Evening star., 1937-05-07
Poor Tools
Harmful
To Child
There Is a Cheapness
That Is Too Costly
in Everything.
BY ANGELO PATRI.


TONY was making a box for his
wagon. He was trying to nail
it together and making poor Job
of it. His hammer landed anywhere
but on the head Of the nail. With
a muttered impatience he let go the
handle and grasped the hammer head
by the claws and beat the nails home.
That's funny way to hammer
nails, Tony"
isn't it? But this hammer is
no good. You can't hit a nail with
it,"
That's right" said the teacher.
"It is badly balanced. 1t should
carry downward on its own weight,
but it doesn't. Try another one,
Tony"
Poor tools are expensive things
They teach children the wrong idea.
Tony's hammer gave him the wrong
feeling in his hand and ann. Unless
he gets good hammer at once and
this feeling that has been registered
in his muscular memory regarding
hammers is corrected speedily, he
will use a hammer the wrong way
Even when he gets good one he
will use it badly because he has been
trained wrong.
1t is customary TO buy the cheapest
| possible materials for school children s
| use. That is necessary in one way.
Public money for schools Is scarce and
| must be made to go as far as pos
sible. But there is a grade of cheap
ness that spells expense, and it has
| been reached when we buy paper that
tears under the pencil, blots under
the pen, blisters under color wash.
1t has been passed when We get chalk
| that cuts the blackboards and fails to
make clear marks.
Aside from the fact that little
| service can be had out Of such tools
| there is the more important fact that
children get wrong impressions by
using poor materials. Please give
me a paper Of needless" said child
to the millinery teacher in big trade
| school.
"A whole package?"
| Yes. Some won't have points.
some will break, some will have eyes
that cut threads, SO need e whole
| package to start with so as to save
time coming after them"
| You won't find these needles like
that. They are good ones. One OF
them ought to last you for six weeks
or more"
"A needle? For six weeks?
never had such a needle. Where
came from We had to bring our owr
| needles from home If we wanted gooc
ones. My that's fine to have a gooc
needle"
You don't need to push on thai
saw, SON. Just shove it along gently
and it will do the cutting Don't put
your weight on it like that. Here
lightly, just enough pressure to lei
the teeth CATCH
Il can't saw that way. I have tt
push the saw or it won't cut for me.
The boy had been used to handling {
poor saw, one that had not been Sc
right, or that could not be set right
He had learned to saw the wronl
way, and it would take a lot Of doint
to teach him the right way now.
Buying books for children is an
other investment that calls for care
Don't buy the books that have poo
paper, poor type, narrow margins
Such books strain the eyes and form
bad reading habits. The eye habit
that a child learns while reading ar
what make reading easy for him or {
strain on him. Buy books that hav'
good paper, not shiny. See that th'
type is clear and is large enough. l
you buy one with the name Of goot
publishing house on it you are yer.
likely to get the right kind. There i
cheapness that Is too costly.