Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-15
training course for technical work
WHAT SCHOOLS OFFER.

training course for technical work
WHAT SCHOOLS OFFER.
From statistics obtained, the bureau
found that high schools and trade schools
apparently still assume that girls are in
terested in domestic science. drcssmaklrg
and millinery. but not IN automobile me
ChanIcs, woodworking or blueprint read
ing While boys are encouraged 90 take
UP such trades, girls are either not ad-
mltted to the classes or # there Is no
ruling against their admission, no attempt
is made to interest them hv explaining
tho course and the opportunity ~ that
line Of work
OF 104 schools IN which women were en-
rolled in industrial training courses last
term, there were only three schools whore
women were taking automobile me-
chsnics and repair. In two schools women
had machine shop training, IN two they
were taught woodworking IN eight watch
making and lewClry trades; and III two
gove-Tnsklpg.
Most of the courses in which women
and girls were enrolled werc the tradition
al ones. Sixty-sIx schools taught the cloth
ing trades. IL millinery and / gave IN
structlon In branches OF the textile trade.
1t would be too much 10 expect that a
large number Of girls should camor for
courses IN, saw. automobile mechanics,
Il they merely knew that thcy would
not Toe excluded if they should apply.
When the trade schools wcrc new. boys
had to be Interested in them. The " oman
bureau maintains that a large proper
tlOn of girls could be interested IN indus
trial training.
The old contention that girl looks
upon a Job merely as a dull Interlude
between school and husband Is failing
There are thousands OF women IN factories
who have dependents at home and there
are other thousand swho add their earn
lngs those of their husbands II Is be-
lleved-thOugh there are no figures avail
able-that II Is more common for glrl
workers TO turn in all Of their wages 10
their families than for their brothers TO
do so. Most of these women are eager for
advancement and take a real interest
IN the work they do.
WHERE WOMEN ExCEL
Women have made good in work re-
Quirlng attention 10 FINE detail, IN inspect
ing products, In assembling and finish
ing furniture, and grinding and polishing
ptical lenses. They are not, as class.
very desirable in foundrIes and rolling
mills where heavy weights are to be lifted
and smoke and heat are intense, though
they have been used satisfactorily at
work requiring weights to be lifted when
pullevs or some other mechanical appara-
tus bears the strain.
From It's observations of women in
factories and shops, the bureau concludes
that abilities vary not SO much by sex
as by the individual, and that therefore
It Is difficult TO say exactly where a wO-
man limitations IN industry are to be
fixed. A few women are Interested IN black
snithiDg. A much larger number want
10 be automobile mechanics. Few women
have the physical strength TO pound on
an anvil and many lack the necessary
qualifications to become expert mechanics.
But some women have an inclination for
these trades, which is not more unnatural,
/ the bureau believes, than for man TO be
q tailor or a stenographeT.
/ The Department OF Labor has no idea
of advocating that women should rot
! fiji themselves for the clothing or millinery
/ trades if their bent lies that way. But
1 Miss Mary Anderson, chief of the Woman S
/ Bureau. saws that these industries are
4 overcrowded, and that the government
/ should see to it that girls and women are
! given the same opportunities for training
4 In other vocations as men and boys re-
I ceive, especially as skilled girl workers
are in demand in some Of the manu-
/ factoring states.
4 The Woman's Bureau has no authority
/ to fix policies for schools of the country
to provide an equal chance for all pupils
] to learn q vocation 1t can only set forth
! the facts In its report it brings out the
/ point that the act under which the FEEDER
| al Board for Vocational Education func-
/ tions, provides that the board may finan-
/ cially assist state schools. This provision
4 is now being almost entirely used to hSp
! train boys for occupations, whereas, Miss
(! Anderson claims girls are equally en-
4 4;4IoJ =, 4I,a Iar,6+c nf tho q ~