Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-11-28
Old Style Plans Prove Best.

fathers had some funny ideas Of
now things should be run in this
country but after our modern
scientists, politicians and states
men have uncorked few thousand
new fandangoes on this and that
subject, especially those which re-
late to our commercial and manu-
featuring world, they eventually
get back to the basic principles
which were in vogue when this
country was still young and find
out that after all these fore
fathers weren't the old fogies we
give them credit for being. saws
the Tomahawk Leader in an edi-
torlal last week.
Among the latest converts to
this fact is the Wisconsin State
industrial Commission. They have
witnessed with some alarm since
It's inception that there was some
thing missing between employer
and employee that was vitality i'm
portant. There was a cog missing
IN the train of manufacturing,
which was seriously impairing the
smooth working of the whole ma
chine. Just lately they have dis
covered the trouble and it is an
age old i'll which was discarded
some years back as being anti
quated. They now find that the
old system had its merits after
all and with few modern touches
are putting it back into use.
This all important missing cog
was none other than the incompe-
tency of the employee at the skill
led trades. Master tradesmen were
scarce. In their place we find
specialists. More often we find So
called tradesman or craftsmen
with only smattering knowledge
OF their calling. Tracing it back
the commission found that the
Workmen had never received basic
fundamental instruction in their
chosen work. Perhaps some of
this was due to the fact that man
ufacturing has increased by leaps
and bounds through the past Is
years and in the rush to keep up
with production, men were made
use OF as so many machines, each
man to his own little job at which
he tolls year in and out.
Now our state Industrial Com
mission offers the opportunity for
the young man to apprentice him
self out to an employer for term
of years, during which time he
must diligently apply himself to
the mastering of all branches OF
his trade and for which he receives
in return a stipulated fee, gener-
ally on a graduated basis through
the term of his apprenticeship. Al
the close of this period he can steT
into the world with the knowledge
that he is more than a mere ma
chine capable of doing one thing
He had the ability to step into
any job in his branch of work anC
earn his employer money and him
self more than machine wages. He
is able to take charge of a fore
mans job because he knows the
why an wherefore of his craft. L
is a we'll known fact in manufac
turing circles that such employ
ers are always in demand they
are not limited to the one daily
task which they have been allot
ed in the great factory or build
ing trade.
By reviving this old system
which is binding on the employer
apprentice and his parent for {
term of years, the commission
has made a step forward which
works for the good Of both EN-
ployee and employer. Give u:
more we'll trained artisans anC
you will find less unemployment
less discomfort, more owned home.
by the working class and bigger
wages.
That the plan is working evi
denced by the fact that over 1906
young men in Wisconsin have
been bound out under this new
apprenticeship law during the
past year.