The daily Nome industrial worker., 1917-03-03
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION.

education was before Congress, Con- yressman Fess was one of those who s'extended" his remarks in the Re cord
 And he advocated vocational training because it would prevent a waste of human energy. And he enumerated the three sources ol that waste: The unemployed or the army of idly children; the improper Iv employed where misfits are oD- served: the imperfectly employed where energy capable of being em- pIoved is stunted by lack Of direc- ton.
 Vocational training is to eliml- nate all this by the employment ol those who have been properly train ed to work.
 Really that seems very simple matter and assuredly is the readlest solution to be offered of such pro bIem as that which is mentioned b! the distinguished and honorable Fess.
 IL certainly is cutting the Gordlan knot of capitalist problems with sword to educate the youth ot the land to some particular trade when wonld assure him thus permanent and effective employment. It Is strange that no one ever thought ol this simple plan before, and we can veu afford 10 pause to consider al yreater length it's simple beauty and efficiency
 Take the labor world today, one would be inclined to believe that the country stood in dire need ol a variety of art.fcars and craftsmen'
 One would believe that all tradesman out of job has to do IS to offer his services 10 another hrm and he will be employed right away.
 Now nothing of the kind is the ease. There is not single trained ar skilled craft where there is not .,Iways to be found number of idle and cmployable, and that too pos sessinc average skill and average training.
 The fact is that these crafts how ever enjoy higher wages because or the fact that the skilled man IS less freouently encountered than the un- skilled and if every man was trained electrician, what would be come of the electricians wages?
 The world of industry employs certain number of trained and uh- trained, skilled and unskilled. The number so employed varies a. C.ler- ent well defined periods Of activity or depression in industry During active periods, as at present there IS an abnormal demand for workers of all kinds and during the periods of depression there is similar de- crease in employment, quite regard less of the skill or lack of skill or The employee.
 It will not change conditions III Industry an iota if every individual youth is taught a trade. Because then the only result would be to re- dnce every craftsman to the same wage level as the rest of the em- ployed.
 What is mainly desired in this question of vocational training IS that the supply of trained hands available should be increased. It IS not satisfactory to any employer when only one man is available for that one skilled position. The Ideal condition is when several are LOOK ing for the job at the same time. Industry depends for it's activity on the degree of consumptive activity of the markets for the product or ahat industry. and not upon the quantity of labor skilled or un- skilled which is available.
 The degree of profits depends upon the plentifulness of labor, upon it's effectiveness, and upon the intensity to which it can be sub jected at it's tasks. By having plentiful supply of labor available, the employer can beat down wages, making one man compete against another for a job. By the intensity of labor, efficient and able, the productive capacity is increased ac- cordinply over and above the neces-