The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-14
STAMFORD

At very large meeting last even ing of the Mems Club, at the resi- dence of B. P. Allen on Stratford ave- nue, A. P. Fletcher, principal of the Connecticut Trade School in Bridge port, gave an interesting talk on the need of such a school, its purpose and what il is actually doing He said one of the living questions of the day is the interest which must be taken in the boy. and how he may learn a trade. The Trade School has more applications than can be taken up. He alluded to the fact that Deacon Philo Haven had visi ed all the depart ments of the school, and added that he had the Dickens of 8 tin1e' to get him out of the dressmaking de- partment The school is interested in seeing that experts set a sufficient s -andard in all departments. There have been no experts to test the con- mon schools, and determine whether they have a sufficient standard of utility. He thought Latin and Greek do not help much in the life work of a man who is to follow a trade. Six y per cent. of our boys and girls never get even a grammar school education. Boys are dissatisfied to be shut up in school without any definite airn They are taken out of school by their par
  thing to help them earn a living. Boys in school are in a sort of a pris- on. They are not getting anything in the schools. The boys in the Trade School average 16 1-2 years and have not gone farther than the 9th grade He spoke of the fact that in the Trade School the head printer was sick for a couple of days but the boys ran that department just as we'll as if he had been present, and took in a good job and got it out. He doubted if boys could run a common school that length of time with the teacher ab- sent wi -hout damage to the furniture. The reason boys do so well in a Trade School is simply because they are in- terested. There is, for instance. noth- ing in our schools to teach a boy how to read a newspaper He may have a little civics taueht him, but when he attempts to apply it 70 the condi- tions existing today in New York. for example he is unable to see the con- nection. Recently 15 boys applied to the State superintendent of schools for permission 10 go 10 work but he found them all deficient, and could not grant a certificate. They could not add correctly; could not do a sum in sim pie fractions. and were uneducated in other branches. The culture a man gets depends upon the salary he re- ceives. If he is just able to get along from day to day. and cannot purchase books, or pictures. or hear good music. his fate is hopeless; he will never rise. and possibly his chil- dren will never occupy a higher plane than himself We have been train ing our boys in the High Schools and colleges for top positions, and the re- suit is too many doctors, so many lawyers we have to quarrel to keep them employed, and So many clergy men there are not enough congrega- tions. But we have not trained the boys down below ''I have in the trojans because they are interested. We are doing actual commercial work There are enough orders in the dress making department to last way into next May. We give the boys a job which must be finished in a given time and. they get it out. We are holding up prices They get six hours 8 day of shop practice, and the neces- sary shop mathematics. We give them shop science. It is difficult for us to find men who can tell the boys why as we'll as how. We go to a shop and find a man who is a master in his trade and who likes boys. Such 3 man makes a good teacher. We give them shop mathematics. drawing and some simple c1VlcS so they may be good citizens and intelligent Svot- CTS. No tuition is asked. All the ooy has to do is to buy a set of draw ng instruments. A lot of money is coming in from our manufacturers We must reach a commercial stand ard of quality. We take any boy who is as old as IA years, and have ,ne as old as 29 There were on the St of January 800 on the waiting list, begging for chance to learn.'' Mr. Fletcher said that not long ago he ad- yertised for a girl who could write we'll, and use the typewriter He had applications from 40 girls who were willing to work for $6 week. The wife of a friend of his wanted seam tress, and was obliged to pay her $3 day Yet girls do not want to go ut sewing or learn to be seam dresses. At the conclusion of Mir. Fletcher's address, MT. Bullard of the Machine Io. was asked to say few words md gave an account of his interest n the Trade School, and the necessity which exists for such institutions if America ever expects to lead the world, as il must. He said he had 'een authorized by the State super