The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1951-03-01
History Of Apprentices
Dates Back To Bubylon

plumbers, and others who are
proud of their skills-still follow
this practice.
Apprentices have been part of
this country's industrial system al
most since the first settler landed.
One of the most famous was Ben
jamin Franklin who, in his Auto
biography, tells how he walked out
on an apprenticeship agreement
with an older brother because the
brother beat him and demanded
more of him than he did of other
workers in his print shop.
The agreement that Franklin or
any other lad in those days signed
would seem strange indeed today.
Franklin got "food, lodging, and
other necessities" during his nine
year term. Many of the agreements
provided for payment of some
small lump sum and suit of cloth
ing when the indenture period was
over. All the contracts seemed
more worried about the moral
health of the boys in training than
their physical wellbeing. One, for
example, reads q. he shall not
absent himself day or night from
his said masters service, without
his leave; nor haunt ale-hOuses,
taverns, or playhouses, but in all
things behave himself as faith
full apprentice ought to do"
Quite a contrast to conditions for
apprentices now who are paid from
$40 to $50 a week with graduated
wages every six months, 4O-hour
week and all the benefits that union
journeymen enjoy.
The construction industry has al
ways led the way in apprenticeship
training. As far back as 1882
Thomas Remington, of New Bed
ford, Mass, took Lyman Johnson
under his wing for five years to
teach him "the art, trade and mys-
terry of house carpenter i'll
said apprentice is capable to learn"
An early entrant on large-scale
apprenticeship training was the|
Pennsylvania Railroad. 1t was also
one of the first firms to pay al
graduated wage scale to appren-
tices. An indenture dating back toI
1865 prescribes so cents day dur
ing the first 620 days of training
in one of it's maintenance shops. |
This went to 60 cents a day duringI
the next $40 days and 80 cents dur
ing the final days. A bonus of 1924
was paid to those who completed
their training.
1t was not until the late years
of the last century, however, that
apprenticeship programs were setI
up which can be compared to those
Of today. Even then, parents had to
pay shop owners in many cases to
teach their sons the secrets of the
trade.
There were no laws coveringl
such training until 1915 when the
first organized system of appren-
ticeship training was enacted in
Under this law those in
training had to spend at least five
hours week in class rooms.
A national law was passed in
1887, popularity known as the Fitz-
gerald Act, Ito promote the fur
therance Of labor standards of ap-
premiership" 1t sought to bringl
and labor together on
lpprentieeships agreements and to
aid State apprenticeship programs
N effect.
Since that time almost $500 local
Joint apprenticeship committees
nave been established. As many as
10000 employers are taking part
n training men for 800 skilled oc-
.upations in 40 different trade
The training of new
blood for the old trades is rapidly
becoming a joint effort which is
guided by labor, the Government
md the employer. If the future of
'ur country is in the skilled hands
# its mechanics it will be safe.