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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1913)
fjlt-TT-- -MS DECEMBER, 1913 The Commoner The Winston-Salem Plan of Training for Citizenship The following article was pre pared by Leroy Hodges, an econo mist and statistician of Petersburg, Va., and former acting secretary of the Winston-St.lem Board of Trade. It was presented in the United States senate, September 18, 1913, by Sen ator Swanson, and ordered printed as a public document. Training boys for the obligations and responsibilities of citizenship has been undertaken in Winston-Salem, N. C, along rather broad r nd unique lines. After nearly a year's success ful .consideration, and possibly of imitation. The principal character istics of this plan are, first, coopera tion between the public schools and the local board of' trade; second, the establishment of a department of government and economics in the city high school; and third, the formation of a boys department, or a "Juvenile Club' as it is called, of the board 'of trade- . WORK IN THE HIGH SCHOOL At the beginning of the 1912-13 school year, SuRt. R. H. Latham, of the city schools, provided, as a part of the high school curriculum, a course in government and economics open to .the senior students, and placed the riew department under the direction of the secretary of the board of trade, who, with the ap proval of .the board, had volunteered his. services.- Under this department, the students are taught the elements of government, special attention being given to analysis and compari-r son of the city,, 'county, state, and federal governments. During the term ending with the Christmas holi days, mock elections "were held, and tho pittas Av'jasbrganized ap city, coun cil, state general assembly, and as the congress of the United States. Immediately after Christmas a series of lectures treating of the fundamental principles of economics were arranged, and the attention of the students directed to the import ant industrial, commercial, and agri cultural -problems of this country, particularly '. the . problems of the sou them-, states.- As a result of this work the boys developed -a very activo interest In public affairs, and to hold this in terest and at the same time make the work of lasting, value it was recog nized that their historic and theo retical study of political and econo mic problems must in some way be connected with the practical, every day experiences in the industrial cpnters. Winston-Salem being essen tially a manufacturing community, the means of studying actual condi tions was immediately available. ""As a feasible method of undertaking this i was suggested that there be organ ized a juvenile club of the board .of trade and the establishment 6i a President Woodrow Wilson iand His Cabinet A do Lux Brochure entitled "The New Admini stration" containlncr Interesting and accurate lives of the President, VI co-Pros I dent. Moralers oftho Cabinet and Speaker of tho Houso, Illus trated with beautiful portraits. Illuminated cover In gold, red and blue; size Txfltfi. Appro priate for your centre tabic, or for private or public libraries, as a rcfo tsneo work1 on tho Democratic administration. Sent postpaid upon receipt o 25c. Hound In Ttoynl Uluo Cloth with Bold lettering and bordrr for $1.00. Atrpnts wanted. Addrecs "Walton AdvertiKlnjr & Printing Co., p. o. Box 1758, Uoston,MaBK. closer cooperation between the work pf the high school and that of tho board. THE JUVENILE CLUB Having declared that "No commer cial organization performs its legiti mate functions unless it makes an effort to inculcate the principles of true citizenship in the minds Of its members, and to advance the social conditions of the people always ahead of tho inarch of industrial and com mercial progress," the board of trade readily indorsed this plan to form a boys' division of the board, and au thority was given the secretary to undertake its formation. Tho result Is the Juvenile Club of the Winnfnn- Salem Uoard of Trade. Membership in the Juvenile club is not limited to high school boyB, for it was thought best to open to all in terested boys of the city a way to be come identified with constructive and active civic work. To become a mem ber of the club, however, the boy must be at least fourteen years of ago and under twenty-one years old. Another condition of membership is that the boy must subscribe to and recite from memory before the secre tary of tho board of trado tho ancient Athen'an oath, pledging himself to perform faithfully his civic obliga tions. This pledge is as follows: "We will never bring disgrace to this city by any act of dishonesty or coward'ee, nor ever desert our suf fering comrades in the ranks. We will fight for the ideals and sacred things of the city, both alone and with many. We will revere and obey the city's laws and do our best to In cite a like respect and reverence in those above.' us who are m-ona. to .annul or'to set tli'em at naught. We will strive unceasingly to quicken the public Sense of civic duty. Thus, in all these ways, we will transmit this city not less, but greater, better, and more beautiful than it was trans mitted to us." A membership register is kept in which the boys sign their names after subscribing to and reciting this oath. The boys have the privilege of at tending all regular meetings of the board of trade, with the right to take part in debates, but without any voting power. They are assigned committee work, and special meet ings are held for them twice a month or more frequent if the work de mands it. Members of the Juvenile club pay no fees. The club has a membership of about fifty boys, the first member being enrolled October 14, 1912. Every effort is made to properly train these boys for the duties of citizenship, to create in them respect for honest and efficient public serv ice, and to actively interest them in the work of making Winston-Salem a better, greater, and more beautiful city in which to live. 2.1 ttM Fore- Motor nH ih un i y 7 7 T y bnp (HI pnftlly on your culler ItnyrjRtit iroin (lie ii.nMiaiturtw Milim.- rutter and rnrriflM-silirf rt I nnvtMvli. I'remnt di llrlv t'lir;rcltHlrdinntcrlAl,lcuxniii lf.l workmanship Jlnil a ixlraul for culHloj:. Don't buy mi you irrt It, Hnr rrjil inortvr br (ulilnwiu ICnlninnsoii riliiKo 9i Muni Co., llii t. C, They were held strictly responsible ror the accuracy of tholr reports, and tho statistical tables which have bcon prepared aro compilod dlroctly from their reports. STATISTICAL WORK The general summary of the in vestigations made by tho boys shown that for the calendar year 1912 thcro wero SO manufacturing establish ments in operation in WliiKton-Sninm turning out an annual product valuod ' "! . , ' at $37,000,000 from raw materials1! SAVE $5.00 TO $20.00 """""b uwum. iii'ui'u ami a mm mil lions of dollars. All establishments not strictly clnss'fiod as manufactur ing establishments by the federal bureau of the census ore omitted in this computation. With a population estimated at only 35,000, this means that for every man, woman, and child in Winston-Salem more than $1,000 of wealth is annually manufactured. Accord'ng to the report of the boys, more than 12,000 persons aro em ployed in tho manufacturing indus tries of Winston-Salem, receiving for their labor nearly four and a half millions of dollars a year. Tho capital reported for theae establish ments is placed at $10,000,000. To more clearly understand tho scope of the work performed by the' boys of the Juvenile club in the In-' dustrial survey of the city, the fol lowing condensed table will be of as-1 sistance: Statistical review of the manufac turing industries of Winston-Salem, N. C, calendar year 1912. ' Number of establish ments ,...... 80 Capital invested Dec. 31 $10,000,000 Stop Using A Truss I blLAKIS M 1 mvw mm fj j PupMfiiDs a I tMalHBMI STUART'S Pt.AMO.PAI ore dUUratii from Ihotnnt, hein rocillclno uplleai(jr rnada dhttlva purpooctljr (o bold Mm part Meurely lit pUee, N r L ir.kUa oliaclmd- no obnoxious aprlngi. Cannot illp. ao awHtai cha'o or proj tralnat the bone. Ihouiandi have auecrufwlljr treated tlirtniotvei atliomn with. out hindrance from work mot omunaia cara cared. valval ? fa aypfy ptnttva. Awarded Gold Medal, rrocM ot roeoverr la natural. -o afterward! no further um tor Initio. Wa arava ft by aanojnit ynu timi of rUM abaolutcly fraa. Wrlle larfay. fUMO CO., Nac.1218 .!. Nh Number of salaried em ployees Number of traveling salesmen employed . . Number of wage earn ers Total persons employed Amount of salaries paid Salaries and fees paid traveling salesmen.. Amount of wages paid. How To Secure One I of These $2.50 Fountain Pens 700 400 11,000 12,000 $750,000 $G30,000 $3,000,000 Total pay roll $-1,380,000 Cost of raw materials used during year. . . $lfi,500,000 Value of finished pro duct $37,000,000 Cost of new buildings erected Cost of improvements and repairs Cost of power, heat, and light Number of tons of coal consumed $300,000 $125,000 $300,000 50,000i COOPERATION JUVENILE CLUB WITH JtllUil aUWUULi The first employment of the mem bers of the Juvenile club has been in the recent industrial survey of Winston-Salem conducted by the board of trade. All of the boys selected to assist in this1 work were students In the department of government and economics of the high school. In this way the boys in the graduating class of the high school this year have been able to take part in an organized in dustrial investigation under proper authority. In this work the boys visited the local manufacturing establishments and filled out a detailed industrial schedule, in the same manner as do special agents of the statistical bureaus of the federal government. Only establishments considered as manufacturing establishments ac cording to the established classifica tions of the United States bureau of J the census aro included in above' table. i TRAINING FOR CITIZENSHIP j This, tho "Winston-Salem plan," as It may be termed, trains the boysj of the city for citizenship; first, inj the high school, where they are; taught the principles of civil govern ment and instructed in the theories; and basic problems governing our, economic order: second, In the Juve nile club where they have the means; of being identified with real work of j municipal development, and to take' part in actual social and industrial: investigations. Under this plan, an I opportunity is provided for the boys' to study at close range the varied in dustries of the city under competent. direction and in an official capacity. I In brief, the plan essays to teach the boys how to live and to equ'p! them with an education by which they can make a living, which, in the end, is the real secret of practical training for Intelligent citizenship. We have arranged to sup ply tin ho ftrnuiHc Parker .SHf-MIUnic I-'ounlnlii I'm to any Commoner reader In connection with yearly HiibKcrlptJons fo Th Com moner, under tho follow ing very liberal terms: Willi 1 yrnrly NiiliHcrfii llon nt f$l it nd $i.7fi vatth. yenrly NiiliMcrlptloriM nt 1 fiieli it nd 5 1. a.1 miIi, .'; yciirly MUbxcrlpl Ioiim nt HI! vueh niid 75 cciiIk vanlu 4 curly MiiIrrl)tIoii tit 1 ench mid NO CASH. The nw Parkor Sf-flll-Jjik; Fountain Pen Ik a pt n of perfection and quality and muHt not 1m compared with the numeroiiH cheap premium p n on tho mar ket. Hold everywhere at $2 00 and tho boHt pen made for that price. KarJi pen n stamped and guar anteed by the rnanufae turer. Tho barrel 1h made of the bent grade of rubber, color blaek and smooth llniHh. Choice of Hno or medium point. Each pen flttod with H carat fine gold point and anti-break cap. ThlH pen Ih fitted with the Lucky Curve V e e d Tube and Hpearhead Ink Controlfer, dcvJceH that absolutely top leaking, blotting, or Hmearing of finger, jrjlla In an InHtant by Himply preHlng button. A firnt cla8 pen in uyary respect and guaranteed to pleuc and satisfy. Accept One of Our Liberal Offers Here Ih an opportunity to get one of theae Fountain Pens at a remarkable bar gain, or without cont in exchange for a little work getting subscription! to The Common e r. Htart work today and get up any alze club that uultii you. Your own Hubscrip tlorl will count and nrpK- ent expiration date will be advanced one or two yearn if you wish. Ail pen will be 3 h i n o e d promptly and prepaid to your ad- un. uiiiu iui uruerjj cany and make remittance payable to THE COMMONER """'" "". L. ,1 I .s"wm. I y i a m j t n Wjf, .