New-York tribune., 1918-02-10
Vocational Courses for
Mechanics Planned for
City Registrants
$4,000 Are Eligible
Experiment May Become Ma
tion-Wide If Proved Sue
cessful Here

The Board of Education of the City
of New York has enlisted in the mill
tary forces of the United States. An
nouncement was made yesterday Of it's
programme to have war training begin
at home for some 10000 young men of
draft age.
AS its contribution to Americas task
of war making, the board will offer
vocational training to skilled mechan-
les of draft age o have been placed
in Glasses l and II under the question
naire system. With the cooper alton of
Martin Conboy, re resentative here of
Brigadier General Sheriff., state adju-
tant general, Henry E. Jenkins, super
intendent in charge of evening schools
and his associates have launched O
move to mobilize the city's educational
resources for the service of the War
Department.
$4,000 Already Eligible
Already $4,000 draft registrants have
been placed on the eligible list to take
the courses, which will be given on
Mondays. Tuesday, Wednesdays and
Thursdays. To each of these men who
are skilled mechanics personal letter
has been sent, setting forth the essen
tials of the plan. Twenty-Five hundred
men have already registered to take
the evening studies, and, according to
Dr. Charles j. Pickett, chairman of the
committee which is formulating the
curriculum, the total registration will
probably mount to 10000.
The arrangement for training before
induction into service is a logical de-
velpoment Of the questionnaire syst
tenn, according to the officials, which
aims to place every man in the job he
is best fitted for
Straubenmuller, acting superintendent
of schools, and Arthur S. Somers, presi
dent Of the Board of Education, the
school authorities will meet next
Thursday night to make final arrange
ments for the curriculum and time for
beginning the courses. They have al
ready tentatively decided to give
courses in woodworking, in the metal
trades, gas engines, automobile trades,
welding and leather work. A student
will be permitted to register only for
one course.
Scores of new instructors in techni-
cal subjects will be needed to carry on
the emergency enterprise. James C.
Byrnes, member of the Board of Ex-
aminers of the City of New York, will
soon issue call, and announce when
examinations will be held. Though
the bulk of the cost Of the war train
ing will be borne by the city, part of
the teachers salaries will be paid from
Federal funds, granted under the
Smith-Hughes law, which was passed
last year, which provides for Federal
financial assistants for state vocational
and agricultural institutions.
Every man who successfully COM
pletes his course will receive a certifi-
cate of his competency in his particu-
lar branch of work, under the author
ity of the Federal Board for Vocational
Education. DR.. c. A. Prosser, the head
of the Federal Board, is helping tho
New York authorities, and will prob
ably encourage the adoption of similar
systems of vocational training for
skilled mechanics who are eligible for
the draft in other cities throughout
the nation, it is understood.
Louis Epstein, notary public, of
172 Forsythe Street, was yesterday
held in $500 bail by Justice John j..
Freschi, accused of overcharging draft
registrants for taking oaths.