The Detroit times., 1909-03-22
TR AIN ING ALONG
INDUSTRIAL LINES
NEED OF NATION
SYSTEM OF SCHOOLS iMPERA
TIVE OR COUNTRY WILL LOSE
CONNIE RcIAL SUPREMACY.
SAYS r. A. VANDERBILT.

who thinks OF the present situation
OF industry. In It's relation TO the train
ing OF the next generation OF skilled
Industrial workers, cannot help being
tremendously impressed with the dit
ficulties which the manufacturer also
1 Will In time be forced to face, said
| Frank A. Vanderlip. president OF the
National City bank.
II - the opinion OF MI. Vanderlll
that this country VIII fall BEHIND Ia
| the race for commercial supremacy
unless the coming generations are
trained In hsndicrafts at school. Ger
many already is doing this on broad
scale. and Germanys expanding com
merce is the business wonder of the
modern world.
I'VE are as yet half awake TO the
imperative need OF primary industrial
! education" said Mr. Vanderlip Il be
lieye, though. that We are at the edge
of great development in this re
spect. IL is. however, Impossible fo'
any one TO study the industrial condi
ton OF today without coming 10 sec
the utter inadequacy OF our present
| educational system In providing prac
teal education for Industrial workers
Such a study will not only make ap
parent the lack In our educational
| system, but IT is likely 10 astonish
| the student when he comes 10 learn
| the important relation to our future
| industrial welfare which will be borne
by schools established for the purpose
. OF giving Industrial training 10 their
| pupils.
Training Not Practical.
$50 the child in our school sys
| tenn today has come 10 be almos-
wholly separated from the ordinary
activities OF life. He Is gaming a
| certain sort OF mental training. eX'
| tremely valuable. no doubt, but oil
character which has left chashl
| between our educational system ana
our Industrial Hse--The- training Is
cultural and not practical. The boy
is taught little OF the application oil
his learning TO his future life.
when the abrupt transition from
school 10 regular daily vocation
| comes, the chasm is 50 wide thai
| tne habits OF daily systematic study
do rot bridge il. Indeed, the school
system offers TO the youth VINO has
gone out into industrial life no op
| portunity for continuing his educa
IL.
intellectual side OF his vocation. NJ
chance TO cultivate that industrial
| intelligence which is the result 81
coordination OF mental training and
manual training. and which alone can
produce high type OF industrial
workers"
broadening In the scope OF the dis
| cussion under the spur OF questions
| Mr.. Vanderlip continued
I'VE have in the United States the
most intense system OF industry III
the world. We are inclined To De
proud OF it's very intensity we
| like to believe that all American
workman handling an American ma
chine can accomplish several times aa
much in day as can the average
Industrial worker OF foreign countries
There is some basis for that oellef
indeed. IL is reflected in the wages We
pay-wages averaging ordinarily
double and occasionally treble the
wages which European workmen oil
equal intelligence receive In similar
occupations There Is, however, an
other side to the development OF THIS
Industrial intensity. Employers hn
that there Is not Sufficient time IN the
factory to teach the boy the business
The man must be made a part OF tn
machine. There is no time TO loon
after his intellectual development; In
deed there Is ordinarily no necessity
for IL. What is required is not q
mechanic. but a machine tender. ms
empioye becomes vastly expert IN Q
single mechanical operation, and the
n profitable thing TO do Is TO have nm
continue an automatOn at that par
ticular task.
Demand for Experienced Help.
'In many shops there is, under TINS
intense system OF industry, CROWNS
tendency to demand experienced heip
10 refuse all positions to the inexper
fenced. to leave 10 others the training
of the apprentices. Employer afteI
I emplover refuses TO take the time &c
train the youth. For the moment u
is more profitable TO neglect making
any expenditure for such training
such neglect will, Of course, prove II
The long run to be the same seft-nl
abort sightedness that leads a timber
l man to swell his immediate prohts Ds
denuding a forest. caring nothing foi
the predicament in which the future
generation will be placed by sucl
wholesale destruction.
oThen in our modern Industrial sys
tem there has developed still another
\ obstacle In the way or the youth ue
1 sirins training for Industrial efficiency
Not only do employers refuse 10 teacn
. hut labor unions throw the grea
weight of their influence In the dlrec
4 ton OF limiting the opportunity u
learn, II is not more dimcuit 10 W
,ain admission to the most aristocrau'
and exclusive social club In the lane
\ han n Is to secure entrance Tor
=yo,,th. by regular channels OF aprren
;icesn,p into some OF the trades mos
caraf,llv guarded by labor union reg