Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-22
THE SCHOOL VIRTUES
AND VOCATIONAL LIFE
Education for Earning Livelihood.
Patriotism Versus Taxes-Extension
of Vocational Training Question
for the Next Legislature.
By NATHAN c. scHAEFFER

dividual may enter in order to earn a live
lihood. In every occupation the individual
should know how to read print and script
how to write a correct letter how to reckon
in matters which come UP in his line of work
or business, how to consult q map and grasp
route of travel, and how TO interpret the
drawings which lie at the foundation OF our
industrial life.
Moreover, every good school inculcates GER
tain habits, without which the individual
cannot hold job or fill a position in any
Industrial establishment. Habits Of punctu-
alty and regularity of accuracy, veracity
and obedience, of polteness self-control and
self-restraint are acquired from the very
tivlties and atmosphere OF a good school.
When the will enters into these and makes
them the law of life they become the school
virtues which lie at the foundation Of all
success in vocational life. 1t is we'll known
that employers prefer boys who have been
faithful at school to those who have played
truant and given all sorts of trouble to the
teacher and the attendance officer.
In the effort to teach the rudiments and
to provide sanitary school buildings many
boards of school directors have gone to the
limit of their power to tax. And as soon
as a school board goes into specialized forms
Of vocational education the cost of running
the schools is greatly increased. That the
schools will need more money to establish
departments of agriculture, domestic science,
the household arts and manual training is
well known to every student of education.
Whence the Money?
Many rural districts find it difficult to keep
their schools in operation seven months, even
when nothing is attempted beyond the COM
mon branches. Municipalities like Harris
burg, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have diff
fculty in raising enough money to pay pres
ent salaries and to give pupils an all-day
session in the high schools and in the rap
idly growing sections Of the city. How to
get more money for extension of the fa-
cllities for vocational training will be one of
the perplexing questions during the coming
session of the Legislature.
The war tax which we are to collect in
time of peace will take s13,OOO,OOO out Of
Pennsylvania and lessen to that extent the
sources of revenue which can be tapped for
educational purposes The corporations are
at present paying $12OOO,OOO State tax, or
almost one-third of the amount which now
goes into the State Treasury With the rail-
roads struggling to cover their running ex-
penses and with a marked depression in most
lines Of corporate activity, it is a difficult
task to see how more money can be made
available from our present sources of revenue
In a few places private benefactors have
come to the rescue and given of their wealth
to aid in working out new phases of edu-
cation. c. M. Schwab gave to Homestead
a fine building with splendid equipment
for manual training M. s. Hershey donated
a building for consolidated school in Derry
township, in Dauphin County. 1t is sup
piled with filtered air and the latest i'm
t,
school building in Pennsylvania. Charles
Lytle Lamberton, Esq, a native Of Carlisle,
but resident of New York at the time Of
his death, bequeathed over 100000 to es-
tablish and maintain a school In his native
town for the teaching of Industrial, mechan-
ical technical and scientific arts. William
Harris Boyer, OF New York has done great
things for the borough Of Halifax, where a
new school building, erected at his expense,
was recently dedicated. Let ii be hoped
that the day is not far distant when rich
man cannot die in peace unless he has done
the handsome thing for the schools OF the
community in which he spent his boyhood.
A Sign of Patriotism
But the major portion of the revenue for
school purposes is derived from local taxa
tion. People are enthusiastic over vocational
education so long as they can make the other
fellow pay the taxes 1t is an unmistakable
sign of patriotism If the citizen cherishes a
willingness to pay Just share OF tax for
the support Of the government and the edu-
cation of the people. An effort will without
doubt. be made to make certain forms of
vocational education obligatory. but 1t is a
question how far such legislation can be
carried into effect unless new sources of
revenue for school purposes can be pro-
vided.
Moreover, it should not be forgotten that
pupil at the age Of ~, 1s or IA has neither
the time nor the strength for many OF the !
forms OF work in the smithy. the foundry
and the various other forms Of work in iron
and steel. The same is true of many forms
Of work on the farm, The most discouragng
feature Is that the average advocate OF vo-
catonal education considers a trade school |
good school for his neighbor's son, but for
his own son he desires a different type OF
education.
With the small appropriation made by the |
last Legislature agricultural departments |
have been established in high schools Of IL
counties, Evening schools for miners have
been established ana conducted in a number
of places. Cooking and sewing have been |
taught with most benehcant results In sec
tions where the foreign population is in the
ascendant. Ana a most encouraging inter- /
est has been shown In the evening classes for
farmers which have been organized IA con-
nection with the agricultural high schools.
The least expensive and most effective form
OF vocational training Is found in the com
munities where boys spend part OF the time
IN the shop and part Of the time al school
As vacancies occur In the shops the trained
boy fills the place; and the taxpayer IS not
Obliged 70 foot the bin for tools. machines
and raw material The plan q continuing |