Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-10-28

Preached wholly through the school
What are we going to do especially for
the working man? We appreciate the
fact that the education of the work
ingman must take place through his
work, and can only be begun by the
preliminary instruction of the school.
But we ought to prepare him for his
work better than he is prepared today
The system OF apprenticeship has fall
len into decay; technical education is
still embryonic, and the standards of
industry made by the demands of the
consumer are very low.
We must plan life so that ultimately
all people can be developed, and there
fore the thing to do is to recognize
that nearly every man is going To be
a working man, and to glorify his oc-
equation. and make II we'll rewarded,
and worthy OF social ambition for any
man. so that it will not be necessary
to cultivate shrewdness and taking
advantage of other peoples Weakness
es in order to get on in the WORLD. The
task OF society is To give the average
man appropriate training. The most
important thing is To give t. II"
workman adaptability. Industrial pro-
quite often the machine ON the scrap
heap and also the man on another
scrap heap. We can make even the
machine as raw iron into other ma
chimes. but we cannot make over the
man. Therefore, just as we find the
gifted man of vision today able to fill
large place in the world because he
adapts himself quickly to the new sit
uation, so We must provide every
working man and woman with some
thing besides knowledge of this or
that given trade or process We
must provide him with the skill OF
eye or finger which will reach cut to
the coming process. SO that when it
does come he will be ready for it.
In the first place we are going to
give each American child an eie-
men'ary education. Hence we must
have compulsory education, as we'll
as COMPULSORY factory laws. uniform
throughout the country for every
state. even il We have to appeal
To the nation to get it, so that
no child can escape And we are
going to be memorable and brutal;
we are going to take the child from
the widow, her only hope and support,
and put him in a school, no matter
what happens to her. Of course, we
snail not let anything happen to her
We shall take care of her: give her
pension perhaps anything rather than
that she shall take that member of
society and in immature years stunt
his whole future growth
In our technical education we must
have Il program like that over the
doorway OF Toynbee hall; Not for
Livelihood but for Life" We must
give a knowledge of history, literature,
art and science. But. YOU say. where
are we going to get The time and the
money To do all this for the children
| In The first place. We are going To get
| the money because it will be 50 much
| cheaper than to maintin the jails and
peni.entaries, asy1nms and hospitals
| that we now have to support, among
| the ether eonvenibnces and Injuries of
| living in a civilized society Secondly,
we are going to -economize time, be-
| cause we are going "a accommodate
| the general to the special education
| II is hut small part of the whole
| realm of literature and the range Of
science and art of the world that we
| can give 10 each child, but why give
to every child the same kind OF in
struction? Here is a boy showing
some talent in woodwork Why shall
| we not lead him 70 literature and art
| and scieree through that thing?
Bet after the school has done all
| that ii can do. wien we keep all the
children at school until they are Is.
instead of letting them out at Il or
II or 16 years of age, after we have
evolved tilc school in accordance with
our modern ideals, we shall still get
most of our industrial training in the
shop. in actual work in the various
processes, under economic pressure.
All working men. even the poorest,
and everybody in any class of society,
of any degree of intelligence. of any
amount of taste. who becomes edu-
Gated to his responsibility as a mem
her of society for its larger industrial
efficiency. may Immediately cooper
ate against ineflciency in taking part
in the movements most precious t.
him, and SO aid in the process of in
dustral evolution towards some kind
of democratic. efficient, moral obliga-
ton. The fundamental problem Of cd
ueatior and industry is the education
of the consumer and producer in in
tellieent cooperation