Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-18
TRADE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS.
New York City Gives Girls Splendid
OPPORTUNITIES to Learn Trades.


Preparing girls between the ages oil
fourteen and sixteen for their lite
work. is an industrial institution as
practical as the heart of modern
business man could desire.
The entire curriculum is planned
it'll tine md in view that the pupils
win shortly he called to earn their
own living. The school does not Try
to cducat- its pupils UT to an ideal
winch Will look with disdain uuon the
factory system of today. 1t endeaNors
to prepare the girls for their battle
with life 50 well that the first conflict
With practical realities Will not come
rs a shock to them. 1t gives the poor
est 2irl upon leaving grammar school
ar UtIpcrtunitN to learn to be Il skilled
worker in order. first. that her ap-
premiership at the trade may enable
her to take 2 shorter cut to decent
wages than trade work itself would
furnish. and second. her appreciation
OF the value of her work would be more
Intelligent than trade training alone
would make possible,
With these purposes iii mind the
days work lasts from to ., SO as to
accustom the girls to factory hours;
the materials they handle are those
supplied to the trades: the machines
use6 in electric operating are those en-
ploved in modern factories: their out
nut is sold to various concerns and
placed Oh the market: and even the
method Of taking attendance intro
duces the pupils to factory conditions
namely. the time card.
Although many individuals look up
on industrial education as one of the
fads and frills. the visitor to the
Manhattan Trade School for Girls will
not find any one playing or fritterng
away time IN fact. if one suddenly
fonnd ones self in the spacious and
airy class rooms of the school. not
knowing that it was a school, one
would think that one was inspecting
model factory equipped with the
most modern appliances and affording
ideal sanitary conditions.
Each garment or piece OF needle
work given to the girls has time
value. For instance, girl receives
a fancy waist to stitch, and on card
pinned to it she finds that the aver
age rupil has been able to stitch such
q waist Ill fbU llliiiutcS HIS ID tih
waists time value. Ii the girl should
complete her work in $40 minutes. she
would receive 60 minutes, or an hour
To her credit: if. on the other hand.
the girl requires 460 minutes. an hour
is taken from her credit. Throughout
her course all the work she does is
valued in this way. and 6. record is
kept of the number of hours credit or
demerit. If. ut the end of her course.
q girl las several hours to her credit.
she is allowed to purchase anything
which The school has produced in the
line of dresses. fancy work. etc. at
the rate of three cents per hour. In
this way every girl is made To feel
that she is working for a purpose and
is given an incentive in addition TO
the knowledge that her finished work
will supply the trade.
The girls are taught the essential
academic subjects as we'll as drawing.
cclor harmony. and physical training.
There are classes in millinery, hat
making. and sample mounting. The
teachers are all skilled trade workers
and assist the girls whenever neces-
sary. The methods employed in fac
tories are followed in all the classes.
One class. for instance. was making
gymnasium suits. and every girl was
busy at different part OF the gar
ment. Some We're making seams,
some sewing on buttons, others fitting
yokes. and so forth.
1t is to tc desired that there should
not he too many girls in class rooms.
for in an industrial school the pupils
must be able to move about freely.
In the ordinary dav school the desks
and seats are fastened to the lioor.
but i'm the trade school it must be pos
sible to 90 to and fro easily. to change
the position of chairs and tables, and
to have free PLAY for the limbs. \ girl
W no is busy at an electric operating
machine has to move her arms in many
different positions i'll order to follow
tie pattern she is making. When the
teacher in charge of the school vas
asked whether size found any difficulty
in maintaining discipline. she laughed.
Il. ook wherever YOU wiSdl she an
swt.rcd. Into my classroom. look at
tie class which we are now inspecting.
does il seem necessary t. worry about
discipline? Why, the girls are SO busy
and 80. intensely wrapped MP III their
work taat they have pei time TO be
miscellaneous or 6isOrdarly. o. course.
they are allow ed 70, talk with one an