THE COLONY INCORPORATES 139 



At the sixth convention of the National Conference 

 of Jewish charities, held in May, 1910, he spoke on the 

 subject nearest his heart. Discussing a paper written 

 by Mr. Chester Teller on "Special Education of Jewish 

 Dependent Children," he said: 



"I am requested to discuss the excellent paper of 

 Mr. Teller, but I would rather say something about 

 what is to be done with girls and boys between the 

 ages of fourteen and sixteen, not only those depend- 

 ent on charity, but those who are taken care of by 

 their parents as well. 



"Children of these ages are too young to enter the 

 skilled professions. The boys usually take unskilled 

 positions in offices, stores, factories and shops, and 

 when they reach the earning wage of sixteen and 

 eighteen, they have small chance of advancing them- 

 selves, and having no trade, they drift from one em- 

 ployment to another. If they fail .to improve, during 

 this time, the knowledge they have acquired in the 

 public schools, they often forget the little they have 

 learned. This question as to what to do with boys and 

 girls of fourteen to sixteen has become in New York, 

 as elsewhere, a question of vast importance. The City 

 and State of New York are therefore .taking steps 

 toward solving the problem by introducing vocational 

 schools. Such a school for boys opened last Septem- 

 ber for those who have gone to the sixth grade or its 

 equivalent, and they receive not only academic train- 

 ing, but professional training as well. A considerable 

 part of their time is spent in the shops where printing, 

 carpentry, plumbing, electrical wiring and blacksmith- 

 ing are taught. Even if this and similar schools should 



