Evening Post. THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1929. NATIONAL STRENGTH

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 54, 7 March 1929, Page 10

Evening Post. THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1929. NATIONAL STRENGTH

It is surely unnecessary to emphasise the importance of quickly checking youthful unemployment. Our national strength depends upon our success in assuring that the youth of the country shall be employed and employed to the best advantage. This means that 'each:' youth shall follow an occupation for which he has an aptitude and that he shall be well equipped by training for that work. At present conditions are far from encouraging. The,, results of special inquiries, as set out in articles published in "The Post" yesterday and to-day, show that many parents are now compelled to accept for their sons any work that is offered. Under such conditions much talent must be wasted. To correct this condition we must have a clear understanding of the causes. They are not simple. Economic, social, and educational factors are all involved. Some of them lend themselves to easy and speedy corrective methods. With others we may effect an improvement only by tedious and difficult processes. This applies particularly to the social cause, which is also partly economic. It has two distinct and separate forms—the increasing number of women workers in occupations formerly monopolised by men, and the general, desire of parents to see their children in a better position (socially as well as industrially) than: they themselves occupy. We can do very little to check the effect of female employment. We cannot, even control the effect of competition by-the hundreds of girls who are willing to work for "dress money." We may only hope that a gradually changing social outlook will eventually lead women to give greater attention to the occupations for which they are specially suited and that the proportion who are attracted by novelty to commercial pursuits will diminish. Almost equally; difficult is it ; to guide; /the, aspirations of .the parents aright. It is natural that all parents should have ambitions for their sons, but th% trouble arises from the fact that false social standards determine the direction of the advance. The manual worker, however skilful, is deemed inferior to the man who does not soil his hands. The former may have 'greater creative talent; he may be more of an artist; but common opinion (quite erroneously) draws a sharp line between hand-work and brain-work and puts into the latter class much work that demands little real thought,or intelligence. Before we can correct this we must ourselves admit that not every dull solicitor is a Coke or Blackslone, and that many craftsmen have kinship with Hepplewhile, William Morris, and Elbert Hubbard.

Consideration of this social factor must lead to the question: How far is our educational system responsible? It is indeed much to blame. When the Government resolved to make secondary education free to all of average ability it was not ready for such an advance. For lack of a well-devised scheme it thrust all into secondary schools which were designed for the few. Harm was done by giving to too many a bias towards the professions and by encouraging the idea that this was the true path of social progress. Now,it is exceedingly hard to retrace our steps. The opinion of Professor Fisher, yesterday, supplies one reason:—

If we arc to exclude people from secondary education, let it not bo because they were unfortunate enough to select a wealthy man as father.

Unfortunately any correction must be open to this insinuation. The State cannot prevent a wealthy man from using his wealth to secure educational advantages for his children. Even if a dull son be denied entrance to a State institution, he can be sent elsewhere or privately coached. The only correction possible is the eventual professional competition. The dull doctor or dull lawyer will sooner or later find his level, though wealth and social eminence may retard the process. But the State is under no obligation to be as foolish as wealthy fathers. It is not called upon to make every boy a doctor or lawyer if his natural aptitude does not lead him that way. The utmost the State should do is to clear the way for all talents, and to discourage wasteful diversion of taient and effort. One means to this end is favoured by several of the authorities quoted in "The Post" articles—that is, the substitution of something more suitable for the "matric.-at-all-costs" system. If this can be done we may correct the professional bias in a measure. Further correction may be secured by raising the status of technical education and by forming a closer association between,the skilled trades and the professions with which they are, or should be, allied. If it were possible for the constructive tradesman to see more clearly his close association with the architect and the

engineer, would it not lead to greater pride jn even the humblest creative work?

Yet there is one objection, by some pronounced fatal, to progress on thess lines. The skilled occupations and secondary industries are almost as-full as the professions. But this objection is not fatal. If, by raising the standard of craftsmanship, the quality of work can be raised and its cost lowered, the opportunities for sucli work will be extended. We shall be increasingly able to supply more of our own requirements and be less dependent upon overseas. Yet we must be careful not to force the pace too greatly by artificial means. There is a natural rate of growth of manufacture side by side with production. If we increase production we at die same time accelerate the advance of secondary industries. How can we increase production? It is not to, be done by simply telling the boys to go on the land and leaving them to begin and end as labourers. We must help, so far as we are able, to open out the prospects N of farming., There is a brighter hope for this now than for many years past. We are recovering from the setback of the artificial settlement boom .of the post-war period. Science is aiding by showing how costs may be reduced and rewards increased. Now is the time —not to start another artificial boom but to take full advantage' of the prospects which are opening out. This may be done, we believe, first, by measures which will enlarge the area available for production (the improvement of waste lands 'is hopeful); second^ by encouraging a greater production from; the settled area, by subdivision of large estates and' the application of advanced methods everywhere; third, by offering to the boys a preliminary training which will give them an inclination to country pursuits. In the application of all these methods, however, whether they touch primary production, manufacture, trade, or the professions, it is essential that there should be the closest association between parents, instructors, and employers, so that all may perceive the end in view and go forward to it together. .-■'-•