Evening star., 1924-01-06
Citizen Federation Told by Scare.
ity and High Costs Of
Skilled Labor.
SCHOOLS ARE CRITICISED.
Excellent Wages Paid to Craftsmen
Explained.

manual training schools of the Dis
trict to see what can be done to turn
out young men proficient in the vari-
Gus trades.
This action was taken following a
recommendation by Snowden Ashford,
chairman of the committee on edu-
cation, in which he said that the
building trades are dying out for lack
of new blood and that the manual
training schools Of this city should
be conducted along the lines for
which they were originally intended
Ito teach the trades.
Mr. Ashford declared that when
Congress provided for the Mckinley
Manual Training School II intended
that its pupils should be taught the
trades. but In his opinion these
schools are getting away from this
original intention and are going in
more for technical training instead.
These schools have become to be
known as technical high schools, but
they are not such, and the term is a
perversion OF what Congress intend
ed" Mr.. Ashford contended. These
schools should adjust their courses so
as to graduate young men who are
proficient In some one of the various
trades. Their certificate of graduf,-
tion should be sufficient to give them
at once the attractive wage being
paid to workers in their trade.
Scarcity Of Artisans.
THE day of apprenticeship is pass
ed" Ashford went on to explain" ="
| "and because of this there rs a great
scarcity in skilled men, especially in
the building trades. AS result wages
being offered on top of them, all of
which has added greatly to the cost of
building operations. 1t costs more than
22o per cent more to build house in
Washington today than it did three or
| four years ago and as long as there is
no drop and rents will continue hign.
The trades now offer dignifed and
lucrative employment and 1t would be
far better for ALL concerned If more
| boys responded to this call rather than
TO clerkships and other small-paying
positions"
In support of these contentious Mr..
Ashford stated that stone masonS are
receiving from SIS to sl7 day. and
that there are not more than thirty
In the entire city: brfcklayers cam
not be hired for less than S12 and
then must receive a bonus to be kept
on the job. and plasterers get from
SIT to $40 a day, and that there are
not half enough OF these to answer
the building demands.
Mr.. Ashford then told how, in other
cities. schools corresponding 70 the
manuel training schools here actually
turn out skilled mechanics and ar
tisans. He deplored what he termed
the incomplete instruction in the To-
cal manual training schools. He said
the courses are probably all riglt as
far as they go, but that they do not
go far enough. The students are not
required to turn out finished pro-
duct-nothing Of any intrinsic value.
Voting in the District, suffrage and
! reimbursement for the citizens Of the
District entered into several of
the other discussions during this
meeting Of the federation. Two reso-
lutions. one from the Conduit Road
Citizens Association. asking for the
franchise such az is accorded Amer
lean citizens elsewhere In this coun-
try, and one from the Lincoln Park
Citizens Association asking that all
the privileges that go with statehood
trict. were referred to the committee
on law and legislation for a report
at the next meeting.
Action on Bond Issue.
The matter Of suffrage then was
injected into the debate on the report
of the committee on law and legisla-
ton regarding the proposed bond is
sue for the District. The report IA
vored the principles of bond issue
only upon the concurrence of each Of
the following conditions:
First-For permanent necessary i'm
provements without current revenues
at not greater than the present rates
OF taxation.
Second-That interest and principal
be required to be paid by the District
and United States in equal proper
tions.
Third-That there be a budget and
itemized accounting.
committee. offered an amendment pro-
viding for a vote on the part Of the
residents OF the city to determine
their wishes regarding the issue.
Following a lengthy discussion, most
ly centering around this amendment.
the meeting voted to resubmit the
matter to the committee on law and
legislation.
OPp0se Stamp Sales.
The. federation went on record as
opposing the soliciting of money for
charity or philantrophic and other
purposes and the sale of stamps for
money-raising purposes to children
attending the public schools.
The committee Of education was
Of the board Of education to ascertain
its views on the public Fairgrounds
situation in the District and to re-
port back at a future meeting Its
ideas for increasing and bettering
the playground facilities.
"A
Park Citizens Association. calling for
tho holding Of separate meetings on
tho part Of tho board Of education for
colored and white teachers was re-
ferred to the committee on education
for a report at the next meeting.
The meeting voted its approval OF q
bill providing for examination and
regulation Of architects entering
business in the District. This action
was brought to the attention OF the
federation by the Washington Chap
ter Of Architects and 1t followed an
explanation by Snowden Ashford of
the purposes OF the legislation.
Tells Of College.
Isaac Foster. of the faculty of
George Washington University. at the
invitation Of Charles A. Baker, presi-
dent OF the federation, addressed the
meeting on what the university is
aiming to accomplish in providing. an
educational institution In the Capital
that the greatest need at this time Is
for moro adequate buildings. He
stated that the institution should
have the whole-hearted support Of
the citizens in its efforts to realize
its hopes for the future.
Evan Tucker reported that VIII
liam J. Frizzell, one OF the pioneer
citizen association leaders Of the
District, Is Ill, and after lauding the
latter's many years OF labor In the
interests OF, civic betterment here,
the meeting adopted = resolution ex-
pressing its appreciation of what Mr..
hoping for his early recovery.
e .4