Evening star., 1923-01-17
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
by PAUL Y. COLLINS.

One OF the most recent important |
developments in public schools Is the
vocational school system, encouraged
by the federal law passed in 1917.
Under this act, the government gives
half the expense, If the state adds the
other half and complies with the con-
ditions approved by federal standards,
as set up under the supervision of Mr:
J. c. Wright. director of the Federal
Board for Vocational Education.
The. usefulness and popularity OF
the system is attested to by the fact
that, within the four years it has
been in operation, all states have CO.
operated, and vocational schools now
exist in them all. The attendance has
grown to 475,82S But the field is |
only touched at its outer rim. OF the
$4,000 900 children of school age, only
II 100000 attend regular school, !eaY- |
Ing 12,0O0,00 who are in the trades or
on farms, with imperfect schooling.
1t is this 100000 who are to he
helped by the vocational schools, and
there are 11,524 900 who are not Yet
reached
In addition to the children outside
of the schools who need vocational
education, there are millions who con
tinue to attend the regular schools
who need and are receiving more or
less training in that direction, to-
gether with their scholastic educa-
tion. 1t is regretted that in the capt.
tai there are many, many thousands
of children who are not getting even
full school advantages. aside from
vocational extras, because Congress
has been unappreciative of the woe
full lack of accommodations. and the
buildings have to be given double
shifts Of half-time pupils. 10 spread
the facilities over the whole mass Of
L n 41,s fIg4II
for so useful a fad" as vocational
training in the useful arts and trades.
Il is not intended by even the most
enthusiastic advocates of vocational
training that it shall supersede the
regular course of the grade schools.
but that il will supplement the grade
studies, especially for the Struggling
poor who are obliged TO quit school
at an early age to begin the life
fight for livelihood IT Is Intended
to make the vocational training
schools available to adults. in even
ing courses, in their respective
trades This will aid those who have
been handicapped in their trades by
the waning of apprenticeship sys-
tens; in fact. the schools VIII give
better technical training in the
trades than any apprenticeship gave.
< x x
There is one phase of vocational
training which does not enter into
the scheme Of the federal board and
that is the training ostensibly given
to veterans of the world war VINO
have become incapacitated by reason
Of wounds or sickness due to service
origin for following the trades which
had given their livelihood prior 10
the war.
I. Until very recently. this means OF
rehabilitating veterans has been
overliberal-or rather loosen us
admiuistrat ton. The veteran who
was rated for vocational training
was permitted to- choose what trade
he preferred and was either appren-
ticed. without wages, to some Shop
operating that trade, and paid SlpO
month by the government while he
was acquiring the technique, or was
sent to some technical school under
the same terms. This liberality has
been abused, according to Director
Forbes, but now, in reaction from
that nverliberal treatment, veterans
are offered only siX-month courses in
trades or professions and then turned
loose to find employment only su-
perficially prepared Where the au-
thority for such drastic curtallinC
of rehabilitating vocational training
comes from is hard to see. for there
has been no amendment of the law.
= x X y
Will radio wonders ever cease?
Washington scientist, c. Francis Jen-
kins, has invented a successful meth
Cd of sending pictures by radio Por-
traits can be transferred through the
ether to any distance that the radio
reaches (the record for even amateur
messages is $500 miles9, so that with
in six minutes the portrait may be re-
produced by the listen-in station
This new method received rigid test
within the last week, in the presence
of Army and naval officers. stationed
at both ends--the point of transmits
sion and the receiving station, miles
apart. The results achieved in six
minutes, was marvellous. The in
ventor promises to perfect his ap-
paratus so that the transmission may
be accomplished in one-siXteenth of a
second-which is the time required in
motion pictures. Hence, within a few
months we shall be able TO See" as
well as hear, events occurring thou
sands of miles away.
1t is claimed by the inventor that
il will be possible to transmit maps
as we'll as code messages secretly, so
that no person, other than the one in
tended, can pick the information out
of the air. The value of such means
of information in case of battle or
of great military or naval maneuvers
can be appreciated only by military
experts. The uncanniness of it is all
that a layman can comprehend. It
outrivals the very supernatural of the
widest fiction
x x x x
Another Washington scientist at
the bureau Of standards has put to
practical use a tiny electric current.
whose very existence was unknown
TO ultra scientists until a few years
ago. 1t is now known that if two
different kinds of metal are placed