Show wily WHY IY MECHANICS i ECI ARE HE LP L TRAINED Chicago o Chronicle About tho the only men who learn lean learna leana a trade trado nowadays 10 arc those who tho go to tho time penitentiary Is the conclusion of or a n contemporary which complains of Incompetent mechanics mechanics There here is s a n good deal del o of truth in tho the assertion j It I may be I said ald however that lint men men or or rather boys noys OS O'S would would learn trades if they hey had the chance It I Is no not disinclination to acquire a n handicraft but lack of or opportunity to lo do so 80 that has hns filled the country with wih men who call themselves mechanics but who are arc not mechanics but botches The trades union po policy I C of oC keeping the tho number of or apprentices down to a ridiculously small figure Is responsible for the situation This policy has resulted to a n certain extent in bullIng bulling bulIng bull bul Ing the labor Jabor market It I has rendered good mechanics scarce yet et it has ultimately operated to lower the Iho mechanical mechanical mechanical me me- standard and ald to fill tm the unions with wih train half ed workmen Tho Time process is Js simple A bo boy who Is denied tho the right to learn a trade under regular apprenticeship will wi tm try tT 3 to pick it up and ho hos will wf s ill eventual eventually know enough of or It to Justify him in calling himself a mechanic and seeking employment nent as such He thus becomes a menace to lo the tho union mechanics because he ho Is J likely el to lo work worle for fO less les than hail tho union scale sele Time The union therefore tales takes him In Titus Thus a poor workman receives union wages but hut others arc aro encouraged aged to lo pick iii up trades Instead of or learning them and he time union degenerates into an aggregation of incompetents in- in coni PC tents In tIme the end enl of or course coure this system Is certain to recoil upon itself There will wJ come a n time when timen people will wf ill prefer to hire litre half-competent half mechanics outside the tho unions rather than employ equally untrained mechanics In n th the unions unions Even if it wages are arc the same ame the Iho or of f dealing with ith wih the unions will wi drive employers ers to hire mm o ii u a I 0 fl Is ts When hen the unions encourage apprenticeships Instead of or discouraging them the Iho tt standard of workmanship will willbe wi be le raised and the unions themselves will wi be he strengthened |