Evening star., 1937-09-22
Cheap Tools
May Prove
Harmful
Anything of Poor
Quality Means
Loss of Time.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

A WORKMAN needs the best tools.
The finer the workman, the
greater his need for fine tools. The
poor worker. being in need of all the
help he can get. must have good
tools. We all know this is true, but We
come across children trying to do q
good job with very poor tools. not be-
cause the children selected them. or
wanted them, but because some grown
up was thoughtless and bought them
for his use.
Boys are given tool boxes. "a very
nice SET" says the salesman, and they
do look we'll, shining there in the
neatly arranged chest. III take
them," says the kindly relative, and
brother gets the useless tool chest.
The head comes of the hammer: the
chisel has no edge: the saw is without
set Or hang. The owner tries them out
and stops in disgust His notion of
tools is something to do without"
There are fine tools on the market.
They are well made, of good steel
They will do the work required of
them. They are plainly marked with
their brands so that he who runs may
read and not be deceived. Just a
moments time would make all the
difference in the selection. Pick the
tools that go into the boys collection
and don't take anything offered be-
cause it looks nice in the box. 1t is
y,nr fn CT N, te To I,<a,
to give good service.
School material ought to be service
able. Paper that blots. or has thin
spots or holes is sheer waste of pupils
and teachers time. 1t is too bad to
make teachers and children worry
about the appearance of papers when
the quality of the paper makes good
work impossible. have seen children
trying to write with pen and ink on
paper that could be used only for
pencil work. Why not use the pencil?
EraSing pencil marks is easier than
erasing pen marks, but the children
will scratch the pen marks and not
blot them, SO what is gained? Use the
material as it can be used and avoid
ffetting about it.
Buy toys of good quality. The cheap
one is not going to last. If it is just for
the moment, like a balloon or a noise
maker, we'll and good, for the sooner it
goes the better. If it is book. a wheel,
typewriter, set Of drawing tools,
get them right Or don't get them at all.
rThnrc iS fa to- xF
a machine that fails or in book whose
type is blurred and whose binding
cracks the first time it is opened. Buy
quality and you will have to buy less,
and what you do buy will go further.
The cheap paper goes into the basket
in bales. The cheap machines lie in
the dusty closet until q housecleaning
throws them out.
The worst Of 1t all is the discourage
ment of the children and the mis-
taken ideas that disbursement gives
children. They "don't like math" be-
cause the trouble they have with books,
paper. ink and pencils kills interest in
the matter. They cant do" typing
because their machine stuck every
other word. They hate wood working
because there was no edge on their
tools and no swing to their hammers.
This means loss in home work school
work, community work wherever
cheapness is placed above quality Buy
less but buy it better and the children
will do more and do it better Even
the smallest country school will flnd
that true, and it is they who need
most to prove 1t.
Mr.. Patri will give personal atten-
ton to inquiries from parents and
school teachers on the care and de- |
velopment Of children. Write him in
care Of this paper, enclosing Scent |
stamped. self-addressed envelope for |
reply.