Denver labor bulletin., 1916-07-22
TEACH BOYS and
GIRLS SELF-HELP
Vocational Training Bill Now
Up in Congress
Organized Labor Supports Measure
for Federal Aid Of States Which
Establish Trade Schools
From Committee on Industrial Relations,
Washington, D, c.


Congress is spending hundreds of mil
lions of dollars this year for the army
and navy Forty millions probably will
be appropriated for dredging rivers and
harbors.
Yet the appropriating of Sl,T00,OOO to
make American boys skillful, independ-
ent, resourceful workers in the fields of
agriculture and industry will be refused
on the ground of economy if James
Mann, Republican floor leader in the
House of Representatives, has his way.
Man Opposes Self-Help.
Organized labor has been Joined by
every liberal minded educators in the
country and by large proportion OF the
nations employers in support OF the
Smith Hughes bill providing federal aid
for any state that will start schools at
which boys can be taught how to take
care of themselves in industry or agri-
culture. and at which girls can be made
expert housekeepers.
Congressman Mann says we can't af-
ford to spend the money at this time.
That Sl,7OG.OOO would buy almost one
tenth of one dreadnought or battle cruis-
er. And we can't afford to spend it to
encourage the training of 40,0O0,0O0 boys
and girls so that they will avoid unem-
ployment, encouragement, inefficiency,
and all the evils OF poverty that follow
when a boy or girl starts out in life
without knowing how.
Need of Vocational Training.
Labor's representatives at the capitol
say that Mr.. Mann is particularly likely
| to plead for economy when the proposed
expenditure is one that will help labor
Organized labor wants skillful. versa
tile resourceful workers because they
are always in demand and therefore
never at the mercy of the unfair en-
ployer.
In the unanimous report OF the com
mittec on education, headed by Con
gresham Hughes OF Georgia, it is pointed
out that if vocational training would in
crease the income of the 25,OOO,OOO work
ers only 10 cents day, there would be
the workers of two and one-half million
dollars a day. or threefourths OF a bill
lion dollars per year.
Labor Asks Right Start
The Hughes bill authorizes the presi-
dent to appoint Federal Board for Vo-
cational Education composed of five
members. including the commissioner OF
education Organized labor asks that
lnt Dill specify Il DOdIu COMPOSED VI at
least one representative each from ag-
riculture, employees and employers, au'
that the board be left to choose its own
chairman instead of designating the com.
missioner of education. But these de-
tails are not important, compared with
labor's desire to see a start made toward
the right sort of training for the ma
ton's future workers and producers.
Under the Hughes bill the federal gov
ernment appropriates 81 100000 for help
ing the states to establish schools where
boys over IA would learn useful trades,
or scientific farming. and where girls
would be trained for home making. Each
state is required to appropriate a dollar
for every dollar of federal aid, and the
schools would be managed in each state
by a board designated for that purpose
by the state legislature. One feature of
the plan calls for part time schools
where boys over IA who We're at work
could spend several hours each week
fitting themselves for advancement