Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-11-04
SOMETHING MORE
THAN TALK AT THE
EFFICIENCY CONF.
An Exhibit of the Different
Kinds of Welfare Work
Among Industrial Workers
Problems Worked Out

Something besides talk will be on
the program of the State Community
Efficiency Conference to be held in
Augusta, Nov. 13, IA and Is. That
Something will be an exhibit of diff
ferent kinds of welfare work among
industrial workers, field that has
been so thoroughly covered by practi-
cal methods actually worked out, that
the answer is ready for almost any
situation.
Those who attended the conference
will have for their main object to Sc
cure such ideas and methods as will be
of assistance TO them when they re-
turn to their home village, town or
city to work out its problems under
the inspiration the conference gives
them.
But what TO do? And how to do it?
Happily the needs of most Maine
communities are not far different from
those of other communities, and the
trained social engineers who have
hlazed the trail in welfare work have
not only accomplished many things by
scientific methods, but they have Civ
en- to others the records of the sue
cesSful means they have taken to Sc
cure the desired end.
And these records. carefully arrang-
ed in the most readily understood
form, photographs, charts, diagrams,
fluctuations of quickly appreciated sta
tistics, short and clear statements on
easily read plaeards-these will be
worth the study of the conference
delegates.
To state the case another way, there
ho ~ e.. 10. IN,
spection of the delegates and all 9TH
ers interested, an Industrial commu-
nifty welfare exhibit, consisting of 80
panels of photographs, diagrams and
drawings in color illustrating work
among skilled and unslSilled Ameri-
can foreign born industrial workers.
Mr. Blank of Biddeford, of Lewiston,
of Waterville, or elsewhere in the
State comes to the conference. He
wants to help and wants to know how.
He finds in the exhibit the situation
most closely approaching that of dis
own community and at once gets the
approximate answer to his problem,
subject only to slight correction for
differences of local environment.
The exhibit will be arranged in al
coves set up in the convention hall.
The first alcove will show some pro-
bIems of industry. The great truth
which the exhibit will drive home is
that 1.-THE greatest problem in in
dustry is the human factor Here will
be seen the factory boy, his habits and
environment; the immigrant with his
old world ideas and ignorance of
American institutions and citizenship;
the isolated worker and the colored
worker, with the saloon and other in
fuence which go toward lessenfng
their already feeble efficiency.
Succeeding alcoves show the princi-
Piles and detectives of industrial well
fare work, and the first of these tell
of the work among foreign born peo-
pie The State of Maine is no differ
ent than other states in this regard.
A visitor is introduced to the living
conditions of foreigners in America by
the use of typical pictures.
Everybody knows that a new Ian
guage cannot be taught to an adult
foreigner as 1t is taught to native
born child in the schools. Just the
correct method to follow, as demon
strated by the best pedagogical prin-
ciples, is fully illustrated. Added to
this are the statistics of foreign bcrn
men and women in American indus
tries, food for deep thought on the
part of the American who loves his
country and wishes to do his share IN
the uplifting of his home community.
In another alcove Is display of the
results accomplished by that wonder
ful range of activities known as the
industrial service movement" which
in five years has grown by leaps and
bounds. This movement brings to-
gether the unskilled worker and the
trained college man. The visitor Is
brought, through photographs. into
the presence of classes in English
taught by volunteers, becomes Wis
itor at club gatherings and entertain
ments for foreign speaking workers
directed by volunteers; he gets an
idea of the ammunition" used in this
bloodless warfare against the forces
that would undermine society-tons of
printed matter that is distributed by
the volunteer workers in this line OF
effort The visitor learns at glance
what might require hours of spoken
argument, that the crux Of the edu-
catfonal service to foreigners is per-
sonal instruction.
Then there is the employment bu-
reau and it's workings, all explained
clearly and briefly.
Extension service in shops and fac
tories is next illustrated. What can
do to get the people to come to
church," cries the pastor in the in
dustrial community" IF the mountain
will not come to Mohammed, Moham-
med will go to the mountain" the in
dustrial betterment worker replies and