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Show GOOD Y. M. C. A. WORK FOR AMBITIOUS BOYS George B. Hodge Points Out the Great Importance of Giving Young Men a Chance. Georgo B. Hodge, the educational specialist spe-cialist of tho- Y. M. C. A. of North America, Amer-ica, spoko most enthusiastically of tho improvement of tho city since his visit hero eight years ago, and also ot tho future fu-ture which ho believes awaits It, Asked as to tho educational work to which ho Is giving his life as a specialist Mr. Hodge said: "The educational field may seem to bo well covered. Our magnlllccnt system of public schools, high schools and universities univer-sities aro a source of national pride, and well they may bo, and yet. with all wo havo accomplished, somo things of very great Importance remain to be dono beforo all of our young mon chd boys can bo said to have had an 'oducatlonal chance.' It Is seen that only 3',: por cent of the boys and young men personally enjoy any educational opportunities abovo tho grammar gram-mar grades that Is, Including all our high schools, colleges, professional schools, universities, uni-versities, etc. Tho average length of school llfo of tho 97 per cent of our boyB and young men In tho United States Is only ubout four years, and that, too, beforo tho boys aro 12 years ot ago, or beforo their years of discretion, and the training then recolved Is all too often given by inexperienced in-experienced and unlnterosted Instructors." Mr. Ilodgo also belloves tho educational work of tho Y. M. C. A, Js of very great Importance to tho busmoas and commercial commer-cial lntorosts of the city, and cited In Justification Jus-tification of his view a largo amount of money which Is being paid out annually by many corporations In order that tholr men mav havo tho opportunities afforded by these" schools and tho other phasos of association work. He 6ald; "It is a most significant fact that In the recent temporary depression two largo employers of labor In cutting down their forces of employees, announced to their foremen that no younar mon who wero attending Y. IL C. A. night school should bo lot go, giving as a reason that tho Industrious young men who were thus lncmaalng tholr earning capacity wero too valuable to bo spared." Mr. Hodgo loft yesterday afternoon for Colorado Springs, whero ho will hold an iiiBtltuto and publlo meeting this afternoon and evening, spending Saturday In Denver. Ho has visited fourteen Western associations associa-tions and reports splendid progress In I1I3 department. Ho was joined In this city by Mrs. Hodge, who hod remained with friends in Los Angeles whllo he mado tho trip through tho Pacific Northwest. |