Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1917-09-06
Harness II and Put It to Work for
Uncle Sam, Urges Lake.
wood, O., Teacher.
pREsEN1splAN TO CONGRESS
Would Organize Boys and Girls Into
the "Public School Preparedness
Leaaue"-conoressman Emer'
son Speaks for Plan.

are the suggestions that are coming
from the four corners Of the United
States Of ways to help. Congressman
Henry l. Emerson presented to con
gress the other day the interesting
plan thought out by one of his consult
uents. Mr.. Paul ]. Bast, manual tram
ing instructor in the Lakewood lO.)
high school. He sees great possibilities
in the productive power Of the millions
of schoolboys and girls throughout the
land.
"Give our schoolboys and girls an
opportunity to feel that they are an
integral part of our industrial life" ne
says, "and that upon them rests u re-
sponsiblity which can only be dis
charged by unselfish devotion ana
service to the state. He suggests that
n nationwide organization be formed
to be known as the Public School In
dustrial Preparedness league" the OBJ
jcct of which shall be to mobilize the
schoolchildrcn of the nation for such
industrial work as they can do. the
school shops and domestic science
rooms and such equipment as the
schools possess are to be placed'at the
disposal of the state and nation. Boys
and girls from the ages of twelve to
eighteen years, not otherwise EN-
ployed, could thus be employed to
serve in the general scheme of nation
al preparedness.
Organize to System.
The work must be carried on more
or less on the basis Of 81 small indus
trial plant, with its executives, office
force, and shop force. Books would
necessarily have to be kept and
strict account of all incoming and out
going products must be had. Costs
could be figured as to what saving
was being made to the government,
and would be the basis Of making COM
PARSONS with other communities that
were doing the same work. With the
aid Of national sheet which would
publish facts and figures about the
work, rivalry would spring up to
keep the cost of production as low as
possible. This paper would also dis.
seminate new ideas and methods to
help stimulate the work.
| Schoolteuchers with industrial sense
who understand children should super.
wise the Industrial establishment.
| These teachers could enlist the aid OF
trained workers, who for n short time
would instruct the youthful worker in
| the practical technique Of the work.
Ahen for every district counting GER
tain number of schools government
officer would act as an inspector, thus
putting the official stamp Of approval
on work we'll done. He would see that
the specifications were being lived up
to and his presence would give an dir
of authority and inspire respect.
Chambers Of Commerce Would Help.
The chamber of commerce Of each
community should give itself whole
with the school board in carrying out
the plan. If the machinery and equip.
ment is not given outright the cham
Der should see that funds are raised
for the purchase. The interest the
men and women show and the support
they give to the cause will impress the
young workers. The sense of father
and son and mother and daughter
standing shoulder to shoulder in O
common work would give the commu
nifty feeling Of solidarity that will
be the finest asset of which the nation
can boast.
The work in any community would
fall into three divisions:
1. Work in the shop.
2. Work In the sewing room.
8. Work in the domestic science
room.
The articles which could be made II
the shop would be limited only by thu
equipment the schools possess ant
other machines that might be installed
With such automatic machinery as WI
/. now have much may be done.
The sewing room would not onl,
9 take care of Red Cross work, but ais,
do the sewing necessary to make cots
i. stretchers, tents, shirts, khaki uni
forms, etc. Both boys and girls coul,
! be employed in this work.
1 Domestic Science Departments.
In the domestic-science department
equipped with pressure cookers grea
quantities of vegetables and fruit
= might be canned. The gathering Q
such vegetables and fruit would b
I, done by pupils in private automobile
y and wagons. Pupils might even hel
J, orchardists and truck farmers gathe
: their crops and for compensation b
d given share Of what they pick, whic
10 would be turned into the canning d.
l. partment of the school they represen
The growers, stirred by patriotic III
q. pulse, would surely contribute sma
share of what they raised for such
st. purpose. Both boys and girls could /
nv employed in this department.
The women of the community cou
be q real help and inspiration to IL
girls by supervising and helping
both the sewing and domestic-scienl