New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-12
Young Must All Be Made
Masters of Machines,
Expert Declares.
NO SPECIALIZATION,
SAYS MRS. FERNANDEZ
Those Able to Turn Readily to
New Tasks Never Have to
Fear Unemployment.
By HENRIETTA RODMAN.

Vocational training that will really |
prepare young people to earn a living /
Is the greatest need of the schools to-
day. perhaps the greatest need OF the I
community.
Mrs. Alice Barrows Fernandez, di- .
rector Of the Vocational Education Sur !
vey, has been working on this problem /
for the last six years. She said yes
terday: /
"There are two kinds OF vocational !
training. One is to train yourg people |
for this or that special industry. Many !
people believe that this is the only
practical and efficient way to prepare !
young folks to earn living. BE.
cause they say, industry is subdivided
into many processes and boy or girl
must learn skill in a special process.
But we of the opposite camp re-
ply, very few boys and girls are en-
ployed permanently at any one process.
The most important fact Of industry IS
change. change Of machines, change OF
position
"The man or woman who rs efhclent
at only one kind Of work will be thrown
out Of employment by almost any
change Of conditions in the industry.
For example, a manufacturing company
recently moved out of New York A
few weeks later | happened to meet
two OF their former employees: One
was a trained machinist. He had found
work almost Immediately, but 1t was
work at a different process. The other
man knew only one type OF work. ne
remained out of employment Tor weeks
~ could cite hundreds of similar
cases. The boy or girl who il trained
-.
comparatively helpless with INDUSTRY
organized as il is"
"Tben YOU believe" ! suggested.
"tbat we should train a boy TO be what
Professor Giddings has called master
of machines able to pass readily from
ono industrial process to anotherT
81 believe exactly that" said MRS;
Fernandez. "and my belief Is based
uuon six years Of Investigation
But can we do il" ] questioned
"Are there fundamental processes COM
mon to several industries
"There are" Mrs. Fernandez spoke
conclusively. eve have found the fun
damental processes in tire metal. trades
All that is needed is further lnvestlga
ton to cover he other great groups OF
industries. If the city undertakes 70
complete the survey, we shall be aole
IN nrensre our young people for gen
uire Industrial efficiency. We shall be
able to send them out of the schools
protected against poverty and CRIME,
ready 10 meet life happily and enec-
lively"
If YOU had been a Genoese OF the
6ft,enth century would you have
backed Columbus, or wouldn't you
William Hardness is one OF the
charming members Of the Board OF
Education.
"When YOU want to see something
good in the school system" he said,
$50 to the Washington Irving Hlgn
School. McAndrew made that scnool,
and made il different from anything
else in the city, because he's genius.
"The Board Of Superintendent want
cd TO get rid Of him and wanted me
to help them. -, II
"TIl see for myself said |. So |
went to his school. and ! went again.
and | found out what the matter was
with McAndrew. He's original, that's
all; and the superintendent didn't
like it," ,,.,
Now he's superintendent hlmse,t
said l. "and | wonder il he likes his
subordinates to be original III ask
him."
Effective business houses reward en-
Moves who have useful ideas. The
Boa~d of Education does rot.
Why not invite teachers who invent
.ourqes to submit them to joint COM
mittee Of teachers and board members?
II the course is a good one, allow 1t
70 he given in any school that wants
4 And pay the inventor to teach her
colleagues how to present 1t. why
not?
FRS. Wagner reported for duty yes
terday morning. Her services were de-
clined on the ground that she has been
granted leave of absence.
Mrs Wagner replied that she notified
III Board of Education befor. the
leave was granted that she did not
want il. She now refuses TO accept It
ana will report regularly at the school.
Tho board will no doubt decide ultl-
mately to avail itself Of Mrs. Wagners
services.
WHY. one wonders, is child birth so
different from all other illnesses that
a teacher cannot be permitted to re,
turn to school when she feels well
enough to do her work?
Mr.. Stein, lawyer, said sne
shouldn't. DR.. Vile, physician, SAID:
"why not?" The question awaits an
answer.
The Board of Education is seeking a
rehearing of Mrs. Weeks's case.
At a meeting at the house of Mrs.
Joseph Wise, 80 West Seventy-fourtn