The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-08-13
Glasses in Radio Operating and Various Branches OF Au
tOmObe Repair Work Will Be Started
Next Monday.
VSEL j. hawkins WILL Be IN CHARGE OF It
instruction Will Be of Practical Nature and VIII Help
Men to Select the Branch Of Service
They Want to Serve With.

By next Monday night there will be
running in this city. no the Y. VI. &. A.
and at the Standard garage in all prob.
ability, evening vocational schools or
classes engaged in training prospec.
tive soldiers. These classes will be
established at the request Of the Fed.
eral Board Tor Vocational Education
and the War department in cOoperd
ton with the State board OF vocational
education and the local school board.
w. G.. Carpenter, for the past cigh,
years in charge Of vocational educa.
ton in the schools Of Wheeling, who
has been drafted by Secretary March
OF the state Beard of Education to or.
ganize classes in all the principal
cities Of West Virginia, was in the
city yesterday afternoon in consulta.
ton with Superintendent Otis G. VII.
son Of the Fairmont Independent
school district the members Of the
board of education and others whose
cooperation is essential and an agree.
ment was made 10 start the work here
next week.
Ensel ]. Hawkins, who is the voca.
hOnal education member Of the Fair
mont high school faculty, will be in
charge of the classes which will at tn
outset be devoted to radio mechanic
and auto mechanics. The radio work
will be confined 10 operating and send
ing, but the automobile course will be
sub-divided into five heads, chassi
repair, starting and lighting systems
and motorcycle repair. The course
will run eight or ten weeks and the
instruction will last two hours on each
OF four or six nights per week.
The instruction will be absolutely
free to the students Half o. the pay
Of the instructors will be borne by the
federal government and the other half
will be taken care Of locally, but in
no case will the men be expected 10
pay anything. Their contribution to
the success OF the enterprise is prompt
and punctual attendance and strict at
tention to the studies.
All men between the case of is and
4E will be eligible, and the local draft
board at Mr.. Carpenters request is
going to send circulars announcing the
course to the men who remain in
Glasses 2 and 3.
In speaking Of the plans this morn.
ing Mr.. Carpenter said that taking
the course would not act to hurry any
man into the service ahead of his nat
ural turn. The whole purpose is to
educate the men 50 that they will be
Of more use to their country when
they are called. He also said that TAX.
ing such a course must not be regard
ed as evidence OF a desire to escape
the dangers Of regular service. Men
who are trained for these mechanical
obs will get their turn right up at
the front with the rest but they will he
able to escape some OF the drudgery
and perhaps some of the discomforts
which the mer in the infantry and
the other branches Of the service have
to endure along with the danger In.
stead Of opening the men who take
the courses 10 the charge OF being
slackers, said Mr. Carpenter. It is an
additional evidence OF their patriot.
ism, for II shows that they are will.
ing to 90 to some trouble 10 make
themselves additionally valuable TO
their country.
The courses are all practical. Men
who take them will work with their
hands from the beginning and all the
time. Those who have had actual ex.
perience will be given credit for what
they already know at the outset and
will thus be able 10 finish sooner than
they otherwise would have. The