Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 183, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 August 1917 — USE SCHOOL BOY POWER OF NATION [ARTICLE]

USE SCHOOL BOY POWER OF NATION

Harness It and Put It to Work for Uncle Sam, Urges Lakewood, 0., Teacher. PRESENTS PLAN TO CONGRESS Would Organize Boys and Girls Into the “Public School Preparedness League”—Congressman Emerson Speaks for Plan. Washington.—Every patriotic American is anxious to do something to help solve the niany problems that ’ face the nation at this time, and many are the suggestions that are coming from the four corners of the United States of ways to help. Congressman Henry I. Emerson presented to congress the other day the interesting plan thought out by one of his constituents, Mr. Paul J. Bast, manual training Instructor in the Lakewood (O.) high school. He sees great possibilities in the productive power of the millions of schoolboys and girls throughout the land. “Give our schoolboys and girls an opportunity* to feel that they are an Integral part of our industrial life,” he says, “and that upon them rests a responsibility which can ohty be discharged by unselfish —devotion and service to the state. He suggests that a nation-wide organization be formed, 'toT>e known as the “Public School Industrial Preparedness league,” the object of which shall be to mobilize the school children of the nation for such I industrial work as they can do, the school shops and domestic science rooms and such equipment as the (schools possess are to be placed at the disposal of the state and nation. Boys and girls from the ages of twelve to eighteen years, not otherwise employed, could thus be employed to serve in the general-scheme of national preparedness. Organize to a System. The work must be carried on more or less on the basis of a small industrial plant, with its executives, office force, and shop force. Books would necessarily have to be kept and, a strict account of all incoming and outgoing products must be had. Costs could be figured as to what a saving was being made to the government, and would be the basis of making comparisons with other communities that were doing the same w’ork. With the aid of a national sheet which would publish facts and figures about the work, a rivalry would spring up to keep the cost of production as low as possible. This paper would also disseminatenew ideas and methods to help stimulate the work. Schoolteachers with industrial sense who understand children should supervise the industrial establishment. These teachers could enlist the aid of trained workers, who for a short time would Instruct the youthful worker in the practical technique of the work. a hen for every district counting a certain number of schools a government officer would act as an Inspector, thus putting the official stamp of approval

on work well done. He would see that the specifications were being lived up to and his presence w’ould give an air of authority and inspire respect. Chambers of Commerce Would Help. The chamber of commerce of each community should give itself wholeheartedly to this work and co-operate with the school board in carrying out the plan. If the macninery and equipment is not given 'outright the chamber should see that funds are raised for the purchase. The Interest the men and women show and the support they give to the cause will impress the young workers. The sense of. father and sou and mother and daughter standing shoulder to shoulder in a common work would give the community a feeling of solidarity that will be the finest asset of which ther nation can boast. The work in any community would fall into three divisions: 1. Work in the shop. 2. Work in the sewing room. 3. Work in the domestic science room. The articles which could be made in the shop would be limited only by the equipment the schools possess and other macblnes that might be Installed. With such automatic machinery as we now have much may be done. The sewing room would not only take care of Red Cross work, but also do the sewing necessary to make cots, stretchers, tents, shirts, khaki uniforms, etc. Both boys and girls could he employed In this work. Domestic Science Departments. In the domestic-science departments

equipped with pressure cookers great quantities of vegetables and fruits might be canned. The gathering of such vegetables and fruit w r ould be done by pupils in private automobiles and wagons. Pupils might even help orchardists and truck farmers gather their crops and for compensation be given a share of what they pick, which would be turned into the canning department of the school they represent. The growers, stirred by patriotic impulse, would surely contribute a small share of what they raised for such a purpose. Both boys and girls could be employed in this department. The women of the community could be a real help and inspiration to the girls by supervising and helping in both the sewing and domestic-science rooms. In fact, the Red Cross work could be more effectively carried on under such auspices than in any other way. The men in spare moments might come around to give the boys a word of encouragement and help out wherever they could. Under these conditions the spirit of enterprise and work would hold of a community in a way that would be a revelation to its inhabitants. For the active shopwork two shifts of four hours each would be employed, say, 20 boys to the shift —the shifts to work from 8 a. m. till 12 and from 12:30. to 4:30. These shifts could alternate on morning and afternoon work every other week. The number that could be handled in a shift would, of course, depend upon. the kind of work, the size of the shop, and the amount of supervision.