Manhattan Trade School for Girls, New York; New York (N.Y.); School management and organization
A trade school must do its skilled handwork in the fashion of the day
and on correct materials, yet the students are too poor to work for
themselves. A school budget cannot supply such large quantities of
valuable materials unless it can get some return for them. The school
shop in each department, where orders both private and custom are taken,
has proved advantageous, but involves great problems of administration:
(1) the actual business methods and management connected with the
invoices, sales, and delivery of goods; (2) the obtaining of orders
needed and of the quantity desirable; (3) the taking of custom orders,
fitting the customer, and delivery of orders on time; (4) a satisfactory
apportionment of the order work so that the students may profit by it
and not be expected to continue it after they have had sufficient
experience of one kind, or if they are not yet able to do the elaborate
work involved; (5) the finding of operatives who will do what the
students cannot or should not do; (6) the expense involved in employing
workers at trade prices and for shorter hours; (7) the cost of articles,
and other details which are involved in entering into competition with
trade. It may be stated that no trade school should underbid the market,
but should charge the full prices and expect to give equivalent returns.
A trade school cannot afford to be an amateur supported by a
philanthropic public, but must have a recognized business standard.
Placement
Problems of varied kinds meet the school in placing its students. Each
new enactment of child labor or industrial laws has its influence. Even
a good law will sometimes have a temporary serious effect in lowering
wages or turning capable girls out of satisfactory positions. Care must
be exercised that students are not placed where there is a possibility
of running counter to the best interests of labor. The desire to place
each pupil where she can develop to her highest condition requires
continual knowledge of the market needs and of the characteristics of
the many girls. Records of students entering, studying, and placed, the
kinds of positions open, and industrial and labor information must be
kept up to date, yet such data are often hard to secure.
Trade Union Attitude
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