The Cordova daily times., 1919-02-25
.MACHINESHOPS TO BE LOANED
 TO SCHOOLS

New York has introduced a bill under which high schools and other educa- tional institutions in the United States may be equipped with first-class ma chine shop for industrial training.
 The machines with which to equip these schools are now in the posses sion of the war department, and MT. Caldwell proposes that "the secretary of war shall lend them to trade and technical schools, universities and other recognized educational institu- tions, which, in the discretion of the secretary of war, should have such equipment"
 The government is protected 1t being provided that leach institution so equipped shall be responsible to the United States of America, under regulations to be prescribed by the secretary of war for the proper care of the safe return of such equipment when demanded, ordinary wear and tear excepted"
 There is estimated to be between $2OO,OO0,O0O to $3OO, 100000 worth of government-owned machine tools, bought on account of the, war, of which amount perhaps one-third may be absorbed by existing arsenals. The remainder, according to the terms of the appropriation bill under which they were bought, must be sold to bring the greatest possible returns to the government.
 There is no ready market for these tools at the present time, machine shops throughout the country being overstocked on account of their ex- pansion during the war Therefore, the sale of these tools, unless made at a considerable loss, will be strung over number of years, which will have the effect of demoralizing the machine-building industry and lower ing wages in that field. This will also entail the storage of these tools at the government expense, and storage charges on this class of machinery approximates 20 cents per square foot per annum.
 One of the leading legislators has said of this proposal: "The govern ment can we'll afford to give this ma chinery outright to schools that will put 1t in good use as 1t then would go back to the use of the people who have paid for it in the first place.
 This plan would appeal with par ticular strength to labor organizations as it will put each of their members in the mechanical trade in position to better his equipment for competi- ton in the labor malket, and at the same time puts to the best practical use equipment which he and his fel- low machinists have already pro- duced, and which if it is not used for this purpose will reduce the employ naent in these lines for several years to come.
 w. P. Graham, dean of the L. c. Smith College of Applied Science of Syracuse University, says of this plan: q am sure that nothing better could be done with much of the ma chine tool equipment which is no longer needed for either war or peace than to place it in the schools. The return to the country at large in the way of men trained for industry would net by any means be negligible"
 There is a precedent in this pro posal in that the war department has been for many years empowered to lend military equipment to national guard organizations and other bodies for military training purposes This material can, of course, all be recalled in case 1t is needed in the event of another war; Before munitions can be made, however, the United States must have the machines with which to make them and this proposal gives 2 means not only to educate all who desire to become mechanics in the public schools of America but also provides storage on this material at no cost to the government, and in- sures it's availability when needed.