VI NOTES BY THE EDITOR. 



gether, by the adoption of which it is believed the greater part of 

 the difficulties between labor and production would vanish. 



The "Scientific American" truly says : " The abolishment of 

 the system of apprenticeship in this country, and the introduc- 

 tion of planers, engine lathes, and other labor-saving machines 

 into the machine-shops have produced a scarcity of good work- 

 men. The effect of the former has been to encourage a class of 

 half-trained mechanics, who, having gained sufficient knowledge 

 to enable them to perform certain kinds of work, and at that to 

 obtain livinof wao;es, are content to remain without further effort 

 at improvement. The introduction of machinery to perform what 

 was formerly done by hand has obviated the necessity for that 

 skill in manipulation and nice training of the eye, which in former 

 times were essential for all kinds of work. It is a common thing 

 to find men who can attend a lathe, or run a planer, who are utter- 

 ly incapable of doing work with a file, and who, if they were set 

 to constructing any machinery requiring nice fitting throughout, 

 would utterly fail. The exceptions to this are rare, and we are 

 afraid they are becoming more so. Mechanical engineers are 

 frequently troubled to find workmen who can properly execute 

 their designs. Especially is this so where new forms are intro- 

 duced into machinery, when a general lack of resources and 

 expedients will most probably manifest itself. 



"The training of the eye, in which most deficiency is found, 

 owing to the substitution of engine-lathe work for hand turning, 

 and planing for the old-time chipping and filing, might easily be 

 obtained by practice in drafting, which demands both skill of hand 

 and eye, and to most mechanics would be found a pleasant recrea- 

 tion as well as a valuable accomplishment. 



" If we expect good workmen we must have educated appren- 

 tices. In every business but that of mechanics a proper prepara- 

 tion is expected and exacted. Let our mechanical apprentices be 

 compelled to pass a suitable examination after a suitable training 

 and we shall have good workmen." 



In this connection, it is a noteworthy fact that technical schools 

 are springing up all about us, much needed exponents of the new 

 and practical education. 



Mr. Joseph Whitworth, the most noted of English mechanical 

 engineers, from his connection with the improvement of machinists' 

 tools and the perfection to which he has brought their manufac- 

 ture, has donated £100,000 to the endowment of thirty scholar- 

 ships of £100 per year for the education of engineers. It is 



