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Show Indus?' 2al Education. The ..allowing communication makes clear a' very disturbing situation. It seems to us that It will have to be overcome by having the States organize the needed schools and offer scholarships to tho most worthy students in the different counties. There is complaint that the quality of the work of American mechanics is deteriorating now, when, because of tho world's competition, it should bo at its best. If we would keep up our trade, especially our export trade, this must be remedied. The communication is as follows: Editor Goodwin's Weekly: I read with much Interest in your paper of June 29th your thoughtful editorial on "Industrial Education." That paragraph in which you emphasized em-phasized the need of increasing our industrial schools, a need that must bo apparent to anyone who has given thought to he subject, interested me especially because I had in mind what promises prom-ises to be a formidable obstacle in tho shape of opposition by labor unions to carrying out that idea. A notable instance was supplied at Fitch-burg, Fitch-burg, Mass., recently. The facts in that case have been widely printed and formed the subject for editorial comment in many parts of tho country. Not to go too far from home, the points In the case were brought out by the Ogden Journal of Juno 22, which took the view of many other newspapers of the country. An effort was made to establish an evening plumbing school at Fitchburg, and tho fate of the movement is told as follows: "The projectors, with the best of intentions, started out to organize this school and called upon a young man, who was a journeyman plumber, a master plumber who was an advocate of open shops and an outside man, who was a union sympathizer, to act on an advisory committee commit-tee in the proposed school. The men promoting the school wholly acceded to union sentiments in the city and started out by limiting its classes to those already engaged in the trade. It thus practically prac-tically put things into the hands of the union. The school advertised two courses, one for apprentices appren-tices and one for the journeymen. Good equipment equip-ment and competent Instruction were guaranteed. "Twenty young men, apprentices and journeymen, journey-men, desired to enter the school. All the plans were made for enrolling them and beginning work when it was suddenly discovered that there was a very strong sentiment against tho school in the city on the part of all organized labor. The jour-neymon jour-neymon plumbers did not want the apprentices to go to the schbol and learn tho plumbing trade, and intimidated them against the school. The journeymen themselves wore not allowed to go by orders of the officers of the union. It all ere-ated ere-ated such a tumult that the promoters backed down. "It is supposed to be a fact that the trade unions oppose opening trade schools to young men who do not know anything about tho trades, but this is tho first case that wo have over hoard jjH of where a school failed to receivo support when sfl it definitely outlined its purpose to take in only those who wore already in the trades. In this case tho promoters bowed down to labor organlza- No sensible man will question that the trade union has become a strong factor in our national industrial life, and it must be conceded that its attitude as manifested here suggests potent oppo-sitlon oppo-sitlon to tho plan you suggest. It strikes me that before tho industrial school can come it may be found necessary to impart education along an-other an-other line to tho working man; to endeavor to broaden his view and to separate him from tho . idea ho now appears to have that his interests ' demand a low standard, of craftsmanship and a ''Jm restriction of field. Wo must seek to romove him from tho influence of those who endeavor to make him narrow and who teach him to view with sus- H plcion everything that does not originate within B his labor union. I cannot see how we are to In-crease In-crease our Industrial schools unless we overcome the active opposition of those whom they are de- h signed to benefit. m. W. |