The Lexington advertiser., 1919-05-16
Just a Few Thoughts and Facts

Just rev thoughts anu TdCts
I have been keeping tab on our U. s.
employment service which is operated in
the interest of our discharged soldier
BOYS OF the applicants for employment
80 per cent are for clerical work, for
sem~soft jobs, Is per cent; common
labor, none; mechanical trades, per
cent. Isn't this some food for your
thinker? Out Of some four million men
only per cent are skilled mechanics.
At the present time the demand for
skilled men is greater than at any pre-
vious period Of the country's history,
and there are vastly fewer such men
than were in former times.
Why then are there so few good me-
chanics? Are our young men less am
bilious than were those of former day?
Nc. so; finer lot of young fellows never
existed than are our boys of today
From the standpoint of a practical me-
chanie of the oId-time apprentice school,
| have had both occasion and opportunity
to study from most every angle this
question Of why are there not more ap-
prentice boys? The fact is that this fault
is not with the boys, but can be charged
up to present day conditions. Young
men are slow to bind themselves for four
or five years in order to learn trades
when they must know that in all after
years they must compete with that class
commonly known as natural born me-
chanics" and more appropriately named
"buzzards" of the trades. These men
who know no rule for any kind OF work
other than their slam, bang, hit or miss
guess work and let her go plan reason
that the fellow he is/working for being
as ignorant about such things as he him.
self is, therefore, an easy mark. This
easy mark thinks more of saving money
than about the correctness of the job and
gladly pays the reduced price and is hap
py, but not ahppy as the story book says,
"ever afterward," for very soon this same
man with this same piece OF work now
all fallen apart, seeks the aid OF We
skilled one, often on account OF their
dearth not finding him. The end OF this
transaction is weeks delay on account Of
having to order the complete machine
from the factories north, when Just a
few licks and then only few minutes
work in skilled hands and the trick is
turned. These unskilled self-styled born
mechanics is your answer for the lack OF
skilled men, Such fellows, by reason OF
their cheapness, often take work that
would otherwise go to skilled hands and
cultivated brains.
maintain that most trades requiring
skill in their successful conduct should be
remunerative as most professions. It's
easy to make them so. Let US elevate
the standard for apprentice boys BY CIV
ing him ample protection against the
buzzards of the trade ne desires TO learn
and follow. Let us vote for no man as
member of lawmaking bodies who will
not promise to use his honest endeavOr
that laws may be made to protect these
points. That a board of competent ex-
aminers be created, whose duty it shall
be to sit in regularly stated sessions for
the purpose of examining all applicants
for the different trades and on each ap-
plicant's proven proficiency to grant said
applicant license to follow this his chosen
| calling; require of him for this license
| reasonable fee to be used part in pay
ment of examining board, the residue to
be divided between the two agricultural
colleges to be used by them in the better
ment of their mechanical instruction de-
partments. |, myself, as practical me-
| chanic, would be glad of the opportunity
to pay $1O0 per annum for such license,
/ Now get busy. See what your candi-
! dates for representative think Of this
plan. Let US boost and help the boys to
some good trade. All cannot be profes-
/ sional men, neither can all be clerks or
semi-soft job men-some must work,
/ Let them, first of all, be skilled farmers,
if not that then highly skilled mechanics
which requires healthy, strong bodies as
we'll as cultivated brains.
Respectfully,
P. Y. MILLER.