The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-12-06

Otrated by laboratory tests in most of the
worlds great centres. 1t is long past the
experimental stage, reaching that of prac-
teal, immediate util1ty-the combining OF
vocational guidance that is continuous,
with opportunities to make it available
from the start.
Practical Vocational Guidance.
For the last FIVE months the spacious
quarters of the West Side Young Mems
Christian Association. in New York City.
have contained one of the best organized
vocation bureaus in the world. Here the
work OF the vocational analyst is logically
supplemented with means OF connecting
applicants with the right opportunities
and encouraging their perseverance,.
Analysis of ability and character, Of
course comes flrst-it is the one sure
foundation. Give me eight men of the
constructive. organizing and administra-
tive ability demonstrated by such men as
J. Pierpont Morgan and John D. Rookie
Teller who are willing to cooperate with
each other and with me, and they can run
the world. Such men are supreme, each
in his special field Of finance or industry,
because they are infallible judges Of
human nature. They know how to select
their lieutenants. They cannot them
selves do the specific things which they
REQUIRE accomplished. and doubtless would
make mistakes in picking the general
officers of their industrial army.
The rest would guarantee to furnish
executives, managers, employees down to
the humblest, and not human wheel.
spring or lever misplaced. And that is no
more than any expert in applied psychol-
ogy could safely promise. The expert
enced vocational analyst Is master of a
science as exact as any that deals with the
almost infinite variations of human char
acter. Give him authority to exercise his
knowledge and experience in the public
schools and the world would soon cease
to be thickly sprinkled with malcontents,
MASTERS and paupers.
The crying shame Of this country, and
most others, IL the wasteful misuse OF
their educational institutions, especially
of the public schools. At about fourteen
years Of age the average pubic scn eSa
graduate stands face to face with the
economic problem in his home. He must
be a wage-earner-he must find Job
And these boys and girls are literally
thrown out Of school to swell the ranks
Of unskilled labor and trust to chance
to place them in some berth Tor wnicn
they are not positively united.
Millions Spent to Make "Misfits."
+ Between the ages OF fourteen and
eighteen the young generation in this
country is at the mercy Of chance in
determining whether they are to sink or
swim. Up to the age Of fourteen the
government has spent millions on them
in instruction that Is purely theoretical
and not one cent for practical knowledge
about themselves-what their natural vo-
cation Is. SO that they may escape lncreas-
ing the multitude OF insists.
In the last twenty years / have seen
the youth of the large cities Of Australia
emerge from this shameful. desperate
situation into confident and contented
young workers in occupations where they
naturally belong, by mental and physical
constitution, character and temperament.
They are not MASTERS, because the public
schools there have ceased to be MASTERS,
and are imparting the most valuable of all
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of self. The voca-
tional analyst has done his share; the pub
lie school graduate is not thrown out to
loo,1 for "job"-any old job; he goes forth
with a clear idea of his own abilities and
limitations, and with a detailed knowledge
where the former will be available and put
him in the way of making the most OF
his life. He is spared that most paraly zing
of handicaps Neutrality-suspicious. OF
failure.
1t is always easier to prevent undesirable
conditions than to cure them. Besides, II
Is the part of common humanity to save the
young from the fate of those who come to
know themselves only when 1t is too late
to benefit by that knowledge. Applied psy.
chology should complete the public school
course. There should be no graduation
until the vocational analyst has done his
part.
Here, in the vocation bureau of the West
Side Young Mems Christian Association, a
fine and humane work is being undertaken
f.