The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-12-12
Will DISCOURAGE
ALL !. CHILD Ill !. LABOR !
P. B. Clemens Talks On Indus
trial Education Before Social
Service Club.
M'EWEN ALSO SPEAKS ON
INDUSTRIAL TRAINING
Necessity of Dynamic: Education
Brought Out In Two Able
Addresses.

Ill lie SClUOlS OIL WISCONSIN, Will Cen0
to discourage child labor in the fac
tories of the state was the declara-
ton of p. B. Clemens, assistant sup
erintendent of the industrial depart
ment of the Superior schools in ans
wer to a question before the Twin
Ports Social Service club at the Su-
perior hotel. last Tuesday evening.
Mr.. Clemens in commenting on the
American school system stated that
one-third of those who enter the pub
J lie schools leave before completing
their courses. The cause in MANY
cases he pointed out was largely due
to economic pressure and sickness
and very frequently because of dis
lnteredness in academic learning.
Industrial education has been taken
up with the object in view of fitting
the prospective men and women of
the nation to meet the greater prob
lens In life. That the work here is
largely in an experimental stage was
the contention of the speaker
Groups Glasses.
Industrial students come under
three classif1cations according to Mr.
Clemens; CD permit students, who
are forced to leave the public schools
in order to contribute towards the
family income, are obliged to at
tend the school five hours per week;
CD those who are anxious to progress
but through lack Of opportunities in
the past now attend night school;
(3) those who are inefficient for
many reasons, such as illiterate, or
unambitious- These. latter present
the greatest problem:
There are approximately 500
students in attendance in the eve
ming schools, studying sewing, Eng
lish, citizenship, cabinet making, me-
chanical drawing, arts and crafts,
typewriting, bookkeeping, telegraphy,
showcard and sign writing," stated
Mr.. Clemens, "the average attend
ance being IS per cent of those en-
rolled"
Continuation students in Wisconsin
during the past year have increased
from $4,000 to $4,000.
Local Board Independent.
Generalization in education is Sc
cured in Superior sby one superin-
tendent," Mr.. Clemens said. There
is, however, a separate board for in
dustr1al education. The board is free
to establish what it considers 'desir-
able. We are experimenting and
will get much that is good. Every
school will grow"
The reason that we cannot trans
plant the German efficient system of
Industrial education to America is
that our education attempts to secure
something in addition to proficient
tradesmen-that is, higher citizen
ship. Industrial education is in it's
infancy in America
Superior under the Wisconsin In
dustrial Education law, spent $4,000
last year for the work, $4,000 of
which was paid by the state. $4,000
year Is at the disposal of the local
board.
McEwen Speaks.
w. E. McEwen, postmaster Of Du-
luth, made an address, At the out
set, Mr.. McEwen stated that he was
somewhat of propaganda or a
John the Baptist in the matter of
industrial education in Minnesota.
After telling or several experiences
of life he encountered as commission
er of labor under Governor johnson,
he stated that 1.-The man who is onto
his job is the educated man. This
he believed to be the crux Of in
oustrlal education, to prepare men
to be "onto- their jobs"
'Trade Schools Abused.
Professional and industrial misfits
have ben produced by the parasati-
cal idea that "the boy is too we'll
educated to work. He declared also
| that the vocational idea had been
exploited to some extent as evidenced
by the barber schools that transform
a blacksmith to barber in 80 days.
A case Of an z1ncorrigible boy who
would not attend school and the So
luton of his problem was told by
Mr.. McEwen. While he was labor
commissioner, much. pressure was
brought to bear on him to have the
'truant' sent to reform school MI.
McEwen visited the boys home and
found that the boy was much inter-
ested in his fathers blacksmith shop.
BY special arrangement the boy was
sent to an industrial school in an
other part of the city. AS soon as
he began to see the connection be-
tween arithmetic and blacksmithing,
he became zealuos student, who
graduated with high, honoY. ~
Tribute to State IT,"
All the states come to Wisconsin
to go to school,, Mr.. McEwen de-
clared. Whenever he wanted to do
some research, he would go to the
Wisconsin university and go to school
for a day to Prof J. r. Commons,
and come harl< loaded with idoou2