruction in such
school should be English, mathematics,
physics, chemistry, elementary me-
chanics and drawing. The shop in
struction for particular trades and for
each trade represented, the drawing,
mathematics, mechanics, physical and
biological science applicable to the
trade, the history of that trade, and a
sound system of economics, including
and emphasizing the philosophy of col.
lective bargaining. They will serve
to prepare the pupil for more advanc-
ed subjects, and in addition disclose
his capacity for specific vocation
In order to keep such schools in close
touch with the trades, there should be
local advisory boards, including repre-
sentatives of the industries, employers
and organized labor.
| "The committee recommends that
any technical education of the work
ers in trade and industry being a pub
lie necessity, it should not be a pri-
vate but public function, conducted
by the public and the expense involv-
ed at public COST
The continuance of progressive de-
velopment of supplemental trade edu-
cation, as inaugurated by trade unions,
is also recommended. The commit
tee advised the continuance of it's life
and final report to the convention of
1910.
Many Industrial Msfits.
"One trouble of America today"
says the report, lis that too many of
our youths who have graduated from
the grammar or high school are mis-
| fits industrially. If we are to obtain
Industrial supremacy or even maintain
our present standards in the indus
| trial world, we must in some way in
| our educational system acquire an
equivalent to our old apprenticeship
system.
"Organized labor's position regard
| ing the injustices of the narrow and
prescribed training in the selected
| trades by both private and public in
struction and the flooding of the labor
market with half-trained mechanics for
the purpose of exploitation is perfect
ly tenable, and the well-founded belief
in the viciousness of such practices
and consequent condemnation is we'll
nigh unassailable.
"Organized labor's record for years
in regard to better sanitary conditions
in factories and workshops, and it's
continued efforts toward safeguarding
women and minors have been the sub
ject of wide discussion and much help
full legislation.
| Free Schools Favored.
| "Its advocacy of free schools, free
textbooks and the raising of compul-
sorry school age have been religiously
adhered to and closely allied to these
subjects is that of industrial educa-
ton, and any serious discussion of the
proper kind of vocational training pro.
notes discussion of the former.
| Experience has shown that manual
training school teachers without actu-
al trade experience do not and cannot
successfully solve this great problem,
and that progress neces sarily will be
p!AoId 90 lsnm sIeqoeel Meu Sc 'Mo1s
ed, new set of textbooks will have to
be written, and the subjects taught in
a sympathetic and systematic man.
ner"
| A. r. of L. Leaders Rebuked.