RELATIONS OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 597 



engineer also, it is a fine thing; 'but most men cannot because of 

 the time-limit to life. 



It would seem that the trouble with the teaching of mathematics 

 for engineers is that it goes too far and not deep enough. It is a 

 working knowledge of elements that the engineer needs. Why not 

 drill him till he can use the elements as he uses arithmetical pro- 

 cesses, and leave the advanced work to the pure mathematician? 



Shops. The object of a shop-course in a trade-school is to teach 

 handicraft to one whose life-work is to be in the shop. The object 

 of a shop-course in an engineering school is to give an understand- 

 ing of principles of machine construction to one who needs such 

 understanding to be a successful engineer. Obviously the method 

 should be different in the two cases. In the first case it is of great 

 importance for the student to chip and file an exercise-piece so 

 that it exactly fulfills the specifications; in the second case it is 

 of very little importance. 



A student cannot learn four trades working six or nine hours 

 a week for nine months during each of three years; but he can 

 learn in that time if properly taught much of machine con- 

 struction which will help to make him a better engineer. 



In the machine-shop all exercises that are for the training of 

 the hand alone should be dropped and the student should learn 

 the operation of every machine tool; he should be led to put each 

 to its maximum safe output, so that he may grasp something of 

 the meaning of economic production. He should be taught the 

 methods of producing duplicate parts in large numbers at low cost. 

 He should learn something of the shop organization and arrange- 

 ment for minimum cost for handling; he should learn something 

 of shop lighting and sanitation and its bearing on the cost of pro- 

 duct; he should learn something of the methods of reward by 

 which workmen are led to increase the shop output and their own 

 incomes; he should learn about accurate and simple cost account- 

 ing and its economic results. 



In the pattern-shop the making of ornamental vases and inlaid 

 boxes should be excluded and the student should learn the best 

 methods of pattern-making, and to distinguish between the allow- 

 able expense of a pattern made for one casting and a pattern made 

 for many castings; he should be shown all the short cuts that save 

 labor in the pattern-shop and the foundry. 



In the foundry art-casting should cease and the student should 

 learn the methods of green-sand, loam, and sweep-work, either by 

 the actual execution or by explanation with models; he should do 

 snap-flask work and should see moulding-machines operated; he 

 should learn economic methods of handling raw material and the 

 product in large foundries; he should know how to make charge 



