The Detroit times., 1909-03-23
TRAINING ALONG
INDUSTRIAL LINES
NEED OF NATION
SYSTEM OF SCHOOLS lMPERA.
TIVE OR COUNTRY WILL LOSE
CONN ERcIAL SUPREMACY.
SAYS r. A. VANDERBILT.

VIEW lOnhs MdICn EI.- ne man
who thinks Of the present situation
OF industry. in its relation TO the train
ing OF the next generation OF skilled
industrial workers, cannot help being
tremendously impressed with the di..
fculties which the manufacturer also
viii In time be forced To face" said
Frank A. Vanderlip. president OF the
National City bank
II is the opinion OF Mr.. Vanderlp
that this country will fall behind Ia
the race for commercial supremacy
unless the coming generations arc
trained in handicrafts at school. Ger.
many already is doing this on a broad
scale, and Germany 5 expanding com
merce is the business wonder OF the
modern world.
We are as yet half awake TO the
imperative need OF primary industrial
education" said Mr.. Vanderlip. Il be-
love. though. that We are at the edge
OF great development In this re-
spect II Is, however, impossible for
any one TO study the industrial condi
ton OF today without coming to sec
the utter inadequacy OF our present
educational system In providing prac
teal education for industrial workers.
Such study will not only make APP
parent the lack ia our educational
system. but II Is likely TO astonish
the student when he comes To learn
the important relation TO our future
industrial welfare which will be borne
by schools established for the purpose
Of giving industrial training TO their
pupils.
Training Not Practical.
so the child in our school sys'
TEN today has come TO be almos,
wholly separated from the ordinary
activities OF life He is gaming
certain sort OF mental training, ex-
tremely valuable. no doubt but OF
character which has lett chasm
between our educational system and
our industrial life. The training is
cultural and not practical. The boy
is taught little OF the application OF
his learning to his future life.
when the abrupt transition from
school 10 regular daily vocation
comes. the chasm is SO vide that
the habits OF daily systematic study
do not bridge II. Indeed the school
system offers 10 the youth who has
gone ont into industrial life no op-
portunity for continuing his educa-
ton, no opportunity TO grasp the
intellectual side Of his vocation, no
chance 10 cultivate that industrial
intelligence which Is the result "
coordination OF mental training and
manual training. and which alone can
produce a high type OF industrial
workers
Broadening in the scope OF the dis
cussion under the spur of questions.
Mr.. Nanderlip continued:
I'VE have in the United States the
most intense system oil Industry In
the world We are inclined To be
proud Of It's very intensity. We
like TO believe that an American
workman handling an American ma
chine can accomplish several times as
much in a day as can the average
industrial worker OF foreign countries.
There is some basis for that belief;
indeed, IL is reflected in the wages we
pay-wages averaging ordinarily
double and occasionally treble the
wages which European workmen OF
equal intelligence receive In similar
occupations There is, however. an
other side TO the development OF this
industrial intensity. Employers ftnd.
that there is not sufficient time In tn
factory 10 teach the boy the business.
The man must be made part OF the
machine. There is no time TO look
after his intellectual development: In
deed. there is ordinarily no necessity
for II. What is required is not
mechanic. but machine tender. Thu
employe becomes vastly expert in
single mechanical operation. and the
profitable thing 10 do is 10 have him
continue an automaton at that pa
ticular task.
Demand for Experienced Help.
I'm many shops there is under this
intense system Of industry, growing
tendency 10 demand experienced help.
to refuse all positions TO the inexper-
fenced, to leave 70 others fbc training
OF the apprentices Employer after
employer refuses to take the time To
train the youth. For the moment "
is more profitable to neglect making
Hy-expendfture for such training.
Such neglect will Of course, prove IN
the long run to be the same sort OF
Observation-Disclosures that leads timber
man to swell his immediate profits by
dienuding forest, caring nothing for