8 12 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Almost another third of the boys find their career in technical 

 work, made possible in large measure by the school training. 

 They do not always get on very well with the "practical" men of 

 the shops. A common criticism is that the boys know too much. 

 But this is a criticism which may be interpreted in two ways. At 

 any rate, they have a habit of coming out on top with a speed 

 which indicates that any over-confidence at the start is soon cured. 

 Our own graduates are still quite young, but the records of the 

 Central School and of other training schools throughout the 

 country show a goodly number of manual boys in positions of 

 large responsibility, as teachers, fellows, inspectors, foremen, 

 head draughtsmen, managers, and in other posts not awarded the 

 incompetent. 



The remaining third are distributed among a number of call- 

 ings. It is a matter of regret to me that so many should have 

 been willing to accept mercantile positions. In a number of cases, 

 however, they are held only temporarily until something better 

 can be found. With so many interesting possibilities in the 

 world, it seems, to say the least, a very commonplace disposal of 

 one's self to go into any trading operation. The influence of a 

 manual-training school is decidedly against this sort of thing. I 

 think I may say that it is somewhat aristocratic in its tendencies. 

 It proposes that a man shall gain his living by some useful per- 

 formance rather than by clever manipulation of stocks and mar- 

 kets. The tendency of manual training is distinctly away from 

 commercial enterprises of a speculative character. 



Of last year's class of fifty-nine boys but two are without regu- 

 lar occupation at the present time. This year's class has been less 

 fortunate, for the depression in all manufacturing activities has 

 made it more difficult to secure satisfactory posts. 



On the whole, the record is gratifying. It shows that the 

 training has somewhat of that catholic character which has been 

 claimed for it by its advocates. If any judgment may be founded 

 upon the destiny of this particular group of boys, it is clear that 

 the training does lead to a variety of vocations rather than to one 

 particular set. This seems to me a great advantage. The boys 

 in a high school are much too young to elect their future. The 

 training should be of such a general character as to present life 

 in its entirety, and to open the doors of destiny in all desirable 

 directions. 



And now one word in conclusion as to what I personally 

 would like to have manual training lead to, for in such a matter 

 I may not so far involve my colleagues in the movement as to 

 use the plural pronoun and say " we." There is discernible some 

 tendency to give the movement a socialistic turn, and to urge 

 manual training on the ground that society needs for its many 



