Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-25


IS highly literate man. loNer, of
literature and music. a deacon III Tue
church. an upright leader IN civic
affairs and an honest. aspiring Eenttc'
man doesn't have much 10 do with
whether he is 4 good or q bad car
penter. For ali his good QUALITIES ne
may not be able To saw a h"ard
straight across.
His neXi-tioor uCi2hhor. on the cther
hand, may lay drunk III III" W"odSheu
all day Sunday. beat his wife. Jorge
checks and refuse 10 pay hls taxes
hut at the same time saw along
line with uncannY accuracy anu n"he
an absolutely true Joint.
What Each Accompiishes.
Both men earn their livings as car
peuters. The first citizen Is often our
If Job, gets poor pay, and is able TO
maintain his home only by the Stilct-
est economy.
The second always can find work at
good pay when he wants II and never
is without cash for his hootleEger.
Employers are waiting for hin al inc
door of the Jail whenever he Is let out.
When he happens TO be in generous
mood his wife can buy good clothes
and his children have plenty OF spenu-
ing money,
The reason is. Of course, thar q
building contractor hires carpenter
TO saw boards and not to he q gooo
influence in society. He pays wages
for building churches. not for teach
ing Sabbath school classes IN them
after they are built.
One of these men has learned how
10 earn a living.
The other has learned now 10 i've.
The education of each has been de-
ficient In each case only one OF the
TWO fundamental detectives has been
attained. The schooling Of these TWO
men has been a muddled mess
No Clear-Cut Program.
In the case of the first man there
was no clear-cut realization on the
part Of the school system when edu-
Gated him that he was to earn MS nv
ing as a carpenter and that ms sue
cess depended on the skill with whlch
he could do certain definite. mechan-
ical things-Such as saving boards
and driving nails.
In the case of the second man there
was a cIear-ciit realization In the edu-
cationai system which turned him out
trade school. apprenticeship or what
ever it. was-of just what he must DO
40 earn a living. Unfortunately i,
was interested only in producing the
carpenter. not the man.
Both systems blundered, more or
less. Is there some way TO untangie
the two fundamental ohJectiVes so
that education will be something less
of a laundering process? An answer
10 this question is the object of joint
research being conducted by the
American Council on Education and
the educa tional committee or the
United States Chamber OF Commerce.
The problem is attended by many
combinations. because IL strikes az
he roots Of most educational systems:
she somewhat homogeneous product OF
silence and tradition.
Fortune Telling Inadequate.
The two men, of course. need not
he rarpenters. They may be adVer-
Using statesmen, bank clerks, land
scapss painters, blacksmiths or bar
hers. such examples not lnfrequent-
Nv are met with in every Walk OF NE
one great difficulty in arriving az
satisfactory solution Is that fortune
rel,ing is such a woefuny Impossible
hing.
John Johnson attends the public
schools until he is IS. Then he leaves
and goes to work as an auto mechan NC
md continues In this vocation Tor the
,,ssx& 20 years Of his life. AT The uine
he Quits school he has been learning
things for approximately ~ year
how TO read. write. spell. ngure' etr.
These all are quite essential things 10
..F,cw as regards his status as citi-
,en ~ his own community and OF the
american Republic. But they are MOI
.v1ffas bx the exercise Of which Jonn
g,,hnsor can earn q living. There -
ar, gonger any employ ment for readers.
.syrafets and spoilers, purely aS such.
.rlYese we're good trades Tor lew
.,..r,prfes after the fall Of the Roman
..,autre and yielded d good return 10
.,nrnDetent Journey better.
=, faf,1 than that which came 70 car
enters and stone nlasohs But me
s,l,caf5ous have not ionrished for the
saet 10 centuries.
Aoa 0ue Of the highly essential
,tlugs John Johnson has learned Is Of
-, .,..r~,icular value - him as an auto
.,.Sefanic. on the other han0, he may
= grossly ll.iierate but stiil he able TO
.tgt1tef7 bolts and scr8pe carbon more
..ss,rieutiy and effectively than Henry
.FCyd or the director 81 the Bureau Oh
1,au6arAS But he acquired noth'ug
- tt,ie ability in schooi--eXcept III me
f'srd school ~ experience. 30 Tar
- ability 10 e5rn d lElng-~to do "a
.sargrnsnIike 3Gt,--as al auto me-
,.Iar,se in concerned i,lA schooling haf
seft i}lrn helples$
leaving School Equipped.
.pa.s--fortune telling being IL sdEh
A.. yoefui ondhl~t4-~~i1oiDo} c"DIH
mage known whether John johnson
l.ao,ld carr iils iiying in after years
an auto mechanic. bflck!ayFr a.
., eolieye professor, u it could hast
..aen known definitely that has ME
.sctk gsA 10 be that % 3n auto me
ma r,tc soc3etY might haye 70 ordered
III education thst be would have left
.rhel,| well equipped ~ fepalr auto
,,lIi,tles. bus nptody kne" ~ ieahf ~
Id gohn johnson himself
f.xeu if 1hey h81 kuo~u. tins results
..,.- doubtful. piDtasbls none u 10"
,@sn ana yanen ."ho taught j"t'
t,.s3n.9t eoUid ~ into an "ai"til"i iIr
.'..,,s.lf si,Dp abd riuaiiy earn !ltihe
gE.e wofE TheY themselves h''"
<lss.,,l sasschefs ~ fioa'- 49, not me
'1.af.scs. Tbsy might haFe taught