Imperial Valley press., 1928-07-14
HENRY FORD TRADE SCHOOL IS
ACHIEVING OBJECT OF FOUNDER

! week and are at all times under the
jurisdiction of the school.
Boys under 16 receive their
mechanical training in the school
shop which is separate from the
Ford Motor Company and covers
three acres of floor space. On one
floor is a series of rooms totaling
a length of 1,400 feet with an aver
age width of 20 feet. In this shop
are hundreds of the finest machines
of many types. The total equip
mcnt is valued at over a million
dollars. In the school shops there are
many departments, and the boys
are moved from one department to
another rs fast as they have com
plctcd the requirement. An ac-
curate record is kept, not merely
of the de0artment in which boy
has worked, but also of the various
operations he has performed IN
each department..
All Work Real
\ new boy is always placed on
simple operations and is kept on
this work until he becomes in a
measure accustomed to machinery.
He is then transferred to work on
shapcr, lathe, milling machine,
grinder and bench. In the shop each
lob is done on a work order. An
expert estimates how many hours
it would take a skilled mechanic to
c0apletc the work. An accurate
record is kept and boys and instruc-
tors try to come within the estl-
mate Over a period of years the
per cent of excess time required
has varied greatly, rising to 60%o
and sinking to 1870. The average
is about 25To more than the time
reauircd by skilled men.
The spoilage averages per cent,
which is little more than that of the
average tool room. No work is done
merely for practice, Everything the
bovs make is to be used unless spoil
ed. Even in the class, wherever II
is possible, practical work is done
by the boys. Instruction in Mcchan-
ical drawing is given during the en-
tire course and many of the older
hovs. under the guidance of instruc
tors. do development work for the
Ford Motor company for which the
school receives credit.
The average annual value of ma
terial produced by each boy is ap-
proximatcly $1,000. This is suffi
cient to pay the students scholar
ships. salaries to instructors, and
all the upkeep of the equipment. 1t
does not paw any interest on the in
vcstment in buildings and equip
ment.
In all this training the school
holds the following ideals before the
bovs in the shop and, as far as pos
sibIe. in the class room: Cleanliness
and safety come first, then accur
acy. Slow accuracy is no longer
valuable, therefore speed is the
fourth ideal. Fifth is originality, the
ability to develop better methods
and better work If student is
satisfied with what his instructor
can show him he can never know
the Joy of producing something bet
ter, or something in a better way.
The board of education for the
state and city approve the work of
the school.
Many boys long to produce, to do
something in their estimation worth
while, and this institution offers to
them that opportunity without stop
ping their education.
At eighteen the boy enters the
senior course. He works in the shop
eight hours each day and attends
class work in advanced drawing and
mathematics four hours each week.
At 20 or before he is offered a posi-
tion in some department of the Ford
Motor company.
Graduates of the school today are
holding important positions in the