New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-20
Reports Show That Few
Lads Receive Training
for Various Trades.
TEACHER MOTHER
RULING CENSURED
Woman Instructors Say Two
Year Absence Is UnneceS-
sary, and Protest.
By HENRIETTA RODMAN.

only about one boy in five IL 4
skilled worker" reports DR.. LYMAN
Cohen, principal of Evening Recreation
Centre No. 3.
There IS four times as much SUI
fering from unemployment among the
unskilled as among the skilled he
said.
DR.. Cohen's figures are based upon a
study Of tho boys who attend his cen
ire, but they are supported ~ other
studies. DR.. George II. Chatfeld. OF
the Permanent Census Board, reported
concerning 100000 young people who
had left the public schools.
The most striking feature IS the
relatively small representation OF
workers in skilled trades. even among
those between sixteen and eighteen
years OF age" he said. III the years
between fourteen and eighteen years
arc not to serve as the period Of initial
training essential TO The development
Of skill in the earlier years Of mstur-
training is 20 be expected and how the
transfer 20 skilled occupations will be
made"
The public schools are failing TO pre-
pare young people for happy and e.
ticient lives. Let ia change them. Why
not?
The committee appointed 10 study the
teacher-mothers and Board of Educa-
ton subject is said 20 have decided
that tcacher-mothers are to be COM
PEELED to stay out of school for two
years when their babies are born.
Some OF these teachers say they
don't want 20 stay out; their doctors
say that it is not necessary.
Do you remember the policeman who
said ut is not because hate you that
beat you, but because ! have the au-
thorty to do So?
A few days ago Susan Look Avery
died at Wyoming, y. y, at the age Of
ninety-seven. When. as young girl,
she became school teacher in Ken
lucky. she met squarely the great So
cial problem Of her generation. and in
slave community she became an abo-
litonst.
For three generations she remained
a leader.
Speaking al a public dinner when she
was ninety-four years old, she said:
"Voltaire was quite right when he
said: 1T is more difficult and more
meritorious 10 win mer from their
prejudces than to civilize barbarlans.'
The strongest force in human affairs
IS inertia 1T is bad for the ignorant
and vicious 10 do ill., but it is worse
for the educated and the honest to do
nothing.
don't know much about the schools.
{ 90, n
for that tremendous problem, the great
est that our generation has TO solve.
But what | know about them forces
me to believe that the people who say
Leave the schools alone" are either
ignorant or selfish.
What do you do best here?" asked
one of the teachers at Erasmus Hall.
"Make friends" she replied at once.
There are three thousand five hundred
boys and girls here, and | don't think
that one is lonely.
I'VE have a great many clubs nearly
ifty-groups of young people working
and playing together, carrying out ther
own ideas in their own way. They have
camera clubs, walking clubs, dramatic,
glee, debating, and even shooting
clubs"
As We passed through the Corridors
it was after school hours saw rooms
fairly bubbling with boys and girls,
very active and very gay. There was
fine atmosphere of freedom, friend
illness and purpose.
"Do they work as well as they play?'
! asked my friend.
Indeed they DO" she replied. AN
unusually large proportion Of our stu.
dents enter college. But the boys and
girls at Erasmus Hall work not only
for their own success; they work for
each other
The members Of the X, Y, 4 Club,
for example, IRE honor students IN