EDUCATION IN U.S.A.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 15 August 1929, Page 7

EDUCATION IN U.S.A.

A NEW ZEALANDERS EXPERIENCES IN CHICAGO.

The reading of a recent editorial article in the “Hiuvera Star” prompts m© to jot down some notes on my oun experiences whilst a student at the University of Chicago (writes “ExStudent”). On arrival at Chicago I found my funds had dwindled down to £ls, with an immediate outlay of £9 (45 dollars) for registration and fees for the' first term. It was therefore essential to find some means of earning enough to provide Ivoard and lodgings if one were to have his education. My first discovery was that practically every student was earning at. least part of the necessary money to provide ready cash. In fact, one who goes through college and university without working part time is the exception rather than the rule, and the ela&s of work did not matter so long as it was honest. Unused to American ways. I was surprised to have offered me a. post as dishwasher in a semi-private restaurant, where the evening meal only was served. Tlie hours were from 5.30 until 8 o’clock. The wages were 2.50 dollars (about. 10s), with breakfast and tea. (or supper. as they term it). Midday meal served at the college cost- 35 cents per day, room 1.50 dollars, so financially 1 found I was losing ground. Tlie staff of this establishment made an interesting group, a negress cook, a negress waitress, two waiters—one a dental and one a medical student—an assistant dishwasher who was qualifying at university to become an undertaker. and myself.

Meals in America are all sold oil the principle of “nay for what you eat,” Therefore it was usual to make the morning and evening meal as substantial as possible, and the midday meal was very loan. In fact, it was not uncommon to fast all day. Through a generous offer of the firm of Montgomery. Ward and Co. 200 college students were offered part time, employment' in their mail order warehouse . The names of Montgomery. Ward and Co. and Seans, Roebuck Co. are household words in Americas one firm employing 6000 hands and the other 20.000. More about this wonderful organisation later.

The students represented several colleges, including the Chicago Dental School. North-Western University, Chicago School of Physical Education. University of Chicago. University of Illinois, Y.M.C.A. College. Osepathy College, etc. My particular iob was cutting of cloth into 10 vard lengths—flannel, 'towelling, etc. Others were in the' other departments —silks, boots, grocery, etc. In order to illustrate the' American business efficienov. a record was kept of the number of cuts made by each worker. Previously girls employed on thi.sr work had averaged 55 cuts per hour. We were only averaging 46 for the pay of 50 cents an hour. An order was received that the management could not pav more than one cent ner cut. and therefore we would need to speed up. This we were able to do. Some 50 messenger boys were employed in the establishment, and to speed ui) the work they were all on roller skates. Tt can be readily seen that with six floors to the warehouse, each extending back 900 feet. considerable time was saved on each message. Straight corridors led right through from one end of th© building to the other, and enabled the boys to attain express speed. Tt was possible to work any length of time eanh evening and on Saturday. Each emplovee had a time card. and by means of special clocks the times of arriving and leaving work were recorded by placing a card in a slot and pulling a lever. By working from 5 p.m. till 9 p.m.. and from 8 a.m. till 1 p.m on Saturday we earned P2 dollars a. week, and with careful financing it was possible to get by on this. .Inst previous to the summer vacation the management entertained all ft.© students to a dinner in one of their cafeterias. The dinner was an elaborate affair, with turkey and cranberrv sauce (America’s national festival dish), vegetables, salads, sweets, ice cream, etc. A toast list, interspersed with musical items from a ia 7.7. band, provided a good entertainment.

For the summer T secured a position as an assistant director of boys’ work in one of the Chicago Y.M.C. A.’s. and snen( a considerable part of the dine in He various summer camps of the association. A large number of students seem-" emplovment as dircc-tm-s jn the va v, "ons Y.M. C. \. ’ s. public nlavgrounds. church clubs. gvmnasiums part-time clerks, night-watch-men. etc. T was at a later date insured bv a. vmipcr high school student, who. iu addition to being prominent in his studies, was president of the Students’ Association in the school debating team, half-hack in the. football team catcher in the baseball team, a useful faek nerfornier. and captain of iho basketball team, and was able to o-i'ii about £250 a year as an insurance agent.

T’li'h-. +1 .use democratic conditions nraetieallv everv bov '-an secure a. hi°h school education, and. if one is read v keen. a good chance to obtain a degree at university.