The San Francisco call., 1910-03-21
MCCARTHY URGES
MANUAL TRAINING
Mayor Talks OF Practical In
struction at Laying OF
Schools Cornerstone

Mayor Mccarthy laid the corner
stone of Longfellow school at Morse
and Lowell streets yesterday after
noon. The ceremonies were under the
auspices of the West End improvement
club and were presided over by SAMUEL
Stephens, president of the club.
The differences of politicians were
not discussed by the mayor, as has
been his custom in laying other school
cornerstones. He confined himself to
the need of practical education for the
children of the plain people. He talked
to the children and their parents, gath
cred in the rain. about instruction in
the elements of useful trades for boys
and the teaching and training of the
girls in the practical duties of the
home.
POLITICAL WAR FORGOTTEN
In fact so forgotten was the war
launched into the life of Longfellow,
speaking of the sweet themes of the
poet. The mayor said in part:
I think you all appreciate the
extreme value to the plain people
OF a practical education for our
children. That is why I am so
anxious to see our manual training
and technical departments in this
public school system advanced, our
general standard of learning being
believe that the course of study
laid down by the state authorities
for these children, and which in
sure their reasonable advancement
to our universities, permits of suf-
ficient extra time to take up the
still more important task Of teach
ing something practical which will
enable every child to earn a living
if cast out upon the world before
it's time.
If you will study the percentage
Of children that are graduated to
the high. schools and then to the
universities you will find that
great number of our children enter
upon the duties of life fortified
only with a common school educa-
tion. Our greatest men and women
have not necessarily been univer-
sity graduates, and while I should
like to see every young man and
woman receive the higher educa-
ton, / realize that it is not within
the reach of all and is not an abso-
lutte essential to success There
fore / want to see the elements of
useful trades taught in our schools,
our girls being trained in the use
full and practical duties of life as
well as in theory.
We are now teaching manual
training, but in a limited way. The
pupils who study that branch are
abreast of the course of study laid
down by the school authorities. We
have a polytechnic school, cooking
centers and manual training CEN
ters. We teach dress making in
limited way and we have an even
ing class in navigation which has
yet to be developed TO its fullest
possibilities. l believe in all
these things.
In Europe little girls are given
book learning, and by way of di-
version are taught something about
house keeping. This produces a
healthy. wholesome and competent
race of men and women. The pub
lie, school is essentially the poor
mans school, although the rich
may use 1t with equal Opportunity.
Such being the case, let us encour-
age more practicability while
training these young children and
preparing them for the trials of
this life. Let US send them forth
{ at last prepared to make their way
with a good education and also
with the trained ability to earn
living with their hands wherever
they may go. Such is my idea of
establishing a better guarantee Of
independence among our children
for the future.