The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-08-16
TRADE EDUCATION
System of American Print
ers' Union Adopted by
Government of New
South Wales.

Foremost among trade educational
efforts is that adopted by the Interna-
tional Typographical Union. 1t is Civ
en- by correspondence, and the purpose
| of the tuition is to make the student
acquainted with the principles that
underlie display Typography. There Is
constantly Increasing demand for
men capable of doing that class OF
work At the same time modern meth
DDS of production make it increasingly
difficult for apprentices to learn that
part of the trade. There are thous-
ands Of men, who, by reason of time
at the trade and expertness at one
branch are entitled to call themselves
journeymen, who are not equipped TO
do display typography. Notwithstand-
ing a popular misconception to the
contrary, the union long has been very
anxious to overcome this handicap,
as its greatest asset is the skill of its
members A little more than three
years ago the leading journal in the
printing trades, The Inland Printer,
announced that after years Of expert
menting if had developed a new syS-
tenn of education for. compositions
system that gave the reason why
Of things. 1t was estimated that as a
commercial proposition the Course
would cost from $50 to SIS. That
would limit the number of students,
and put it beyond the reach of the
most deServing-the apprentices. AS
the concern of the International Ty-
pOgrap hical Union is in having great
number Of competent printers-at least
in having condition whereby all
might obtain necessary trade educa-
tion-the price was unsatisfactory. In
keeping with the best practices of
modern Journalism, The Inland Print
er is anxious to advance the general
interests of it's clientele just as a daily
newspaper endeavors to promote the
prosperity of it's city or State. 1t was
agreed that the union should pay all
incidental promotional expenses and
give a prize of s5Nto each student who
finished the Course. The Inland Print
er was to furnish the tuition. ETC.,
for a fee that approximately covered
the outlay. AS many local unions
supplement the prize given by the In
ternational Union, a large number of
members and apprentices can secure
this education for little more than
postage expense, and all receive the
lessons for much less than the actual
cost.
A booklet just issued by the unions
commission having this work in charge
shows job imposition done by a num-
Der of students before and after they
took the Course. If ever printers har-
bored a doubt as to the beneficial
character of the Course, these speci-
mems should dissipate it. The book
let also contains comments by stu
dents whose ages range from eighteen
to forty-five, though there are printers
in the sixties among the students en-
rolled. These comments bear testi-
mony to the value of the lessons. One
apprentice says the instruction 'al-
most doubled my pay" Another Sc
cured better job, while an enthusiast
of thirty-six years says printers who
don't need it are Dead and so on the
favorable comment continues. The
booklet also contains reproduction of
an illuminated page which demon
strates that the Course opens new
fields for compoS1tors, showing them |
how to do work that usually goes to |
artists
an enrolment of more than twenty |
three hundred in a little over three |
years is another proof of the efficien |
cy of the Course. Chicago is the head |
quarters of the Commission and the |
journeymen and the employers of the |
Western metropolis have had splendid
opportunities to see the effect of this |
education at first hand. The result is |
that the current agreement between |
Chicago Typographical Union and the |
Employing Printers Association con- |
tains a provision requiring appren- |
tees in their last year to take the |
lessons So much for what "the folks |
at home thMkasof this effort. The |
opinion in far away New South Wales |
is not less flattering. The Department |
of Public Instruction of that State is |
developing a system of correspondence |
education for printers who can not |
afford to attend the Technical College
at Sydney, and the chief of that divi-
sion has asked permission to use por
4 InTc nf ho hoir mr. 4
ed with the mastery and completeness
shown in Them" A labor award,
which has the force of law, DEGREES
that when an apprentice passes with !
honors,' he shall receive a stated in
crease in his weekly wages. Foreign
of this American effort |
does not stop with this emphatic en-
dorsement, but instructrs in typo
graphy in Great Britain, France, Italy,
and Norway have expressed their I'M
bounded admiration for the Course.