Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-05-25
STUDENTSARE PAID
New Kind of School Established
by Factory Owner.
Boys Made SeIf-Supporting While Re-
ceiving Four-Year Vocational
Training Under New Appren-
tlceship System.

The new apprenticeship system that
has recently been introduced in a
Hartford factory seems to offer
one of the most promising Of all rene
dies that have been tried by American
Factory managers to prevent labor
troubles, increase factory production,
lower production costs and generally
bring about that cooperation between
factory employer and employee that is
indispensable to their mutual prosper
lty, says the Hartford Courant. One
manufacturing company has taken
on l3O apprentices as a freshman class
In fOur-year combined practical and
theoretical course. Each year a new
freshman class will be taken on. and in
four years 1t is expected that there
VIII be at least 500 apprentices.
Inc apprenticeship system is in
charge OF supervisor of apprentices,
VINO is also an experienced teacher,
mechanic and student of the human
Phase OF the problem. He has his head
quarters In the room which has been
especially equipped for the boys use
ana serves as a classroom and as
lunch and reading room. Here the
boys came for certain period each
week, during working hours. TO receive
instruction and training to supplement
thelr shop experience. Much Of this
instruction is necessarily technical and
very much specialized, but at the same
uine an effort is being made to give
the boys a general understanding of
the fundamental principles that under
lie all the mechanical industries and
mus make them more appreciatiye of
their own branch and the more alert
10 Its possibilities. This room also
serves as social center for the bows
ana every noon they gather to read,
play games and meet with one another.
Inc supervisor is also present and
hnds in this hour another avenue Of
approach into the boys interests and
friendships.
Another hold has been got on the
boys through athletics. Teams have
been organized and games played.
choosing schools for opponents as far
as possible. Places upon the teams
are dependent upon shop and class
records and there are no athletic
scholarships" This all tends to Gre
ate spirit of loyalty, which is as de-
sirable here as In any institution.
The boys shop experience is OBJ
tanned in the regular manufacturing
departments of the plant. To insure
an all-around experience the boys are
changed from one department to an.
other as their PROCESS warrants. The |
minimum stay in one department is
SIX months, and as the bow advances
In his apprenticeship his stay in n de.
partment is usually heightened. as he
Is then better able to profit by the
variety of work that he may be given.
The course of study is divided into
TOUR main parts, mathematics. draw
ing, science and theory of shop prac.
tice.
Inc boys are taught to look upon
thelr apprenticeship as a period of
training and to be more interested in
what they learn than in what they
|
earn. At the same time the onnren.
llceShlp rates have been placed suffi-
GENTLY high to make the boy self-sup-
porting from the start. The rates for
me four-year. machinist apprentice
snip are respectively IA, 10, II and is
cents an hour and the rates for the
'ther apprenticeships higher than that.
'uhhihg up to q cents an hour in the
asst year. In every case bonus of
'loo is paid upon the successful com.
'ietion of the apprenticeship. There
$ material difference between the
ates OF the molders and the other an
'rentices on account of the moturitv
nat Is required by the nature of the
work.