Evening star., 1924-07-12
Business Men to Back School
For instruction IN Trades
Planned to Increase Efficiency of Build.
ing Mechanics-Special Courses Pro
posed-Program Outlined.

Washing gton is to have a school
that will give an opportunity to
young men to learn. the various
building trades. that will increase the
efficiency of the building mechanics
and. it is hoped, in time place the
Washington members of the building
trades the foremost in the country,
If the efforts of local business men
are successful
This school, which has been drawn
up by the Cosmopolitan Club, an or
ganization of Washington business
men, has been favorably commented
upon by the Federation of Civic Clubs
of this city. According to the plans it
will be under the direction OF a board
upon which the educationa interests,
organized labor and builders will be
represented.
1t is not the purpose of the pro-
posed school to turn out large
quantity of mechanics, but rather to
turn out efficient and thoroughly
skilled craftsmen that will reflect in
Washington better opportunities for
the young men themselves, better
buildings in the National Capital and
better returns to the general public
on their invested money in construc-
ton by reason of more efficient work
manship.
Shortage of Mechanics Seen.
There is no school in the District
of Columbia, as in other cities, where
boys who are working at trade or
contemplate learning a trade may go
for additional training. 1t is pointed
out by those interested, both employ
ers as we'll as employees, that there is
a shortage of mechanics in general
and chronic absence of well train
ed craftsmen in the building trades.
Paul Brandstedt, president or the
Cosmopolitan Club and former presl-
dent of the National Sheet Metal
Workers Association, points out that
there has been general lack or IN
terest on the part Of employers .ln
seeing that their apprentices have
been properly taught their trades.
They have been given too many
chores not associated with learning
their business" declared Mr. Brand
stedt, who asserted, An employer
who undertakes to take an appren-
tice has d moral obligation to teach
him his trade, and if that emploYe
turns out to be young man lnein-
cient in his craft the responsibility
rests on him"
To start with, it is the proposed
plan to have seven classes of twenty
five students each. These classes
would be conducted at night, or two
nights a week ana one uay a Weeh, 50
that young men would be given an
opportunity to work as apprentices
at their trades and get their techni-
cal training in school as well.
Subjects to BE Taught.
The proposed subjects to be taught
are at present painting, sheet metal
work, plumbing, electrical work,
bricklaying, carpentering and plas-
tering.
Pittsburgh, New York, Chicago,
Minneapolis and other big cities are
conducting these schools. Experts of
the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States state that these schools
are materially helping in producing
efficient and well trained building
mechanics, which will result in the
unrivaled superiority of the Amer
lean builder. A turn for the better
in this regard also has been noted
by the chamber.
One other reason why the building
trades and other crafts have not been
drawing young men, it was pointed
out is the lack of opportunity pro-
vided to enable an artisan of these
trades to feel that his vocation at