Republican farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1810-1920, 1918-02-15
TRAINING SCHOOL
FOR ARTISANS ON
SHIPYARDS WORK
Newport News Firm Has
Experts to Instruct Re
cruits on New Labor.
ENROLMENT FOR
CONNECTICUT 500
Campaign to Enlist More
Volunteers is Pushed by
Many Speakers.

hartford. Feb. 9-Skilled mechan-
les enrolling in the United States
Sh1pyard Volunteers need have no
rear that their special ability will not
Mt into shipbuilding, according to Leo
A. Korper, federal director for Con-
nectlcut of the United States Public
service Reserve, who is conducting
the shipbuilding volunteers campaign
IN connecticut in cooperation with
the Connecticut State Council of De-
Tense.
The United States Shipping Bourd
realized from the start that there
were not in the entire country even
a small fraction of the necessary
hands already trained to shipbuiIding
specialties,' said Mr.. Korper. Three
| months ago it completed its plan to
bridge this gap between the average
| artisan and the shipbuilding special
| iSt
Under the superintendent of F.
E. McNary, the Shipping Board has
established at Newport News a
shipyard normal school," Mr.
Mr.. Korper explained. 'In a
warehouse supplied by the Newport
News Dry Dock Co. an expert staff
of a dozen instructors drawn from all
part of the country takes in hand the
men who comes to be taught. AS
| the first corners graduate, others take
| their places; $50 can be accommo-
dated at any one time. These pupils
are by no means novices in ship
| building; on the contrary they are
the best and most experienced men in
the yards. They include foreman OF
riveters with 20 years service behind
| them-men entirely competent to do
excellent work themselves and to di-
rect other mechanics. What they
| learn at Newport News is how to
pass along their acknowledgement in
cidentally, as they have themselves
admitted-they acquire more eff
cheney in their own specialties.
THE pupils of the Newport News
schools are put right to work under
service conditions. There is no di-
vision into classes, no artificial at
mosphere. They are taught while
they are actually building ships on
full time schedule at full wages. They
are paid by the shipyards where they
are regularly employed, while these
yards in turn receive IS per day pei
man as partial reimbursement.
| After a month or six weeks Of
training at Newport News graduates
return to their yards where they take
charge of less competent men and ed
ucate them to higher service. Thei1
first job is to fit men already capable
of good work to do better work, tc
take responsibility and qualify as
foremen. Their second Job is to teach
new men how to adapt their skill in
other trades to the requirements OF
the shipyard In this instruction the
same conditions are repeated as al
Newport News-the pupils are taught
individually under service conditions
They learn how to build ships by
building them. Even the production
department of the yard is not allowed
to interfere with pupils under the
tutelage of the Newport News grad
uates''
Director Korper has an office IL
Room %, State Capitol, Hartford
where enrollments are being taken
War Bureaus and Town Committee!
of the defense council are also &C
cepting enrollments. Up to last nigh
Connecticut total enrollments for the
United States Shipyard Volunteers o
the Public Service Reserve were ap
proximately 500. Men when enrolled
are instructed to remain at thei,
present employment until they re
ceive further instructions from thu
government.