did. He felt that it would be an advantage to him to hold some kind of

public office, and so he ran for and secured a membership on the school board. This position he was well qualified to fill, having taught for several years preceding his study of the law. After that he joined an athletic association and ran for office in the association and was made one of its directors. In these two positions he enjoyed a good opportunity for coming in contact with the best people of the city, and when politics was alive, he was one of the main members of the political organization, and had much to say about who should be elected to office.

He served as assistant prosecuting attorney for some time, got the experience that he desired, and then continued with his practice. From these offices, which have been a great advantage to him, he has won an excellent reputation in the community.

PLAN No. 678. HE WANTED TO BE A LAWYER

He went into a railway office as stenographer and studied law as he worked. He was a man of excellent appearance and untiring energy, and he worked until he had passed the bar examination for his state. He prepared to make himself a specialist on railway law, and continued study for three or four years. During that time he acted as assistant to the railway attorney, but instead of staying with the railway company for years, as most attorneys do, he identified himself with one of the best trial lawyers in his part of the state, who made a specialty of damage suits. He was a valuable adjunct to this firm as he was familiar with railway law.

By reason of the fact that he had a knowledge of railway law, from the railway standpoint, he was very successful in his work.

PLAN No. 679. LAWYER BECOMES RAILWAY COUNSEL

After finishing at a law school, he obtained an appointment as assistant to the counsel for a railway. He studied for two or three years, in this capacity, and worked with the counsel of the railway until finally he won recognition for his services from the company. The railway counsel was changed, or left the service, and he became counsel for the railway at that point.

This kind of work pays well, and he has an assistant or two under him, and enjoys a good reputation in his community.

PLAN No. 680. NEWSPAPER MAN MAKES EXTRA MONEY

Reporters on newspapers make extra money by following the career of men who are public spirited. They become familiar with their aspirations and try to help them make good, by giving them all the newspaper support they possibly can. Of course, this cannot be done without compensation, and the reporter is paid extra for this work. It is valuable aid, for the man who desires to attain political prominence. The reporter, as a rule, is under-paid, and this enables him to increase his income considerably.

The reporter’s advice alone is worth a great deal, as the average aspirant for office does not understand what is, and what is not, a good news article. The reporter can be absolutely fair with the paper and render this service.

PLAN No. 681. HE BECOMES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SECRETARY

There is a large field for any man who has ambition for public work, in the chambers of commerce of the various cities of our country. He can identify himself as an assistant, or in some other capacity and win a good reputation as a man of value in this work.

From time to time there are inquiries from this source for the right kind of men for the work. The salaries are good, ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 a year, and the work, itself, is extremely interesting.

This really is a first-class advertising man’s job. If a man understands advertising, and understands the advertising of communities, there is no reason why he should not be a capable man for this position, and such a man usually knows what is good news value, and what articles can be put in the paper, and what effect these various articles will have for the benefit of his community. It is usually a business proposition and supported by business men, exclusively; professional men and politicians having little to do with this work and the young man who can make good will soon find a position awaiting him.

I know a few men who have made excellent records in this direction and are now the recipients of $8,000 to $10,000 a year. It took them at least five to six years before they were qualified to hold a large position. One started in as a newspaper reporter, and the other started in as an editor of a paper, and finally developed into an advertising man.

PLAN No. 682. LAWYER BECAME STATE REPRESENTATIVE

He was always the champion of the issues that arose in his particular neighborhood club, and he finally decided that if he were a state representative, it would be a beneficial experience for him, as well as an avenue through which to become known in the state generally. So he went about increasing his friendship, becoming acquainted with everybody in his district, and finally announced himself as candidate for the state legislature, and he was very much surprised at the ease with which he won the election.

He was repeatedly returned to the legislature and has almost become a permanent fixture in this capacity. He has always seen to it that the newspapers give him proper mention, on any matter in which he is engaged. He makes it a point to call the attention of the reporters to it if it has any news value at all. By this studied effort and work on his part he has made himself good timber for the United States Congress. Not only that, but he has won a large friendship among the people of the various states, which has brought him a good deal of valuable practice, and has given him business opportunities.

A young lawyer makes a very serious mistake when he does not pay attention to his opportunities in this direction.

PLAN No. 683. HE BECAME POLICE JUDGE

After winning an election as justice of the peace, it is always the ambition of the justice to become police judge of the city. To win this position does not only mean the increase of one hundred or more dollars a month in salary, but also gives a good opportunity for a lawyer to build up a reputation, which may lead to a judgeship in the superior court. Of course, the mayor and city council of a city determine which justice will be the police court judge, and a friendly standing with them will aid in determining whether or not a candidate will be police judge.

Most of the people of a city and the county know more about the police judge than they do about the superior court judge. As a matter of fact, the newspapers of the community give far more publicity to the doings of the police court than do those of the superior court. Every little matter that comes up before the police court, serious or otherwise, is printed in the local daily, and all questions of any consequence that are to come up will first take place before the police court. So a lawyer, who occupies this position, and has good judgment, and takes his cases seriously, has an opportunity to make a good record for himself, and if he handles his opportunities in this position properly, he can become judge of the superior court.

This work brings him in touch with all the police branches and their work, and the county prosecutor’s office as well. As a matter of fact, many persons in the profession believe that it is best for a man who desires to become a superior court judge, to first become justice of peace.

PLAN No. 684. ILLUSTRATOR FOR U. S. GOV. SEE PLAN No. 217

PLAN No. 685. HE WANTED TO BECOME CITY COMMISSIONER

There were at least thirty persons aspiring for the $5,000-a-year job and he was but little known. Although he felt that he was strong enough to get the nomination, yet most of his friends advised him that they did not think that he could succeed, but they would do their best for him. He went in for all there was in it; he worked both night and day; he obtained the support of many young men in the city. He had stalwart friends in the police department and with their support and the support of their friends he gained the nomination.

With the nomination secured, he felt sure of election. However, he did not give up his personal efforts but worked both night and day until the night of the election, and then he did not give up until all of the votes were cast. The way he had worked for himself was an inspiration to his friends. However, it might be said that he had three or four friends who were especially valuable to him, and knew the political situation far better than he, and they did not hesitate to support him to the limit, as they believed in him and felt sure that if once elected he would make a good record. When the votes were counted, he had won by a large majority.

Many men believe that it is unbecoming for them to work for themselves, but this man did not think so. He felt that the enthusiasm of his friends would lag if the man who was running for the office did not believe enough in himself to work with them.

PLAN No. 686. HE RAN FOR JUSTICE OF THE PEACE

When he came into the community he was little known; in fact, up to the time he ran for the nomination on the Republican ticket, he was scarcely heard of, but prior to his nomination he billed the entire town. He had small boards placed at the various bridges and public places in the community with a large picture of himself, naming the office he desired to secure. He also had the telegraph poles tacked with large posters, bearing the same announcement. This publicity was so striking that it caused a great deal of comment all over the city, and when the nomination came up he secured it easily, and nomination in that county meant--the election!

PLAN No. 687. HE FIRST BECAME COUNTY ASSESSOR

This attorney, from a financial standpoint, was not prepared to go into the practice of law, so he became an aspirant for the office of county assessor. He was not a good speaker, but he made up his mind to work strenuously for this office, and so he obtained the support of ten or twelve of his friends who worked for him, and, finally, he secured the office.

Many of his friends could not understand why he wanted such an office, but when once nominated and elected he had many people to appoint who make the assessment of the property in the county. These men were naturally people who supported him, and this enabled him to build up very strong political support throughout the county with this support as a nucleus which re-elected him many times.

PLAN No. 688. A MIDDLE-AGED LADY’S WAY OF MAKING A LIVING

The following is a plan that represents lots of hard work.

This woman believed she could sell goods direct and obtain higher-class and better-grade goods by directly representing the factory. She made arrangements with a certain factory, and started in to sell. She made a specialty of women’s and children’s underwear, stockings, etc., and sold large quantities.

In this house-to-house selling of these goods, she netted more than $70.00 a month. In her travels she also found opportunity to sell other products, such as honey and other household articles which she carried as side lines. If there was a demand by her customers for goods she did not carry she made it a point to get the desired articles for them.

PLAN No. 689. A LAUNDRY PLAN THAT PAID

This man ran a laundry in a city of upwards of 150,000 inhabitants, and the population was increasing daily. He figured that if he could see the newcomers before the other laundries did that they would just as soon patronize him as the others, and yet he would like to know something about their reputations as to payment before obtaining their business.

Therefore he got in touch with a first-class information bureau in his city and secured all the names of people who came from the smaller towns into the city, and as soon as he got their names and the town they left he directed a letter to the editor of the paper in the town from which they had come inquiring as to their present address and their reputation for paying. After securing their address and statement as to their reputation for payment of their bills, and if he ascertained that they were good, he immediately called upon them at their new address in the city, and obtained their business. He had no competition in his work and this plan alone made his laundry a prosperous business.

It might be stated that if there is no information or clipping bureau in your community, it would be well for you to take all of the newspapers of the surrounding towns, which could be secured by direct subscription or by going to the local newspaper where, undoubtedly, all of these papers are sent in as exchanges, and by an arrangement with your local newspaper, they would be glad to allow you to read and go over these papers. The items in these papers will show the names of people who are leaving the small towns and the communities to which they go; then find out through the transfer men and companies where they are.

PLAN No. 690. HOW HE BECAME A BANKER

When I knew him at college he was a man of wonderful and unusual strength and good nature. He was as democratic as a person could be, and was liked by all who knew him.

If you were to pick out a banker in the crowd at school, he would be the last man, perhaps, that you would think would follow the banking business. After his college course he went into the stock business. He was well liked by all of the stockmen in the district in which he lived, and he had an acquaintance extending through the entire Northwest. But the stock business did not particularly appeal to him. He then entered into other lines of work and finally became closely associated with a man engaged in the banking business. This man had taken over a bank in one of the farming communities and asked this party whether he would like to spend a part of his time in this little bank and see what he could do in the way of assisting it. This work interested him from the beginning. He immediately took possession of the bank as though it were his own and began to build it up. In a short time he had doubled its deposits. His record was so unusual that the head of the bank in the city became interested, and as his showing continued the president of the bank became convinced that he should be in the city bank, so he made arrangements for him to come. He went at things with the same untiring energy in the city bank, as he had in the country bank, with the results that the deposits were greatly increased.

I remember one day going into this large bank and I was somewhat surprised at seeing him as one of the managing officers of the bank. I asked him how it came that he was there, and he told me that he had been associated in the banking business for a number of years. The position which he had obtained did not in the least effect his pride and he possessed the same spirit, which manifested itself so agreeably in his school days. He said he had been helped, and that it was his desire to help others as he had been helped--that was his attitude in the banking business. Instead of possessing the ordinary cold and distant attitude of the average banker, he was the opposite. In his former work among the stockmen of the Northwest he acquired a large acquaintance, and they all thought a great deal of him, and had confidence in the institution with which he was connected. They rather preferred to deal with a bank with which he was connected.

Your friends often determine whether you are to be a success or a failure.

PLAN No. 691. WONDER COVERS

“Wonder covers” for rolling-pin and bread-board are the invention of a Maine woman, but anybody can make them. For the rolling-pin, the cover is of stockinette or any elastic knitted textile fabric, made to pull over the pin in a stretched-tight way, like a jersey sleeve, and tied at the open end. The other part of the equipment is a mere square of canvas (sailcloth), to lay upon the bread-board.

Provided with these covers the housewife can manipulate the softest dough without any danger of its sticking to pin or board. But before using nearly a quart of flour must be rubbed into the pin-cover the first time it is slipped over the rolling-pin, and a little flour must be rubbed into it the same way each time it is used. With careful use the covers will stay clean a long time. When necessary to wash them, it should be done with cool water and a small scrubbing brush. Then they may be ironed. But the flour should be thoroughly washed out of them before they are ironed.

PLAN No. 692. CHICKEN CANNED

Down in Alabama a woman makes a living by taking orders for canned chicken and chicken by-products.

She puts one pound of meat in a number 2 can, and the gravy adds from 4 to 8 ounces, and she receives 80 cents a can for it. She claims that at this price she makes good money and she does so by using the best of soup meat in soups and gumbo. One rooster by this method brought her $3.50.

The above price might be increased, and a little advertising and personal sales work would develop a good business in any town.

PLAN No. 693. A GOOD FARMER USES OTHER PEOPLE’S FARMS

A young farmer was limited in capital and could not buy a good farm, so he purchased a few acres in a good district and went to work.

He soon found that the farmers in his neighborhood did not understand their business.

He took over a large neglected orchard for a crop arrangement and in a short time had contracted for land for two to three years that the farmers were neglecting, which gave him a large farm.

He went to work and in several years not only made a good saving but was able to finance himself for a farm of his own.

PLAN No. 694. STARTED A CLOTHING STORE

This young fellow was, from a business standpoint, about helpless. He was born and raised in the Old Country. When he made application to relatives who ran a department store for employment, he did not possess any qualities that they could use. They gave him work for two weeks, during which time he must find a position elsewhere. At the end of two weeks he managed to stay another four weeks. He realized he must do something. He had no capital, but he decided to rent a store building in the poor end of town. After hours he went about getting all the old clothes he could collect from door to door.

He cleaned the old suits as best he could and offered them for sale at a low price. He worked night and day, taking but little time for sleep, and he soon began to make sales from his stock of old suits.

He obtained the assistance of another poor fellow who wanted to help him. In a few months he was able to pay his help a regular salary. Twelve months from the time started in business he had a fine stock of clothing on hand and was employing four salesmen and making a good profit.

Thrift coupled, with a good plan, will make a success every time. The young man I have mentioned above had a very poor appearance, was not educated, and had much to overcome, but his willingness to sacrifice clothes, amusements and even food and sleep for a good plan brought him permanent business in a remarkably short time.

PLAN No. 695. CLOTHES CLINIC

She had a family of six and she was the sole support of the home. All six children were too young to work. The mother was ambitious for their education and determined to do all that was possible to give them all the educational advantages of other children.

To begin with, she had some old clothes on hand, and she soon became very skilful in making them over into handsome suits for the boy and pretty dresses for the girls. In fact, her children were the best dressed of any in their school. Their clothes all had the appearance of being made by a tailor. She dyed their shoes and made hats, coats, dresses, underwear, neckwear and stockings. She became familiar with dying and learned to remove stains from clothing.

People soon learned of her skill in this work. She arranged to teach other mothers her art and received a good income every year from this source. She would also, for a certain sum, take an old suit or dress and help the mothers plan and cut out the kind of dress or suit it could be made into.

During the war-time her work became very popular, as lots of good material was found in old garments. Her specialty enabled her to assist others to make a great saving in the home every year.

The government offered good assistance in this work during the war. The Board of Vocational Education, Washington, D. C., puts out a pamphlet on “Clothes for the Family” that would be an asset in any home. During the war, in different parts of the country, there have been fashion shows of clothes which were made from old garments. In one instance a pretty little dress was made from a pink woolen nightgown.

This should be an excellent specialty for any ambitious woman. Clothes should not be wasted when there is so much poverty.

A man and wife could base substantial and profitable business on the above lines. Among the well-to-do, old clothing consisting of excellent cloth can be purchased for a song. These garments can be made into first-class outfits, by proper cleaning and tailoring, and sold at a good profit.

PLAN No. 696. PROFIT FROM ONE PIG, $587

A Tennessee boy in May, 1918, invested $50 in a pure-bred gilt, and now figures his profits at $587.35. She farrowed seven pigs, part of which the boy sold for $133. With this money he purchased a boar of excellent breeding, which he exhibited at the East Tennessee Division Fair, winning the grand championship of the breed over all exhibits. He won $87 in prizes, $45 of it in competition with experienced farmers. His animals are now valued at $525. This, with the money from sales and prizes-winnings, amounts to $745, from which he deducts $157.65 for feed and care, leaving a profit of $587.35.

This plan would certainly pay a boy’s way through high school, besides giving him a knowledge of stock raising that would be invaluable.

PLAN No. 697. GIRL MAKES 3,000 GALLONS OF SYRUP

A home demonstrator, who a few years ago was a member of one of the canning clubs under the direction of the United States Department of Agriculture, in connection with the state college, now owns and operates an evaporator for the benefit of the farmers of New Kent County, Va. In the past season 3,000 gallons of canned syrup or sorghum have gone from her little plant. She says the turning out of thirty to forty gallons a day has been easy and pleasant work.

Why not start this business in your community?

PLAN No. 698. THE BEST BEDBUG PREPARATION

The effectiveness of various exterminators of bedbugs is described in Bulletin 707, issued by the United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., embodying the results of experiments by the Bureau of Entomology. Hydrocarbon oil sprays (kerosene, gasoline, etc.) were found to be effective against bedbugs, killing, in most cases, 100 per cent within forty-eight hours; coal-tar creosote emulsions were effective, when used undiluted, but their effectiveness fell very rapidly when they were diluted; mercuric chlorid, as a dust and a 6-per-cent-water solution, was found to kill 100 per cent; pyrethrum was found to be very effective, while pyrethrum stems were of little or no practical value; tobacco powders were to be found of little or no value, and hellebore to be absolutely ineffective.

Why not put this up and give it a name and create a demand for it?

PLAN No. 699. BUILT HER HOME ON $40 SALARY

“How I paid for my home: As a girl, seven years ago, I built a seven-room modern house costing $3,500. My income at that time was $40 a month, as I worked as a maid in one of the best families. I built the house as a home for myself. When I started to build I had the lot paid for and $700 cash as first payment. The rest of the debt was paid at $35 or more per month. It never involved any hardships, and I was quite often praised for owning such a fine house.

“When the house was finished I rented it for $36 a month, so as to make better payments, and it did not take long before the house was paid for and was mine.

“The foundation is 36x44 feet; there are seven large rooms on the first floor, four closets, a linen closet, bath, large front and back porches, a half basement with hot-air furnace, laundry with stationary tubs, storeroom, coal bin with air-tight chute. The attic is finished and the walls of the house are built strong enough to add another story if desired.

“Owning a home not only proved a good investment but gave me real satisfaction. I was highly respected and well esteemed by my neighbors and people in general.

“My experience may show that any man or woman can own a home, even with a small income, with a little saving and a plan.”

PLAN No. 700. RECEIVED $100 PER MONTH FOR 40 YEARS

An income of $100 a month is not out of the ordinary, but when that income has been steady and all saved for forty years, it means a great deal.

He was a farmer, and never had the opportunity of a high school or college, but in spite of this handicap he made a success.

He stayed with his father until he was 23, at which time he decided to go in for himself. So he took up a homestead in Minnesota. The first year he put up his shack, 12x16 feet, and broke forty acres of land. His brother took up an adjoining farm.

It was discouraging in those days, he said. It was a long way from the railroad and people. One ox, an old cow and a plow were all they had to work with, all other farm implements they made themselves. Wheat and oats were the crops, and 25 bushels per acre was the first yield, and 70 cents was the price they received. The first year they saved about $300. The second year they broke and planted forty more acres and saved $800.

In ten years’ time the railroad was built, the farm was all under cultivation and a saving of $6,000 was made. Then along came a man with $12,000 and paid this amount for the farm. With the $6,000 he had saved, he now was worth $18,000.

This man has always followed the plan of pioneering. Not only has he and his brother done so but his son also, and he is now up in the Alberta country farming a large piece of land.

A plan like the above, coupled with thrift, will never fail. He stated to me that he has lost but little during the forty years, and has saved more than $100 a month during his forty years of farming.

If you want to homestead go to the United States land office and they will tell you how much land is subject to be homesteaded.

PLAN No. 701. DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A PLUMBER

My conception of a plumber has always been a husky, dirty-faced fellow who is full of independence and presenting an exorbitant bill for his services. But my impressions were changed when I met Bert.

Before going into the plumbing and heating business he sold pumps and windmills. He came to the city, and this is the way he became a first-class plumber in one year without previous experience:

He started a repair shop of his own, went out with a soldering iron and got the business. When he took a repair job he took his time and carefully figured out how the plumber put his work together, and after a year of careful study and some experiments of his own he took contracts for plumbing. He made a special effort to do the work right so there could be no complaint about it afterward. He spared no pains and never allowed himself to hurry or slight his work. If he used more time than the job justified, he made an allowance for that. When he heard of a person “knocking” his work, he called on him at once and tried to satisfy him and make him a booster instead. He also put in heating plants which work was very profitable.

His profits were $10 a day the year round, and he plans to make it run $20 a day the coming year. His business is only an ordinary and modest little plumbing and heating concern in the outskirts of a city of 100,000. There is nothing impossible in his plan. He works regularly eight hours every day and likes his work.

PLAN No. 702. REPRESENT LOCAL WEEKLIES

He represented a list of local weeklies, running from forty to sixty in number. Through the Type Foundry Association this space can be secured very cheap, something like 3 cents an inch per paper, costing to our man to run and advertisement in forty papers the sum of $1.20.

He went over all the newspapers and publications that covered his immediate territory and clipped from them all the classified advertisements or display ads. that looked to have a prospect for business. This clipping was pasted to a form letter, which he had prepared, calling attention to the advantages of these forty papers to his proposition. His price to them was $7.00 for the entire list, one time. An order of one inch meant a profit to him of $5.80.

His net profits for orders--and this is always cash business--nets him more than $100 a month. There is room for this business in every city of over 50,000 population in the United States. The letter-writing does not take over one hour a day, and he mails about eight letters per day.

This is a good business for a woman at home or a man could use it to great advantage during his spare time.

PLAN No. 702B. WINDOW-WASHING AND HOUSE-CLEANING

When he came to city he “was down and out.” He was a capable fellow, but owing to domestic trouble he worried and drank a good deal. He was in this shape when I first met him. He got a job washing windows and kept at it. His employer knew nothing about window-washing or house-cleaning--he was a business-getter instead--and finally as he was unable to pay this man for his labor, he turned the business over to him in payment for his services.

He quit drinking when the state went dry. He then saw great possibilities in the window-washing and house-cleaning business. He could do the work himself, and if those he hired did not do their work properly he was quick to see it and let them go.

He would contract for the year to wash windows for an entire building at something like 15 to 20 cents a window. He would go over all the windows once every month. His arrangement was cheaper than having the janitor do it. He also contracted to wash the halls and elevator shaft. He got business where others could not. He and the men he hired knew how to work.

When he had an unusually dirty job he used the following combinations with great success: Citrus powder, three-fourths part; Wyandott powder, one-fourth part; softsoap about the size of a hen’s egg in a bucket of water. This solution was allowed to stand over night. When a place was real dirty he went over it at least three times, washing with the grain of the wood. He was especially careful to see that no streaky work was done in the washing of walls, etc. He washed a square place at a time and was particular to see that the sides and corners were as clean as the center, then when the next square was done there was no overlapping of several inches. He was also careful to see that the base-boards of the room were clean, especially the corners and bottom, which if neglected always remain unclean in appearance.

It is true that his work is not regarded as a high calling, but he believed that if his work did not reflect credit on him, he would reflect credit on it by performing his services well. He also cleaned houses, using a vacuum cleaner.

His business is very profitable and produces for him a very good living.

PLAN No. 703. WHAT ONE GARDEN PAID

Records of the boys’ and girls’ club work of the United States Department of Agriculture are full of instances of boys and girls who grew more than enough vegetables for their home tables and who either canned the surplus or sold the remainder at a profit not to be sneezed at.

For instance, Thomas Bresnan, of Springfield, Illinois, a lad of 15, made a net profit of $283 on a garden that was 310x410 feet.

Thomas had a hard time with worms, but he learned how to fight them. His garden was so far away that when he needed lime he carried a heavy sack of it three and one-half miles from Springfield. Some of the lime spilled out and got into his eyes, and Thomas got mad and quit, but only until he talked with his club leader, then he went in again and won, as above mentioned.

PLAN No. 704. FATHER LEARNS A NEW TRICK

Early frosts are the bane of the tomato grower. When a severe one seemed due one February night in Florida, both a little girl, who had one-tenth of an acre planted, and her father, who had three, got busy covering up their plants. “Father” put tomato baskets over the plants to protect them, and so did Anna, but she did not stop at that; she placed a handful of soil on top of each of her baskets. It required some time, but it was time well spent, for when the baskets were removed Anna’s plants were just as fresh as before the freeze, while “Father’s” had suffered considerably. When the first picking was made in the latter part of March, her father gathered thirteen crates from his three acres, while the girl gathered eleven from one-tenth acre, from which a net profit of $175 was made.

PLAN No. 705. GROWS THIRTY-ONE VEGETABLES IN HIS HOME GARDEN

Among the striking examples of individual achievement in home gardening that have been reported to the United State Department of Agriculture, is that of George A. Williams, an employe of the Government Pension Office in Washington.

Despite the handicap caused by the loss of an arm, Mr. Williams last season grew thirty-one varieties of vegetables in his home garden of slightly less than one-fifth of an acre. He sold in his neighborhood vegetables worth $326, in addition to those used by his family of four persons.

Despite the success in this instance, the Department of Agriculture does not advise home-gardeners to strive for a great variety of crops, but to concentrate their efforts on a few.

Did you find it hard to get ahead last year? If so, perhaps your back yard will put your effort on the profit side.

PLAN No. 706. WHAT A GIRL NEARLY BLIND DID

Of all the stories of girls’ efforts that have come to the United States Department of Agriculture, none tells of more devoted work than that of a Berkshire County, Massachusetts, girl, who is blind in one eye and losing the sight of the other.

She raised a pig when the government called for more meat, and when the army called for fruit pits to make gas-masks, the number of stones she gathered was the second largest individual number in the country. And she cultivated a garden successfully when the government told the necessity for more food production.

“I was very much interested in club work this year, and I was very happy while working in my garden,” wrote this girl in her story. “I knew that all the time I was working in my garden I was helping Uncle Sam.”

Except a few furrows turned by her father, where the land was particularly rough, all the work in her garden was done by the girl, and in addition she helped her father in his food plot. Between the lines in her report may be read some of her difficulties.

“The greatest delight my pig had,” she wrote, “was jumping the fence and rooting in my garden.”

But nothing daunted her, and the surplus products of her work, stored for the family’s winter use, made a fine showing.

When the father is having a hard time to make both ends meet the children can do a great deal to put the home on a successful basis and receive an education while doing so.

PLAN No. 707. SAVING EGGS IS PUBLIC SERVICE

The storing of eggs during the season of greatest production, when they are the cheapest in price, becomes a public service by making them available during the season of scarcity of fresh eggs. There are two approved processes for storage; the first is the water-glass method, and the second is the lime-water method.

Water-glass Method: For 30 dozen eggs, use two 5-gallon crocks (capacity, 15 dozen eggs each.) Take 18 quarts of water that has been boiled and cooled. Mix it with 2 quarts of sodium silicate. Place eggs as collected, fresh and clean, in crocks, keeping covered to a depth of at least 2 inches with water glass solution. Keep in a cool, dry place. Eggs preserved in this way remain perfectly wholesome, maintain full food value and are perfectly edible for from six to nine months.

Lime-water Method: Place 3 pounds of unslacked lime in 5 gallons of water and let it stand until the lime settles and the liquid is clear. Use same as water-glass. This method is recommended when water-glass cannot be obtained; it is good, though not quite as reliable as the other.

The above was published in the Extension News Service by State College of Washington.

Every egg raiser should know when is the time eggs will bring the best price and save them until that time.

Following the above simple suggestion alone would make the egg a profit-maker.

PLAN No. 708. MONEY IN POULTRY

It is strange that the people generally do not avail themselves of the great opportunity the United States Government gives them in poultry. Write the Department of Agriculture at Washington, D. C., and tell them you want a catalog of all publications they have which will help you to raise chickens in town, city or country and you will be surprised at the great amount of information at once available to you. This information will save you several years’ unsuccessful experimenting and bring you to your goal--a successful chicken-raiser--at a much earlier date. The following are samples of what can be done by those who make poultry raising a study.

PLAN No. 709. WHAT ONE WOMAN DOES

To prove that there is profit in poultry raising, let me cite the case of Mrs. George L. Russell, of Missouri, whose husband had maintained all along that her hens were an expense instead of a profit. He was giving all his attention to some brood-mares in which he had invested $2,000.

In defense of her hens Mrs. Russell kept a set of books for a year and proved by the actual figures that the money she had invested in poultry was paying a better dividend than the money her husband had invested in brood mares.

Last year she had a flock of 365 Brown Leghorn hens and cleared $1,782.91, besides adding $200 worth of extra stock to her flock. Her husband isn’t complaining anymore.

To his wife Mr. Russell gives all credit for the success of their poultry business. “It has been a life-saver for me,” he said.

PLAN No. 710. ANOTHER CHICKEN RAISER

Mrs. H. A. Hume, of Tecumseh, Kansas, turned $150 worth of feed into $427.16 worth of chickens, at market prices, this year, besides the eggs she produced from 140 hens. She has demonstrated what can be done on a general farm with poultry as a side line. She breeds a good laying strain of White Leghorns.

PLAN No. 711. MAKES GOOD PROFIT

A California woman states in a letter the following: “Last month I turned $275 worth of feed into $667 worth of eggs.”

If it is possible for these people to do this, it is possible for you, or any other poultryman, to make good money out of your poultry if they are properly handled.

PLAN No. 712. ARTICLES YOU CAN MAKE AND SELL

The following articles could be made by you and sold. They are necessary to the household and will appeal to the housewife.

Each article is easily made up. Give a name to your article so that you may have the advantage of repeat orders. To commence with you will have to solicit your work. You will find that a neat pamphlet telling of the value of your article distributed two or three days before you call will be a great assistance to you.

PLAN No. 713. SHOWER BATH

A very simple, convenient and cheap arrangement for a home-made shower bath has been built by a woman. Take a 2-gallon tin bucket, punch a hole in the bottom of it, and solder in the opening a piece of metal piping 2 inches long. Attach to the pipe a 4-foot length of rubber tube, with a sprayer from a garden watering-pot on the end. Tie to the handle of the bucket a piece of rope and run the latter through a staple driven into a wall at a suitable height, thus making a pulley by which the bucket can be raised or lowered to meet the convenience of the person using the shower. Drive a hook below the staple so that the rope can be fastened to it to hold the bucket in place. A good-size wash tub placed beneath the bucket will serve for the person to stand in. To cut off the water a clothespin pinched on to the rubber tube will do. The cost of the shower bath will be as follows:

2-gallon tin bucket .50 12 feet of rope .07 Rubber tube and connections 1.50 Piping .10 Stock .10 Staple .10 ---- 1.87

PLAN No. 714. DUSTLESS MOP

Another of the conveniences showing a woman’s ingenuity is a dustless mop for painted or polished floors. The mop is made from old stocking legs cut into 12-inch lengths and slashed into strips an inch wide up to within 4 inches of the tops. For a handle cut the straw from a worn out broom. Take a large wooden button and cover it with several thicknesses of stocking, then fold the tops of the stockings so that they radiate from a common center and screw them to the end of the broom handle through the button. Tie twine several times around it just below the button. The mop is then dipped into a solution of one-half cup of paraffin and one cup of coal oil (kerosene) and allowed to dry. Keep moist by rolling tightly and pressing into a paper bag.

PLAN No. 715. SCRUBBING CHARIOT

Another woman’s invention is the scrubbing chariot, and it is one of the cleverest of labor-savers. This consists of a comfortable, padded frame on rollers, which enables the housewife, in wiping floors, to roll herself about and do her scrubbing with ease and comfort and save a great many steps. An ordinary soap box can be used for this by cutting down the sides to about five inches high and knocking out one side. Padding made of burlap will make it comfortable when kneeling, and the whole thing is placed on four rollers and stands just the height of the rollers off the floor. On one side of it should be screwed a dish for soap and on the other a rack for the scrubbing brush.

PLAN No. 716. ICELESS REFRIGERATOR

This iceless refrigerator was made by a woman, and its cost was practically nothing. It stands in a tub of water and on the top shelf is a pan of water. A canton flannel covering should be made and hung smooth side outward, tied closely at the bottom, buttoned securely down one side, and the top laid in the pan of water with a weight to hold it. Of course, with this arrangement the cloth keeps itself continually wet with water supplied from the pan on top and from the tub in which it stands.

The central post should be substantial, with a large heavy base so that it will not tip. Two shelves 12 inches apart will hold the milk, butter, etc., and a third shelf at the top is necessary to hold the can of water. Keep the refrigerator in a shady place where air will circulate around it freely. On dry, hot days a temperature of 50 degrees can be obtained in this refrigerator if plenty of water is kept in the pan and in the tub.

PLAN No. 717. FOLDING IRONING-BOARD

This ironing-board is a step-saver. Being hinged to the wall, it is always ready and in place. It may be hooked up against the wall when not in use. The leg (braced) is hinged to the board and falls flat when the board is lifted. With it down and in use the leg is not in the way and skirts may be ironed without lifting or changing. The directions for making are as follows: The ironing-board is 57 inches long and rounded at the free end and should be made of thoroughly seasoned wood, 1¹⁄₂ inches in thickness.

Its width at its attached end is 15 inches, at the free end 10¹⁄₂ inches. The leg (brace) is 56¹⁄₂ inches if the board is attached to the wall at 33 inches from the floor. If the board is higher the leg is longer. Attach the leg to the board 11 inches from its free end, by hinges.

The board should be padded with any heavy material such as cotton flannel or a blanket, and brought to the under side of the board and tacked smoothly in place. The ironing-sheet should be 4 inches wider than the board with tapes on opposite sides about 10 inches apart to tie it in place.

PLAN No. 718. SOLDERING KIT

An outfit for repair work by women in their homes is useful and will save considerable time and expense. The equipment includes a soldering iron, a small brush, a file, sandpaper or a brick to rub the iron clean and to clean the surfaces to be repaired, a porcelain or stoneware cup, and from the hardware store get 10 cents worth of muriatic acid, some zinc points, such as glaziers use, and some solder. Soldering flux is a solution of zinc in crude muriatic acid. To make it put half a teaspoonful of muriatic acid in the cup and add one zinc point. Be sure not to spill any on your clothes. It is used to tin the soldering iron and also for brushing the tin and soldering surfaces so that the solder will adhere to the tin.

While iron is heating, thoroughly clean the vessel to be mended, by scraping down to the bare metal, then brush over it with the flux. When your iron is heated, clean it free from soot or dirt with sandpaper or other means, then dip it into the flux in the cup and at the same time hold the solder to it, and the end of the iron will become covered with the solder, which is called “tinning” it. For small holes this is all the solder needed. Just touch the tinned iron to the hole and it is filled. For larger holes more solder is needed. For a still larger hole a zinc point can be laid on the hole and fluxed, then solder applied. A hot iron and clean surface will insure good work.

PLAN No. 719. WOMEN MAKE GOOD COW-TESTERS

The twenty-seven women now employed as cow-testers by some of the 353 cow-testing associations in this country have not only done satisfactory work, but have achieved results above the average, according to dairy specialists of the United States Department of Agriculture.

The main reason why women have begun to do this work is the scarcity of cow-testers. Most of the testers at work when the war began were young men, and many of them are now in military service. Because of the shortage of workers the past year has seen the number of cow-testing associations (organizations of farmers who want to keep records of their herds) decrease for 472 to 353, although there has been an increased demand for such associations, and it is believed the number could easily be doubled if enough testers were available. The work does not require great physical strength. It does demand some training, but this is easily acquired by women.

The first woman cow-tester in the United States, Miss Bessie Lipsitz, began work less than three years ago, with a cow-testing association in Grant County, Wisconsin. Wisconsin now has eighteen women cow-testers, Iowa six and three other states have one each.

Considering that the testers get free board and lodging, the pay is thought to be satisfactory. The women cow-testers are paid the same as men and receive from $50 to $75 a month, besides board and lodging. Conveyance to the next farm is furnished in some associations, while in others the tester provides her own conveyance and the farmers furnish free stable room and feed for her horse.

The employment of women as cow-testers came as a war measure. To keep the work on a satisfactory basis, women must continue to receive the same pay as the men for the same work. Occasionally there may be an association in which it would not be advisable for a woman to work, but if such is the case, the fault is with the association and not with the woman cow-tester.

How to obtain more testers is a serious problem. Partially disabled soldiers, in some cases, may be induced to take the necessary training and enlist for the work. In some sections young men below the draft age have been employed, and the results have been satisfactory. The most radical step, however, and the one that promises the most far-reaching and immediate results, is the employment of women as cow-testers.

PLAN No. 720. SUPPORTS FAMILY BY HOME CANNING

The sale of her canned fruits and vegetables has enabled a woman in Albemarle County, Virginia, to feed and clothe her eight children the last two years. When war was declared her eldest son enlisted in the navy. In a few months the second son went into the army, and the mother was left to wrestle with the problem of providing three meals a day for the eight younger brothers and sisters. About this time the home-demonstration agent of the United States Agricultural College was teaching the women in that locality how to can. With a garden that could raise plenty of fruit and vegetables, and with wild fruit to be had for the picking, the mother of ten decided that therein lay the solution of her problem. Results have proved that her judgment was right. Thousands of cans of fruit and vegetables have been put up and sold from this country home. One lot, which the home demonstration agent helped her sell, brought $125. This plan made a living for a mother and eight children.

PLAN No. 721. GIRL MAKES $98 FROM NINE HATCHES

Little girls who have to help themselves to go through high school can often accomplish it by raising chickens.

A little girl in Orange County, Virginia, borrowed money to buy nine settings of eggs. On this venture her first year’s work netted a profit of $98, and she has three roosters left.

There is no reason why your little girl should not have a few chickens and help swell the family income.

PLAN No. 722. MOUNTAINEER WOMAN CANS TO KEEP TEN CHILDREN IN SCHOOL

Knowledge of how to can products that will command a ready sale is enabling a mother in the hills of Virginia, to keep her ten children in school. Schoolbooks and clothes cost money, but this ambitious mother was determined that her children were to have schooling if it were possible.

Late in the fall, with a 2-horse wagon loaded with her canned fruit and vegetables, this woman of the hills drove 20 miles to the home-demonstration agent’s headquarters. She brought 30 gallons of apple butter, 376 quarts canned tomatoes, 8 quarts ripe tomato catsup, 8 quarts green tomato catsup, 12 quarts succotash, 36 quarts soup mixture, 12 quarts okra, 12 quarts fox grape preserves, 48 No. 2 cans string beans, 36 cans (No. 2) corn, 48 quarts peaches, 48 quarts blackberries, 12 quarts butterbeans, 12 quarts squash, 2 quarts damson preserves, and 8 quarts green tomato and mince meat to be sold.

Through the co-operation of the home-demonstration agent, the wagon was emptied in a short time in the university town, and the little boys and girls up in the hills will have shoes and schoolbooks this winter as a result.

PLAN No. 723. SUCCESS IN POULTRY WORK

All poultry raisers, especially girls should receive encouragement and inspiration from the record made by this girl. Her experience demonstrates the wide possibilities for poultry paying a girl’s way through school, making worth-while trips, purchasing their clothes, and having spending money for other purposes. With an original investment of $17.50 for a pen of Barred Plymouth Rocks, this girl in one season--her first year in poultry work--made a net profit of $370.50.

According to her own story, she bought her original stock just a few days before Christmas, in 1917, giving the local bank a note for $17.50. Her birds began to lay a month later. From January 25 to October 17 the original pen of pullets laid 650 eggs.

The first nine eggs she received from the flock were used as a setting, from which were hatched and raised seven chicks. From these she selected her chickens, which later took prizes at the tri-state and county fairs. From her first 100 eggs set she hatched 92 chickens. From the next 125 eggs set, 110 chickens were hatched. During the season she raised 170 chickens.

According to her account these results were not obtained without work and some hard luck. For example, a mink visited the flock on the night of the 4th of July and killed twelve of the biggest chickens. Hawks in the neighborhood seemed to have a fondness for her chicks, and carried off their share.

Last September she sent two pens of her chickens to the tri-state fair, where they won first and second prizes. The following month she exhibited them at the county fair, and won first prize, which was $20. She now has a flock of fifty selected pullets and eight cockerels, in addition to her original pen.

In spite of the losses from the mink and all charges, she made a good profit. All the grain fed came from her father’s farm, but was charged at market prices, the total cost of feed amounting to $40. The cost of the original chickens, interest and express, brought the expenses of the season to $59.50. From the sale of settings of eggs, chickens sold, prizes, and value of stock on hand, a total of $430 is credited to her work. When expenses are deducted, there is a total net profit for one year of $370.50.

PLAN No. 724. BUSY BEES WITH BUSY BOYS OR GIRLS MEAN MUCH HONEY

Bee raising by boys or girls received special encouragement during the past year from the Department of Agriculture and the state agricultural colleges because the honey produced aided materially in relieving the sugar shortage. Plenty of cane sugar is now in sight, but the young people seem to have no intention of ceasing in their efforts to produce honey. They and their families have acquired a taste for the delicacy, and hot biscuits minus honey don’t taste the same any more. Then, too, there is a ready sale at a good price for all the surplus honey one can produce.

The parents co-operated with the young people in the study of modern methods and plans for bee raising. Comb-honey only had been produced heretofore, as little had been known of extracted honey or how to manage colonies producing it. The parents were willing to secure modern equipment for the children, and to move the bees from old crooked combs in poor boxes and hives to modern 10-frame hives. When the colonies began to produce well, the children united in the purchase of a complete extracting outfit.

With honey selling 20 to 30 cents a pound in some markets, keeping bees is a business by which boys or girls can make fair incomes without the expenditure of much work or time.

Two of the largest producers in Lyon County were boys of 17. One boy with seven colonies produced over 500 pounds in the 1918 season. The other, with fifteen colonies, took from his hives 858 pounds. With an initial investment of $15, one of the smallest boys in the club, working in the country at extracting time, found 100 pounds in his contest hive and sixty pounds in the other. A third member cleared $40 from the season’s work, besides supplying the family table.

PLAN No. 725. LOST--A COMMON FACTORY-HAND; FOUND--A GOOD FOOD PRODUCER

Four years ago a boy in Massachusetts faced what would have seemed even to an adult a hard problem. Born in Italy, but thoroughly inoculated with American ideas of the necessity of education, James was told by his father while in the 8th grade that he could no longer be kept in school. His future path was to lie toward the near-by factory.

Believing, because of his garden-club experience under the auspices of the local leader of the United States Department of Agriculture, that he could earn as much by potato raising outside of school hours as he could in a factory by devoting his whole time, he finally obtained permission from his father to try it. So successful was he that summer that his father was willing that he should enter the 9th grade in the fall.

The next spring the superintendent let him have land to use for a large garden. To ten boys he had selected from the upper grammar grades he made the proposition to pay so much an hour and to give each a garden plot. The following excellent advice he offered to them in addition: “If you are going to quit, quit now while it is cool and not when it is hot next August.”

By fall he had decided that enough could be earned in the summer to enable him to attend high school and the agricultural college later. Now a junior in high school, he has a good-size hot-house under lease, where he raises cabbages, cauliflower, and tomato plants; he owns an auto truck to handle his produce, and he has a bank account and pays his bills by check.

With all the school and business cares, he still has time to look after the school welfare of his younger brothers and sisters, visiting their teachers and watching their progress.

A factory hand, probably only a mediocre one, has been lost, but a good food producer has been gained through the vision given James by his experience in raising a garden. If you are in a factory this example will give you hope.

PLAN No. 726. A BOY’S BIG PROFIT ON ONE PIG

From Blackwell, Texas, comes the report of the worth-while achievement of a 15-year-old boy, Kenneth Campbell. This little live-wire pig-raiser sent his pig to the Fort Worth Fat Stock Show. It turned out to be the grand champion barrow of the whole exhibit. It won $105 in prizes and sold for $115. The initial cost of this prize-winner was $5 and $34.60 was spent for feed; leaving a net profit of $180.40.

It is a fine thing to teach your boy to-day, while you are with him, how to support himself in an independent way. Would your boy know how to do something himself, if you were gone? A knowledge of how to make his way is worth more to him than your money when you are gone.

PLAN No. 727. WHAT A UTAH GIRL DID

“I am going to take the first prize in gardening away from the boys at the Utah State Fair in 1919,” is the challenge of a 15-year-old girl member of a boys’ and girls’ club in Salt Lake County, Utah, conducted under the direction of the United States Department of Agriculture and the state agricultural college. It looks as if her prediction may come true, for already this industrious girl has made a rather remarkable record. She began at the age of 11, and in the first year her exhibits took first prize at the grade school, first prize at the high school, and second prize at the state fair. When she finishes her course at the high school she is going to enter the Utah agricultural college.

In addition to plowing, harrowing, and leveling sixty acres of land and helping her father with other farm operations--doing for him all that a boy of her age could do and much more than many boys would be willing to do--this young food producer this year raised and sold an abundance of garden produce; put up 600 quarts of fruit and vegetables, besides drying a quantity of them; raised 100 chickens, knitted socks for soldier relatives overseas, and bought Liberty Bonds to back them up. But let her tell her own story:

HELPED PLANT 1,500 FRUIT TREES

“I was born and raised in Salt Lake City. When I was eight years old my father moved to his farm in Pleasant Green near Utah Copper Mills and Garfield Smelter, Salt Lake County, Utah. It was covered with sage brush and rock, which had to me removed.

“The following spring we cleared a part of the land and planted 1,500 fruit trees. We also engaged in truck farming that season. I, the oldest girl of a very large family, assisted my father in every way I could. He always enjoyed instructing me, and he explained every little question I asked him. He taught me how to plant small seeds by mixing them with sand, scattering it along the trench and covering with a hoe. Also he taught me how to plant vegetables and how to cultivate. We raised an abundance of tomatoes, cabbages, cauliflower, peppers, egg plant, and also 1,600 bushels of carrots and 200 bushels of potatoes.

“The next year I assisted again, and the following year--I was then eleven years old--he gave me a small space of my own, which he plowed for me. He made me plant everything myself, also do the weeding and hoeing. I raised an amount of garden truck and took it to town and sold it. The next year--at the age of twelve--I was attending school in Hunter when they started a boys’ and girls’ club. When I joined, my father said I would have to learn to plow, so he bought me an 8-inch plow. I plowed about half an acre; then he allowed me to drive three horses with a sulky plow. I plowed twenty acres for him that year and mowed thirty-three acres of alfalfa hay. My sister raked it, and we all bunched it and I helped stack it. I raised nine different kinds of tomatoes, six different kinds of peppers, cauliflower, cabbages, and peanuts, and seventy-two different kinds of flowers. I took first prize at the grade school and first prize at the high school and second prize at the state fair.”

PLOWED SIXTY ACRES HERSELF

“Last year I plowed, leveled and harrowed thirty acres and cut all father’s hay, put up 300 quarts of fruit and vegetables and had a war garden. This year I plowed sixty acres all myself, harrowed and leveled it--wheat, alfalfa and beets--and helped father plant and cut and irrigate. I have put up fruit and vegetables--600 quarts--besides drying fruit and vegetables, and have baked the bread, and on Saturday and after school I have to plow until the ground freezes up, and finish in the spring, 1919. I am going to take the first prize away from the boys in gardening, in the Utah state fair.

“I attend the Cypress High School. When I finish there I am going to go to the Utah Agricultural College.”

RAISED ONE HUNDRED CHICKENS

“I also raised 100 chickens this year. I joined the Soldiers of the Soil, and with $15 I borrowed in June I bought 105 baby chickens and raised 100 of them. In June, 1919, I will pay off my note. I am going to market all my roosters and keep the pullets. I could pay the note now, but I am going to lend it to Uncle Sam on the Fourth Liberty Bond for our boys over there. I have found time to knit socks for some of my cousins over on the firing line.”

PLAN No. 728. 33 ACRES, 23 PIGS, GIVE BOYS $2,255.64

Twenty-three boys under 16 years of age, in a Haywood County, Tennessee, pig club, each bought a pig. The average weight of the pigs was 78 pounds. Most of them were registered. In 180 days they attained a weight of 266 pounds each, at a cost for feed of 10¹⁄₂ cents a pound. These pigs at the time of the local pig club show were worth 15 cents a pound, at market prices, making a profit of 4¹⁄₂ cents a pound, averaging a net return to each boy of $11.97 over cost of all feed--a total gain for the club of $275.31.

Now see what the corn club in the same community has done: Thirty-three boys, 16 and under, each cultivated one acre in corn, according to instructions furnished by the county agent, produced an average of 53.1 bushels to the acre at $1.40 a bushel selling price--$74.48--making a total production for all of $2,457. Cost of raising the corn was 27¹⁄₂ cents a bushel, or a total cost of $477.51, leaving a clear profit of $1,980.33

Now add to this the pig club profits of $275.31 and you have a grand profit for the boys of $2,255.64 from thirty-three acres of land and twenty-three small pigs.

If boys can do this well what can a man thoroughly trained in farming do? The government will supply you with unlimited literature on farming if you write to them, and will give you much other assistance if you call on them.

PLAN No. 729. TEXAS BOYS MAKE MONEY FROM CALVES

“I have bought a $50 Liberty Bond and intend to use the balance to help in paying my expenses at the A. and M. College the coming term,” was the answer of a boy in Nolan County, Texas, when asked what he would do with the profit from the sale of his two prize-winning calves.

This boy, a member of an agriculture club conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Texas A. and M. College, exhibited two calves at the Fort Worth Fat Stock Show. His steer calf, a little over a year old, and weighing 950 pounds, brought $149.62, besides winning $25 in prizes. The cost of feed and other expenses was $85 for each calf, leaving a profit of $103.14 on the two, besides the $50 in prize money.

Another entry at the Fort Worth show was that of a 15-year-old club member from Sweetwater, whose calf, fourteen months old and weighing, after shrinkage, 1,060 pounds, sold for $169, after winning $20 in prizes. This young exhibitor believes in good stock, and has bought a registered Hereford calf with the proceeds.

PLAN No. 730. COW PROVIDES MUSIC LESSONS

In Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, lives a little girl who won in 1916 many prizes for farm club-work; enough in fact, to buy a calf. She sold the calf, which had grown into a cow, for $80. She plans to use the money for music lessons this winter while she is attending high school. She is proud that she is able to pay for the lessons by her own work.

PLAN No. 731. REAL ESTATE MAN BUYS SNAP

This man was engaged in real estate for years and stated that his best profit was made from special propositions that he discovered during the year.

Probably during the year he would find five or six different places that were exceptional purchases. He put but very little money in these investments as a rule, and would prepare them for early sale. He would paint the dwellings, arrange the yards, and put in trees, if needed, and if it was a farm he would wholly renovate the farm from one end to the other, painting the buildings and re-arranging the entire place. Some times it would take a year to get the farm into shape. He states that by this method, he earned as high as $2,000 to $3,000 a year.

His wife has been a very valuable assistant to him in this work, as she arranges the shrubbery and the general decoration of the house and yard for him.

PLAN No. 732. HE BOUGHT AND SOLD MERCHANDISE STORES IN THE COUNTRY TOWNS

When this man was in the university he took a literary course, but after finishing his college work, he took to business and enjoyed it thoroughly. He found quite an opportunity in the small country towns surrounding a northwestern city. He said the electric railway and railroads and automobile highways were becoming such a factor within a hundred miles of this city, and the advertising in the daily paper was practically putting out of existence the small town merchants. He said this was so manifest that many merchants were compelled to go out of business. Where he made his profits, was to buy the merchandise of these local merchants. He knew the value of their stock without making an inventory of the goods. He told them he would buy on his own judgment. Oftentimes on the purchase of the stock itself he would make more than $2,000. He would then start in, fixing up the store, rearranging everything about the place, putting in more new stock, and, as a result he made a few sales. He conducts the business for about a year and having obtained all the advantages and profits that a new store would enjoy, he gradually sells out and closes up the business.

Often while holding these stores he is enabled to make an exchange and thereby realize a nice profit. He has secured three or four stores, far removed from the paved road, railroads and electric lines, and these pay well. One plan he has adopted is when he goes into a new community to start a weekly newspaper. Through this he carries all of his advertising and the news of the community.

I saw him about six months ago, and he has made in six years more than $30,000 in this work. His farm lands and four stores insure him a good income. This is a good business in the surroundings of any large city.

PLAN No. 733. GIRL FROM SMALL COUNTRY TOWN EARNS HER WAY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL

She earned her way through high school by placing an ad. in the Sunday Newspaper, stating that she would be glad to exchange, for her work, room and board, as she desired to attend school and wanted to be with a respectable family. This method is followed by hundreds of girls from the country and when the summer vacation comes, she does certain farm work, whereby she is enabled to make some extra money, and in this way, makes enough money to pay her expenses while she is at high school.

Families that have a couple of small children are glad to avail themselves of such an opportunity, and often a girl finds a good home.

PLAN No. 734. GRAIN SUPERVISOR. SEE PLAN No. 217

PLAN No. 735. ATTORNEY USES INFORMATION BUREAU IN HIS CITY

This attorney made up his mind when entering practice that he would use as much care as possible in bringing his suits, so when a case was brought to him, he always had a complete report concerning the party against whom the suit was brought. He made it a point to know the party’s standing in the community, whether he was good or poor pay, what property he had, if he had property, what incumbrances were against it,--in fact, he knew everything about his man before he started his suit and knew very well what per cent of the judgment he would receive if he obtained same. This was business-like and it made him much money and saved him a great deal of time in useless litigation.

At the court house usually there is an information bureau, conducted by some member of the reporting company of the city which can give him a complete statement of the people’s credit. A Clipping Bureau in the city can also give additional information. The information bureau of the abstract office can tell all about the property that the party concerned owns, the obligations against it and so forth. The assessor’s office, county treasurer’s office and the clerk’s office are all able to give information. He claimed that these various avenues of information which he uses, have made him more than $1,000 to $1,200 a year.

He also runs in a few lawyer’s-directory services, holding himself ready to give reports concerning people who live in the community. For these reports he charges $2.00 or more and if the report is very long, he makes a charge of $5.00. These reports, he says, run into a considerable sum each week, which, alone, would defray all of his office expenses.

PLAN No. 736. DIVORCED WOMAN FARMS

This woman was left alone by the desertion of her husband and had two small children to take care of. She endeavored to secure a position in the city, but was unsuccessful, so she made arrangements to rent a farm two or three miles from the city, and near the electric line. It was an irrigated tract, and she went on the farm in the early spring and remained there until late in the fall.

She had had very little farming experience prior to this time, but found that she could not only make a living, but put up many preserves besides, and soon she had four or five hundred dollars to carry her through the winter.

PLAN No. 737. YOUNG LADY ON THE FARM BECAME AMBITIOUS

She became convinced that by making good cottage cheese there would be a ready sale for it, so she prepared to learn all that she could about cottage cheese making. She asked questions of all of those who made it, and she attended every meeting where she could make inquiries about making the cheese. She wrote to the Department of Agriculture for a bulletin of how to make cottage cheese on the farm. From these sources she gained much information and started making the cheese. She put it up in very pretty packages and labeled them, “Cottage Cheese from the Farm Direct to You.”

Those who ate her cottage cheese wanted more. She made a price high enough to net her a very good profit. She placed an ad. in one of the daily papers of the city and secured a good deal of business through it. She delivered her sales by parcel post.

In the beginning prior to advertising, she solicited among her friends by telephone, selecting in this manner people with whom she could get in direct touch from the farm. She secured regular customers through her friends who lived in the city in this manner, and in five or six months she had a steady demand for all the cottage cheese she could manufacture. She claims to make seven or eight hundred dollars a year in this way.

PLAN No. 738. BLUE PRINTS OF FURNITURE BECAME VERY POPULAR

This man made a specialty of making blue prints of different kinds of furniture that could be made at home. He exploited the fact that the ordinary farm conveniences could be made by the man on the farm and much money saved.

If it was a kitchen cabinet, he drew the plan and made a blue print of it, which showed how to put it together. He also wrote a letter of instructions on “What to Do and How to Do It,” and approximately the cost of making the article. He had these blue prints and letters prepared and when inquiry was made for these plans, for which he charged $1.00 each, he forwarded them at once.

There was scarcely an article of utility in the house that he did not have a blue print of, and instructions for making it, and the exact cost of materials and tools necessary to do the work. These grew very popular, and in a year’s time, by running an ad. in several of the local, country, weekly and farm papers, he was enabled to make a net profit of approximately $2,000. In the beginning he did this work on the side, but later it took up his entire time.

PLAN No. 739. RETIRED MAN GOES INTO POLITICS

This man had sold his farm and had been residing in the city for about two years without anything special to do. He became possessed of the idea that he could serve his country, city or state in some manner, so he saw one of the leading politicians of the town who gave him the following advice:

That he go to one of the local attorneys and pay him a fee of, say, $25.00 and get a complete list of all of the various offices that were open to people in that county seat, giving the names of the township offices that he might be able to fill, the requirements of each office and the salary to be derived therefrom, and the time that these offices would come up for appointment or election, also the same information relative to the county, the city, and the other towns in the county; also what offices were open in the state, with their respective salaries and the requirements of each, and a further statement from the attorney as to what appointments were open, or were available from the various congressmen and other governmental agencies. This report was submitted to him and he went over the entire field and ascertained which one aroused his interest. After making his selection, he went to the office of the county auditor and obtained leave to look over the votes that had been cast for the last few years and found that the Republicans had dominated the county for years back; so from this he determined that it was a question of getting the nomination on the Republican ticket, and this he set about to do.

First, he became familiar with the strong men of his party and also found out in what way he could be of real service to the party. In this way he ascertained what offices were short and what kind of competition he could expect. While he did not get the office that he thought he was best qualified to fill, yet there was another in which he did not encounter any competition and was nominated and elected.

The $25.00 he paid the attorney for this outline was money well invested, and he made the suggestion that any young man who desires to follow public work for a livelihood would do well to follow the advice which was so profitable to him.

Politics is like any business--one must build slowly and carefully. After he has rendered his party service for a period of years, and even though unsuccessful at the polls, there are always opportunities for him to secure appointments on certain commissions or obtain good positions through the influence of friends in the party. And receiving the above report, which has been given as a suggestion, you will be very much surprised to know how many political offices there are in your city, county, state, and nation.

PLAN No. 740. DOUGHNUTS EARN HER A HOME

She lived in a city of about 50,000 population and was absolutely dependent upon her own efforts. She chose, rather than go out to work, to earn her money from her own kitchen, if possible. She had always been complimented on the kind of doughnuts she made, and she thought that if people were as appreciative as those who had eaten her doughnuts, she would be able to make a very good income from making them. So she started making “Home-made Doughnuts;” real home-made doughnuts--no make-believe about them. She labeled them, “Mrs. Blanche’s Doughnuts.” Soon she established a reputation for them, as people began to talk about the quality of her doughnuts. They called for them at the store, and the store people wanted to buy from her, so they could fill her orders. The result was that in a few years she had bought and paid for a home in one of the best districts of the city, as well as making a good living besides.

To a woman who has a home and children, one wonders why she should prefer to go out to work when there are so many plans that she can execute in her own kitchen, and be with her family and be her own boss.

PLAN No. 741. HIDDEN COIN IN WINDOW

This is an old plan, but to those who have never seen it worked it might be suggestive of some idea.

The merchant increased the value of his store windows by means of concealing a coin or some other object and awarding the person who finds the article, a certain prize. You would be surprised at the amount of interest this attracts to a display window, and it often brings many sales. At least, it has the effect of making the windows far better advertising mediums.

PLAN No. 742. HE DREW PICTURES

If you wanted to illustrate certain subject matter in your book, this man would with his camera take an exact picture, so as to give you an idea of what his art work would be like. After taking these pictures, he would send them to a Chicago company which would put them through a process of enlarging to the desired size, leaving only the dim lines on the print, so from these he could make his drawing. This man understood art work and could lay in the lines with pen and ink in an excellent manner and was sure to meet with the satisfaction of the man with whom he was dealing. From this plan alone he was able to make a living.

PLAN No. 743. THE WAY A YOUNG BOY PAID HIS EXPENSES WHILE GOING THROUGH THE GRADE AND HIGH SCHOOL

This young man lived in the Northwest country about twenty miles from a large city. At a very early age his mother died, leaving his father with seven or eight children. His father was very cruel, and he can remember how each child, when they became old enough to think for themselves, ran away. He had three sisters, and because of the cruel treatment they had to leave. His father refused to use any farm implements other than was made by his own hands. When it came to putting the wood up in the winter, he would make all of the children go out and work with large saws until they almost dropped from exhaustion. He made a wagon to which he hitched these children and compelled them to draw the wood to the house. This kind of work continued until he was unable to stand it any longer, and he left for the city, not knowing where he was going to make his home.

He got a job working in a home, doing odd chores. He had a desire to go to school, and this privilege was allowed him, and for his keep he rendered service to the family. He was an exceptionally good boy and did his best to please the people for whom he was working, with the result that this was spoken of to others in the neighborhood. Finally a doctor’s wife became interested in him and made it possible for him to continue and devote his spare time to his school work. He realized this advantage and worked hard and made a good showing in his grade school work.

When it came to the high school, he was doubtful as to whether or not he could continue, but the good woman encouraged him further, and believing in his fidelity to his work and the great interest he manifested in his education, she decided to assist him through a high school course, in which he won an enviable reputation. He was made the president of his class and won unusual honors through his ability as a debater.

This is a good illustration of what a boy, alone in the world, can do for himself. This young man made it a point to please the persons for whom he was working, and always had in mind the giving of more service than was asked of him, and in this way he won their appreciation and their good will, and naturally made them ambitious for his future welfare.

PLAN No. 744. ELEVATOR BOY BECOMES ENGINEER

When I was in high school I knew a boy there who was engaged in the elevator work. His dress was very ordinary; he had no parents and had to look out for himself.

One day he had a conversation with one boy in the class who was planning on becoming an engineer. This boy made it clear to him how important it was to know all about algebra, geometry, etc., and do his daily work in the best possible manner. He was much impressed with this conversation and made up his mind that he would become an engineer. He continued his work at the elevator, and in this way defrayed his entire high school expenses. He was allowed the privilege of sleeping in one of the rooms in the large building, which was his only home, and his elevator work paid for his board and gave him a little extra money.

High school was not enough. He must go to college, and he felt that he must go to one of the best engineering schools, which he did. He found employment during the summer, worked in the various mines, where he followed the mining engineer’s work and in this way not only made a good salary but gained beneficial experience as well.

Not many years ago I met him and learned he was engaged in railroad work in Alaska, held a very responsible position.

PLAN No. 745. HE DEVELOPED AN AMUSEMENT PLACE AT THE LAKE

This lake lay about seventeen miles outside of a city of some 125,000 population. About three years prior to the time to which I refer, a real estate campaign was put on and a car line was built to this place, and advertisements were displayed showing the advantage of this lake as a future summer resort. After the real estate boom subsided the place did not materialize as a summer resort.

One day a young fellow from an eastern city came to this place and noticed the great opportunity for an amusement resort during the summer months. He made a lease for a number of years and began to build up a summer resort. He took the old restaurant building and turned it into an up-to-date place. All people who took lunches at this restaurant, paid a good price, but those who brought their lunches and desired to use the hall, paid 25 cents for the privilege. He opened bathing houses and made the usual charges, and pointed out to the people of the city the great opportunity of visiting this lake Friday afternoon or Saturday night and remaining until Monday. He made arrangements to supply them with tents. He arranged with large stores to have picnics at this lake, and he offered special inducements to the people to visit his resort. He was very successful, and after a couple of years of this kind of work he had made this one of the most popular places of amusement.

PLAN No. 746. RIDING TO COLLEGE ON BROOMS--HOME WORKERS IN SOUTH DOING IT

Broom-making in some of the southern states is being encouraged by home demonstration agents of the United States Department of Agriculture and the state colleges. The home clubs in Alabama rank first in this work, and the past year some especially good records have been made in the state. The crowd which attends one of these broom-making demonstrations is such as to make the passer-by think an auction is being held.

Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, grows broomcorn, and brush and broom-making has become so popular in that section that all the members of clubs who didn’t grow a patch last year are planning to do so the coming season. A broom-making machine has been bought by one community in the county, and other localities have ordered machines for use next summer. With a machine, twenty-five brooms can be made in one day. Each member makes her own brooms and gives one-fourth of her output for use of the machine.

The cost of making a broom in that part of the state is estimated to be 20 cents, with the wire, thread, tacks, and handle costing about 12¹⁄₂ cents. Good hickory handles cost 8 cents apiece, while those of other woods cost 6 cents. Tuscaloosa County plans soon to manufacture the broom handles instead of buying them.

The community that possesses a broom-making machine has a source of steady income. While the broom work is planned primarily for the young people, the older members of the family, on cold rainy days and in winter, find making these necessary household articles an easy way to add to the family income. At the present price of brooms, fair wages can be made.

When a pupil learns to make perfect brooms, if she wishes to put them on the market, she is permitted to label them as “Tuscaloosa Grown” and “Home-Demonstration-Club Brooms.” Some of the girls in the clubs are planning to earn money for normal school and college by broom work. Will they be termed witches if they ride to school on a broom?

The boys as well as the girls in the broom-corn sections are interested in the industry. One boy in Cherokee County, Alabama, has been enabled to enter high school by the money he earned in making brooms. He has sold sixty at $1 each and has 200 more to make.

PLAN No. 747. GIRLS RAISING MORE CHICKENS THAN BOYS IN FLORIDA CLUBS

Thousands of chickens were added to Florida’s supply of fowls last year by the efforts of the boys and girls under the supervision of the home-demonstration agents of the United States Department of Agriculture and the state colleges. The bronze medal for the best individual record made by a girl went to one in St. Johns County. She set 179 eggs and raised 152 chickens, valued at $264.24. The expenses for raising the flock were $56.95, leaving a net profit of $207.29. A boy in Baker County, won the state bronze medal given for the boy who made the best individual report in the state. He raised eighty-three chickens, valued at $116.15, at a cost of $47.64. His net profit was $68.51. The girls in Florida apparently are outstripping the boys in the poultry-club work.

PLAN No. 748. POULTRY YIELDS $1.14 AN HOUR

A side line for the farmer’s wife which yields $1.14 for every hour she puts into it is worth the consideration of every farm woman. A Wabash County, Indiana, woman has demonstrated that this amount can be made by keeping chickens. Last year the local county agent interested this woman in keeping a farm poultry flock, and as a result she produced a net profit of $172.24. She kept an accurate account of her work and found at the end of the season that she had received $1.14 an hour for the time she actually devoted to caring for her flock.

PLAN No. 749. GIRLS HERD THEIR OWN SHEEP

“After paying all expenses, I cleared $1,240 from my sheep last year,” reports a girl member of a sheep club organized in Fremont County, Wyoming. Several years ago she bought the first of a flock and she has handled her sheep so successfully that they number 108 ewes. In 1918 her flock produced seventy-nine lambs, seventy-six of which she raised. These, with seven orphan lambs abandoned by sheep herders, constituted the year’s increase. All the care the sheep require is given them by their girl owner. She next plans with part of her profits to buy twenty-five pure-bred Cotswold ewes in Nebraska and to use them to start a pure-bred flock.

A girl in Sheridan County, Wyoming, in 1918 cleared $928 with a flock of forty-eight ewes. During the coming season these two girls plan to throw their sheep together and to herd them themselves over the Big Horn Mountains. Orphan lambs discarded by other camps are also to be collected and cared for by the youthful herders. Members of the boys’ and girls’ sheep clubs in some of the western states find the salvaging of “bum” or stray lambs an economical way of obtaining a start in the sheep-club work.

PLAN No. 750. CHAMPION DRAWS 80 CENTS AN HOUR FOR GARDEN WORK

Eighty cents an hour for working in his garden is what a man of Fillmore County, Minnesota, earned in his one-tenth-acre plot. He was awarded the state championship in garden work in Minnesota last year, and in his report to the state club leader of the boys’ and girls’ club work, he says:

“For several seasons I had grown a garden with some success, and in 1919 I determined to secure even better results. I started my garden on three plots (all together comprising one-tenth-acre) differing widely in soil, slope and surroundings. Two had been, until the year before, waste land, and sprouted a healthy crop of bones and rusty cans in the wake of the plow. I made my plans according to conditions and adhered to them throughout the season to save time and confusion when there was real work to do. Desk-farming is one of the most interesting features of the work.

“Tomatoes, cabbages, eggplant, and everything that needed an early start were planted about the first of April in four hotbeds of ordinary size. All surplus plants were easily sold.

“In May, twelve dozen tomato plants were transplanted, and were coming along splendidly until one day I found a thrifty plant nearly cut off. This rather pleased me, as I had never seen a cutworm outside of a picture, and I was glad to make his acquaintance. When the seedlings fell, one by one, however, I decided I had seen enough of the pest. Happily, their depredations were stopped in time and there were plenty of plants to fill in.

“I raised about two-dozen kinds of vegetables to provide a variety for the table, and for marketing, large crops of tomatoes, peas, cucumbers and celery were planted.

“Canning was a big factor in making the garden a success. What we couldn’t eat I sold, what I couldn’t sell we canned; and what we couldn’t can, I fed to the chickens, so none were wasted. Our summer kitchen was our cannery and the wash boiler our canner. For nearly everything we used the one-period, cold-pack method and followed the directions sent out by the government, with excellent results. We put up 221 quarts of tomatoes, beans, peas, carrots, beets, chard, sweet pickles, kohlrabi, tomato jelly and sauce, carrot conserve, dill pickles, limes, cabbages, tomato jam, mincemeat, eggplant, celery and others. Since we desired a pleasing variety we canned thirty-seven kinds from our garden and purchased some others.

“In all my work with the plants I kept this in mind--that the earliness, quality and quantity of the product is dependent on the seed, environment (including weather, fertility, and shade) and the care given them. So I purchased the best seed obtainable, planted it when natural conditions were best, and cared for each kind as its peculiarity required. Where there is a deficiency in any of these requirements, it can in part be made up in the others.

“The total receipts from the one-tenth acre were $150.48; subtracting $35.42 for expenses, a profit of $115.06 was left, or the equivalent of 80 cents per hour net for every hour spent working in the garden. Home-gardeners will not have to strike for higher wages for some time yet. In addition, I had the good fortune to win a $45 prize for an exhibit of canned goods at the state fair. So I feel well repaid financially for my efforts.”

PLAN No. 751. BOY BELIEVES IT’S WISE TO LEARN BY EXPERIENCE

Experience pays--that’s the belief of a boy of Montgomery County, Indiana, state champion in the sow-and-litter project in 1918. And because he wished to learn by doing from the start, this club member himself selected and bought the sow he entered in the contest.

The hog was an immune, registered, big-type Poland China gilt, and at the time of purchase, in January, she weighed 279 pounds. In April, nine pigs were farrowed, all of which lived. The litter averaged forty-four pounds apiece at nine weeks, when the leader in the boys’ and girls’ club work weighed them. Four were sold in the fall for $50 apiece, one was fattened, killed and sold for $34, and four sow pigs which are being kept are worth at least $200.

All the care of the pigs has been taken by their boy-owner. His father, in the meantime, has become interested and from now on father and son plan to make the raising of the big type Poland China pigs a main line in their farming.

PLAN No. 752. SUCCESS INSPIRES

Here are the achievements of a Tennessee boy: Fifteen months ago he purchased a Duroc Jersey gilt, giving his note for twelve months to the local bank. This pig has farrowed twenty-seven pigs and has raised twenty-one of them. The boy sold three of the first litter at $25 each. Four of them now weigh 420 pounds and are worth $320. The seven pigs of the second litter are worth $175, and the seven of the third are worth $105, while the mother--the pig purchased when the boy entered the club--is valued at $75. This means a profit of $750 in fifteen months.

PLAN No. 753. GIRL WINS POULTRY RECORD

The poultry record for the past year for West Virginia was made by a girl of the Harrison County Poultry Club. Her record for the year shows a profit of $111. She now has thirty-three year-old hens and twenty-seven pullets in her flock, and has been getting a dozen eggs a day, for which she has received 60 cents and more.

PLAN No. 754. CLUB STARTS BOY ON ROAD TO SUCCESS AS POULTRYMAN

That organized agricultural club-work among boys and girls is something more than a contest which ends with the season, but a continuous, constructive piece of work that eventually leads the club members into the business of farming and home making is illustrated by the accomplishments of a poultry club member in Vermont.

In 1912 a boy joined the Vermont Poultry Club, in spite of the opposition of the members of his own family, and, in a number of instances, discouraging words from friends and neighbors who did not understand what club-work meant to the American boy. He started with only a few settings of eggs, but two years later he was well on the road to success, for he had become the champion in his county in poultry club-work, having produced the best grade of birds and the most profit from his investment. In 1914 he exhibited some of his birds at the county fair, the poultry show, and the state fair, and succeeded in winning a number of ribbons and first prizes. The following year he became the champion poultry-club member of his state and was sent to New York City to the National Education Association to tell how he did his work and what he thought of it. The following year he again won the state championship.

By that time his reputation in the poultry industry had spread to other states and he was selling settings of eggs throughout New England direct to consumers, and had built up a trade in the sale of birds for breeding purposes.

One year later, in 1917, he started out with a business of his own, using his own business cards, his own business stationery, and expanding his poultry plant two-fold. He became manager not only of his own poultry plant, which he developed rapidly, but found time to take a position as superintendent of the poultry farm at one of the State institutions.

PLAN No. 755. CLUB CALF BRINGS $1 A POUND AT MINNESOTA BABY BEEF SHOW

Sixteen counties in Minnesota were entitled to send forty-eight boy and girl club members, with their calves which had won prizes in their county, to the first baby-beef show held in that state. Owing to the influenza epidemic only twenty-nine were able to go to St. Paul in December and exhibit the baby beeves they had raised; but the crowd made up in enthusiasm what it lacked in numbers. The calves were sold at auction and brought an average of 20 cents a pound.

The champion, owned by Irwin McKay, was sold for 35 cents a pound, and with the prizes won, netted his young owner $447. Later the calf was resold for $930, or for a little more than $1 a pound. A boy on the farm can easily pay for his education by raising stock as did the boys above.

PLAN No. 756. ONE EWE GIVES BOY PROFIT OF ALMOST FIFTY DOLLARS

Late in the fall of 1917, a boy of Henry County, Indiana, and nine other boys in his neighborhood, organized a sheep club. A few interested stockmen and the local bank made it possible for each club boy to secure one breed ewe. Each boy gave his note to the bank for the purchase price of his sheep.

In the summer of 1918, a boy presented the following statement of his work and investments:

_Disbursements_

Cost of one ewe $18.00 Feed 6.25 Interest on note .72 ------ Total cost $24.97

_Receipts_

1 ewe (inventory) $18.00 1 lamb (sold) 25.00 1 lamb (sold) 22.50 Wool (sold) 6.50 ------ Total receipts $72.00 Total cost $24.97 ------ Profit $49.03

Investments paying 200 per cent were worth looking into, the farmers who lived in the locality of this club thought and interest in sheep raising increased.

Another boy in the Henry County club has developed a flock of thirty ewes, and plans to have more. His father has become so interested in his work that, although the boy is rather young, he is allowed to go to sales and do his own bidding on prospects for his flock. Practically all the boys engaged in the sheep-club work are keeping their foundation animals and at the same time are adding to their stock.

Previous to 1918, there were but few boys and girls organized into sheep clubs under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture and the state agricultural colleges. With the high price of wool and mutton, the sheep project, however, has become increasingly popular. Last year 257 such clubs were organized, with an enrollment of 3,613 members. During the year 8,005 lambs were raised by these young people, and 2,006 pounds of wool were marketed. The total value of the flocks at the end of the year was $131,173.40; the initial cost of the sheep, together with the expense of feeding them, was $37,082.82; the total profit made by the boys and girls who were members of the sheep clubs, and who continued the work throughout the year, was $94,090.58. The results the boys have been getting have opened the eyes of their fathers. The boys and girls in the sheep clubs are demonstrating in every state that sheep are profitable if well handled.

PLAN No. 757. BOYS’ YOUNG SOW MAKES NET PROFIT OF $385 IN LESS THAN 12 MONTHS

Three hundred and eighty-five dollars in less than a year--that’s the clear profit a young sow gave two boys who live in Harris County, Texas. Theorists in farm management and the like might figure up a pretty big bill of costs against the sow, to be deducted from the profit she has made, but the boys know that such figures would not tell the truth, because they’ve got the money in their pockets--or they did have it.

The sow and her progeny did eat sixteen bushels of corn, worth $24, and they did range over five acres of pasture, considered worth $25. These two items--a total of $49--have already been charged to the sow, and deducted from her gross revenue of $434. The remaining $385 is clear profit, because the rest of the feed consisted of slop and surplus milk that would have been thrown away had there been no pigs, and peanuts and sweet potatoes gleaned by rooting the patches after the crops had been harvested as carefully as possible. She farrowed her first litter of pigs April 4, 1918. One died and two were given in payment for the sow. The other four were grown, fattened, and killed to furnish the family supply of lard and pork. Another litter of six pigs came later in the year and are now on the farm--good-sized shotes in first-class condition. The sow will farrow a third litter of pigs before long. The account now stands this way:

The original sow, $60; six shotes, $60; 800 pounds of pork, $224; twenty five gallons of lard, $90. These four items make a total of $434 from which a deduction of $49 is to be made for corn and pasture. Those figures prove that hog raising on the farms of Harris County, Texas, is profitable. But the caution to be written at the bottom of this story is: do not carry figures too far. Making figures in arithmetic fashion, you would have this: If one sow makes a profit of $385, 100 sows would make a profit of $38,500. That is perfectly good arithmetic but it is not good farming.

The big profit in hog raising on southern farms, the specialists of the United States Department of Agriculture point out, is made where the farm family keeps enough hogs to consume all the waste products, to convert into money the things that would otherwise be lost, and that can be kept on a minimum of bought or stored feed. Every dollar got out of that number of hogs is practically clear profit. Beyond that point the profit dwindles.

The number of hogs that can be profitably kept is, of course, a matter that each farm family must determine for itself. In some cases it may be one sow. In others it may be six or a dozen or any number of sows. On every farm there is some waste that pigs could convert into money. On most farms it probably amounts to at least as much as on one farm, where, in one year, a boy made one sow produce enough revenue to buy a whole set of new furniture for mother or to keep sister in college for a year.

PLAN No. 758. MONEY MADE IN PRESERVING EGGS

Two methods of preserving eggs are recommended by specialists of the United States Department of Agriculture, they follow:

Water-Glass Method:--Use 1 quart of sodium silicate to 9 quarts of water that has been boiled and cooled. Place the mixture in a 5-gallon crock or jar. This will be sufficient to preserve 15 dozen eggs; and the quantity needed to preserve a larger number of eggs will be in proportion.

First, select a 5-gallon crock or jar, and clean it thoroughly, after which it should be scalded and allowed to dry.

Second, heat a quantity of water to the boiling point and allow it to cool.

Third, when cool, measure out 9 quarts of water, place it in the crock, and add 1 quart of sodium silicate, stirring the mixture thoroughly.

Fourth, place the eggs in the solution. Be very careful to allow at least two inches of the solution to cover the eggs.

Fifth, place the crock containing the preserved eggs in a cool, dry place, well covered to prevent evaporation. Waxed paper covered over and tied around the top of the crock will answer this purpose.

Lime method:--When water glass cannot be obtained the following method may be used in its stead. Many consider this method entirely satisfactory, though instances are known in which eggs so preserved have tasted slightly of lime.

Dissolve 2 or 3 pounds of unslaked lime in 5 gallons of water, that has previously been boiled and allowed to cool, and allow the mixture to stand until the lime settles and the liquid is clear. Place clean, fresh eggs in a clean earthenware jug or keg and pour the clear limewater into the vessel until the eggs are covered. At least 2 inches of the solution should cover the top layer of eggs.

Sometimes a pound of salt is used with the lime, but experience has shown that in general the lime without the salt is more satisfactory.

Hold your eggs when the price is low by the above methods and sell when the price is good.

PLAN No. 759. PROTECTION AGAINST FRAUDULENT COURT ACTIONS

How often it happens after one has applied years of honest endeavor that worthless persons will compel him to go to court to defend his character and property against a charge of fraud. After the case has gone to the jury he still believes that it is impossible for such efforts against you to succeed--that the charges and statements cannot be believed. The jury goes to its room and decides the case. The members are tired and want to get home, so they compromise, which means that the defendant loses perhaps $5,000. He thought it impossible to be robbed in daylight before a court and jury, by perjuries, but this is what has happened. The lying combination has been successful. The court is not to blame and sometimes the jury is not at fault. Doubtless the next few years actions of this kind will be very numerous, as the people who traded property during the war will hatch up all kinds of schemes to regain it.

I have listened for days at a time to men in fraud actions lie before court and jury, and they knew they were perjurying themselves and knew its penalty, but that did not deter them. They were wolves in sheeps clothing, and possibility of money meant more to them, than honesty.

The most effective protection against men of this character is as follows: When one has business transactions he should be sure to obtain a signed letter similar to the following. If the parties to the transaction are honest, they will not take exception to it. If it is a trade give them the same kind of a letter:

............... 19....

To........................ Name

........................ Address

Dear Sir:--

I have directed this letter to you for the purpose of stating our transaction of ................ 19.... with reference to .................. which is as follows:

(Here give legal description of property and a short and condensed statement of transaction.)

I wish you to understand that I have in no way depended or relied on any statement made by you or your agent in above referred to transaction but have made careful investigation for myself upon which I have relied.

I have had this letter prepared for the purpose of assuring you on behalf of myself and representatives that I am forever barred from complaining in any manner about the above deal.

I remain,

Very truly,

............................ Name

Especially is such letter of value to a lawyer, as without it he may some day be confronted with a former client who is willing to lie about some transactions they have had.

This plan alone may save one his all some day, if he will follow it. As a matter of fact, an attorney should insist on such a letter to protect his client. If a person refuses to sign a letter similar to above it is better to lose a deal, as such refusal warrants suspicions.

PLAN No. 760. IMPROVED MILKING STOOL

It does not seem that a milking stool could need any improvements. Nevertheless, a party recently designed and made a very handy one for the farmer.

The stool is strapped to the body of the milker, and when he rises from the task of milking one cow to go to the next, the stool, of course, goes with him, leaving his hands free. When the weight of the person is placed on the seat, the spring in the rod supporting the seat is compressed, and the rising of the occupant releases the weight, which assists in lifting the stool from the ground.

When many cows have to be milked the work of carrying the stool becomes labor which adds to the worker’s fatigue.

You can manufacture these yourself and market them.

The farmer owning stock can obtain a list of large and small stock farmers from clipping bureaus in any large city. When advertising, begin with a well-written classified ad. in a reputable farm paper.

PLAN No. 761. TRY TO FEED ALL THEY GROW

A farmer who lives in northern Idaho, says:

“I came here five years ago from Montana, buying an 80-acre stump farm, with a small house and barn on it, and with a few acres of it cleaned up along Sand Creek. I paid $2,600 for this place, and it took all the money I had, except a little to buy a couple of cows and a team of horses. For the last five years my wife and I have made a living on this ranch, supporting five children, and have cleaned up the land, so that to-day we have thirty-five acres under cultivation. We made it a point to try to feed everything we grow on the place and selling it as a manufactured product.

“Last year we produced seventy-five tons of choice clover and timothy hay. The surplus timothy we sold at our barn door at about $16.00 per ton. We raised some 150 sacks of potatoes on an acre of newly cleared land and we have sold them at an average of about $1.50 per 100. We have raised about one ton of carrots, three tons of rutabagas, and about one ton of mangels, and red garden beets. The root crops we find very profitable here, and they give us a fairly well balanced ration for our milk cows, with clover hay. Our books show that our cows have averaged, summer and winter, about $18 per month each. We have milked six cows the past year. During that time we raised seventeen hogs, marketed them at a fair price, and have fed our one team of horses.

“We have a nice trout stream running through our yard, as well as a railway station a quarter of a mile away. We have refused an offer of $8,000 for our place, stock and improvements, so that we feel justified in feeling that we have done fairly well in the five years that we have lived on the stump ranch.”

PLAN No. 762. FARMER IN THE WEST

This farmer tells of his success and satisfaction in Idaho, as follows:

“I got very tired of the long severe winters of North Dakota and Minnesota, so I sold my stock and started west hunting for a better climate. My wife liked it in northern Idaho, and her health was a great deal better. So we purchased 160 acres of land. This land had been cut-over about fifteen years ago and the stock from the adjoining town had grazed over it and scattered clover and timothy seed so that the stumps were almost covered up with hay.

“I made my first payment about the 10th of July, and in the next thirty days I got in and with scythes and hand rakes put up some twenty-five tons of fine clover and timothy hay. I bought five Holstein cows that the Commercial Club had shipped in, paying $470 for the five cows. I bought a cream separator and began work within thirty days after making my initial payment. I found that 160 acres of stump land was too much for one man to undertake with my limited capital, so I had a chance of selling off ninety acres of it at an advance of $10.00 over the purchase price, so that I sold that much and have about sixty acres left. We had a lot of snow here the past winter, but the cold was not severe, there only being six nights of zero weather during the entire winter.

“I now have a good barn, a small house, seventeen head of cattle, three good horses, and have cleaned up fifteen acres of land. I expect to cut fifty tons of good hay this coming season, and I do all the work myself, with the exception of one boy. Our five cows have averaged us about $10 per month in cream checks.”

If a man wants to make a success of his life and has the will to do it nothing can stop him.

PLAN No. 763. A GOOD COUNTRY TO LIVE IN

This man came to northern Idaho, from Minnesota, regarding which he says: “Because we decided this was a good country to live in, I bought 120 acres of land from one of the lumber companies, cut-over land, and began preparations in October, 1914. By hard work I was able to get in a few acres for the crop the first spring, which cut me enough clover and wheat, hay and grain to feed a team of horses, two cows, some pigs and chickens. I have contracted clearing here at about $15 per acre. Off of the three and a half acres of clover that I sowed down the first October and November that I was here, I cut ten tons last season. This spring I have sown down one-half acre of alfalfa, three acres of wheat, twenty-five acres of extra fine clover, one acre in my garden and orchard, and about five acres of new clover. I have twenty-one hogs that I have raised on the clover stubble, two cows and two horses. Clover makes a wonderful crop here, producing from two to three tons in two cuttings every year. My wife and children are very much pleased and we expect to pass our remaining days in this valley.”

PLAN No. 764. IRRIGATED FRUIT LAND NEAR SPOKANE, WASHINGTON

He bought his land at Opportunity nine years ago at a cost of $350 an acre. He now has five and a half acres in bearing orchard, with 450 trees eight and nine years old. In 1913 they yielded an average of four packed boxes of apples to the tree, for which he received an average price of $1.31 a box, or a total return of $2,856.

The story of the production of these trees from the beginning is interesting. The first year they yielded nothing; the second year, one box; the third year, 125 boxes; the fourth year, 500 boxes; the fifth year, 1,200 boxes; the sixth year, 1,800 boxes; the seventh year, 2,300 boxes and the eighth year, 2,300 boxes that he sold at $1.20 per box. The lowest price that he received during this time has approximately been $1 per box and he says that the farmer can make money marketing fancy apples at 75 cents a box.

But more can be done on a 10-acre tract than grow apples. For the first five or six years most of the land can be utilized by planting tomatoes, cucumbers, cantaloupes, potatoes, squash, pumpkins and all sorts of garden truck between the rows of trees. Most of the tracts are farmed this way, in addition to setting aside a part of the land to be permanently used for these crops, berry patches, etc. This inter-planting makes the land pay operating expenses and a profit while the trees are coming into bearing. After the trees attain size, the only other crop that can be raised is clover or some legume that will put nitrogen into the soil.

$300 AN ACRE FROM DEWBERRIES

The following figures are quoted from this Opportunity farmer and is from his own experience with these crops: “Tomatoes will yield from ten to twenty-five tons to the acre. Grapes do well and sold for the table market. Have paid at the rate of $700 to the acre. Green corn for the market pays well.” He has taken from $150 to $200 worth of hubbard squashes off an acre. One acre of dewberries after the third year brought in an average of $300 a year. He has realized about the same from strawberries.

The first year he was on the land he took $525 worth of tomatoes off an acre; $235 worth of cantaloupes off two-thirds of an acre; $175 worth of watermelons from an acre. He has half an acre of cherry trees that are paying him well.

In his poultry yard he raises Rhode Island Reds, because he says they do best in the winter when he has more time to give them and the price of eggs is higher. During December, January and February, his 175 hens laid enough eggs to bring in an average of $56 a month at a total expense for feed, etc., of about $10.00 a month.

Discussing the cost of living and maintenance he says:

“It cost me $24 a year for domestic water and electric lights--a cheaper rate than almost any city. The water for irrigation is $7 a year per acre. My net income from my land last year averaged over $300 per acre. My land nine years ago cost me $350 an acre; it is now worth $1,500 an acre.”

The above is a remarkable record. Facts are more wonderful than exaggerated statements. The above district is perhaps one of the most beautiful home districts in the world.

PLAN No. 765. WEALTH PROM A GARDEN PATCH

Strawberries, raspberries, cabbage, cucumbers, currants, rhubarb, beans, cantaloupes, gooseberries, grapes, hubbard squash, summer squash, corn, green peppers, hot peppers, ground-cherries, watermelons, citron, egg plant, tomatoes, are some of the things grown on the irrigated farm of this man living near Spokane, Washington.

And these are the side lines: The entire place of twenty-five acres is planted to fruit trees--apples and pears--now five and six years old. Their 1915 gross returns were above $5,500, practically all from garden produce. In 1914 their sales were $5,400.

This farm is an inspiration and an education. Every available square foot seems to be growing something. Grapes are growing along the low stone wall that separates him from his neighbor. Between trees are long rows of vegetables and in the tree rows themselves are cucumbers, squash and similar products.

One of the 1915 yields was $1,600 from three acres of strawberries. Six rows of raspberries 160 feet long brought a return of $75. Five acres of cantaloupes sold at an average price of $1.25 a crate and brought a gross return that averaged $250 per acre. Sales of green corn ran $60 an acre, and some of the corn and all of the fodder was left. An acre of peppers brought in about $400. Currants proved very profitable, yielding 40 to 50 cents a bush, with about 1,000 bushes to the acre. Eggplant has been made to pay over $300 per acre. From about an acre of tomatoes he sold 1,200 crates at an average price of 35 cents a crate.

This produce was not peddled or even hauled to Spokane for sale among the grocers. It was sold at wholesale and loaded on the cars at the nearby stations. Much of it went to Spokane, but the greater part went to outside markets.

PLAN No. 766. PROFIT FROM IRRIGATED LANDS

It is just a little difficult to tell the story of irrigated lands and not seem to be painting the picture too bright. The enormous crops that can be produced by intelligent use of the water are so large that it is hard to believe that so much value can be taken off an acre of ground. Alfalfa is perhaps the lowest in value per acre per year, and yet this same hay fed to cows and pigs and marketed as milk and hogs can be made to pay an annual return of from $125 to $250.

The well-conducted apple orchards produce from 250 to 500 boxes of apples per acre per year. The average of the good orchards is somewhere in between. These will run from 60 to 80 or 85 per cent fancy and extra fancy and that means a sale price at the orchard around $1 a box.

PLAN No. 767. WHAT TEN ACRES DID

This farmer and his wife, living near Spokane, Washington, tell of the comfort and profit they get from their ten acres as follows:

“From November 1, 1914, to November 1, 1915, we sold $300.00 worth of eggs and $60 worth of old hens, besides raising 350 chickens. We think that what we eat of eggs and chickens pays for their keep. From January 1 to September 1, 1915, I sold $90 worth of butter and sold a calf for $15, besides what butter, cream and milk we used. We raised a thoroughbred Jersey cow that began giving milk September 1, 1915, and she made forty pounds of butter before she was two years old. We raised two hogs and sold them for $32.50 and raised one for our own use. We raised beans, sweet corn, carrots, and vegetables between our young apple trees, and sold from our ten acres $600 worth of produce, besides the eggs, poultry, butter and pork.”

PLAN No. 768. BEEF CATTLE PROFITABLE

A farmer of Davenport, Washington, says:

“I am satisfied that I can make the beef cattle business pay me a nice profit. Starting with three head of beef cows worth $225 and buying $721 worth of cattle in two years, which I kept on cheap pasture most of the year and fed only a small amount of hay for three months in the winter, I sold $827 worth of butter and cattle in the two years and had stock remaining worth $1,360. My net profit in the two years, exclusive of labor and feed, was $1,241.”

In the West everything is being done to encourage diversified farming. Many farmers buy their own butter, etc., which to Eastern farmers seems strange, but wheat has been so profitable in the West that these farmers were content.

PLAN No. 769. HOGS AS SIDE LINE

This farmer living near Ritzville, Washington, says:

“My net profit, exclusive of labor, for handling hogs as a side line one year was $532.33.”

This is a good illustration of what opportunities the average farmer has of developing more profit on his farm. It would take a pretty good business in the city to handle side lines that would produce such a profit on the first trial.

PLAN No. 770. NORTHWEST FARMER BELIEVES IN DIVERSIFIED FARMING

In the Northwest much of the land is summer-fallowed every other year, and when the land can be put to profitable use those years it means much to the profit end of farming. Here is what a man did near Colfax, Washington. His statement is as follows:

“Four years ago I fenced my ranch with hog-tight woven wire fence and purchased a bunch of hogs. The first year I sold $1,400 worth of hogs and have averaged $2,000 per year ever since. I also purchased some sheep and found that by running them between harvest and summer-fallow I was able to keep down the weeds. I made a profit on my sheep in both wool and mutton. I believe that if diversified farming is followed, sixty to eighty acres is enough for one family in this locality.”

PLAN No. 771. WHAT A FARMER DID FOR HIS LAND

Here is his statement:

“It is my intention to abandon the practice of summer-fallow altogether here by growing peas and other crops that can be grown to advantage on the land. To-day, May 23rd, we are cultivating our peas, and after one more cultivation they will be ready to lay by until harvesting. A piece of wheat planted on ground cultivated to peas and hogged-off last fall, stands four inches higher than any other wheat on the place. I believe in alfalfa, clover and peas and the stock to consume them, in order to return the manure to the soil.”

Thousands of acres of land in the past few years have been put to peas and a good profit has been obtained.

PLAN No. 772. WESTERN FARMER’S EXPERIENCE

He lives in the Palouse farming district in the State of Washington and makes the following statement:

“In 1915, fifty acres of wheat planted on corn land gave me $1,000 after all expenses were paid. This was more than double the returns from fifty acres of land that had grown wheat continuously or been summer-fallowed. The same year fifty acres of corn brought me $600; that is, from corn, potatoes, beans, etc. I sold seed corn to neighbors, to poultry raisers and sold corn-fat hogs, and had left all my feed for two cows and five horses for a year. My fifty acres of wheat on stalk land, the neighbors will tell you, is the finest field to be found in this section of the country.”

PLAN No. 773. COWS RETURN $200 A YEAR

One of the best examples of what can be done with dairy cows in the Palouse country, State of Washington, is this farmer who started with $300:

He built up a herd of Jerseys and mixed Holsteins and Jerseys, after paying for his land, a few years ago. After three years, an inventory of the stock, equipment and improvements showed a total gain of $13,425, which has accrued to him over and above his living expenses. One year’s crops from 140 acres of Palouse land were 200 tons of hay, 550 sacks of oats and barley, 100 tons of ensilage, 400 sacks of potatoes, and about $250 worth of fruit. Most of the crops were turned into milk, of which 44,700 gallons were shipped, and brought back a return of $8,940, an average of over $200 for each cow milked.

PLAN No. 774. COWS HELPED HIM

This farmer left North Dakota and located in the State of Washington. He states:

“I bought sixty acres of white pine and cedar stump land adjoining the station of Matchwood, about six miles from Sandpoint, on a 10-year payment plan, and in February, 1915, we moved up and began work on our place. We bought two Jersey cows. The first year, with a few days work on the outside, we were able to make a living from our two cows and about 35 laying hens. We were able to put up about twelve tons of good clover and timothy hay that we got with a hand scythe around the old logging roads, where it was growing wild.

“The year 1916 will be my first year with any crop to amount to anything. I have cleaned up in the past year about twenty acres, have thirteen acres sown in grain and clover, about seven acres to grain and root crops, and have thirty acres seeded among the waste timber and stumps for pasturage. My place is fenced and cross fenced, and I have running water on the place. In the past year we have sold over 500 pounds of butter, at an average of 30 cents per pound.”

PLAN No. 775. WOOL CLIP $1.00 PER HEAD

This man, living at Odessa, Washington, kept 1,200 sheep out nearly all winter at strawstacks and grazing, the only expense for feeding being thirty-five tons of alfalfa at $10.00 per ton. He clipped about a dollar’s worth of wool per head and sold 300 head at $4.75 to $5.25 per hundred weight. He says:

“I made a very nice profit and believe that nearly all farmers should keep a band of sheep.”

The dry atmosphere, combined with the absence of heavy dews, and the generally favorable climate, make the Big Bend a natural poultry country. Disease is kept down to a minimum and the fowls themselves thrive. The high price for eggs in this market makes the returns unusually attractive. Turkeys, always difficult of successful raising, seem to be in their natural climate in the Big Bend, and those who are now in the business claim that the country will become famous for its annual shipments of the great American bird.

Figure out the amount for yourself, and, if you live in the city, figure what net profits your business paid last year, then deduct from that the cost of food and clothes, rents, pleasure trips, amusements, etc., and you will be surprised at what you have left. But remember Mr. Farmer’s net profit is above his living, which is the very best.

PLAN No. 776. FARMER LIVES NEAR COLLEGE

Many farmers in the West will not trouble themselves with stock, but this man shows how expensive an idea this is.

This farmer living near Pullman, Washington, has demonstrated that dairying pays in the Palouse country. He owns 240 acres of land two and one half miles from town that he values, with improvements, at $100 an acre. Because of the size of his farm he raises quantities of wheat and other products for the market, but his main income is from butter. He makes this on the farm and sells it to the consumers at an average price the year around between 35 and 40 cents a pound.

“Much of my land is in grass and alfalfa,” he says. “We market two nice bunches of hogs each year, raised on the skimmed milk from the dairy. Half as many heifers as we have cows are matured every year and added to the herd to take the place of the cows sold. Veal and poultry and eggs all bring in money. I raise thirty acres of corn a year for the silos. This land is then sown to fall wheat. Rearing the family, near the splendid schools of Pullman, and with the state college in sight, has a lot to do with the satisfaction we get out of life.”

PLAN No. 777. CUT-OVER LAND FARMER

This farmer purchased a farm ten years ago near Newport, the county seat of Pend Oreille County, Washington. He bought 268 acres at $23 an acre.

The farm is on the bench land where the soil is a sandy loam, particularly suited for growing vegetables and grass crops.

Here is what he says:

“After the cordwood has been removed, the slashing and burning of the rubbish and brush, leaving the ground free of everything except standing stumps, should not cost over $10.00 an acre. It is my own experience that it has not cost that much. Most of it I contracted at $7.50 an acre and on two different tracts the contractor made over $3 a day. The slashing should be burned in the fall whenever possible and a mixed pasture grass sown in the ashes before the heavy fall rains. No cultivation is necessary, as the light ashes make an ideal seed-bed and a heavy, rich pasture is assured the following season.”

PLAN No. 778. TAUGHT HIS WAY THROUGH COLLEGE

This young man was a school teacher, but became convinced that he would study law and wished to make it his profession. He had no money, was an excellent speaker, and enrolled in the university for one year to complete this course. At the end of the year his money was gone, and the next year he taught, and he continued in this way until he finished his university course.

While this is a hard method, every other year leaving the college and spending it teaching, yet he made his goal, and many a teacher can do the same.

PLAN No. 779. SOLD LAW BOOKS AND THUS PAID HIS UNIVERSITY EXPENSES

In every large university there is a good opportunity of purchasing books at a small price from the out-going classes, or the class at the end of each semester, and selling the books again to new students entering for the following semester.

This young man started to make his expenses in that manner. He bought books at a very small price and sold them at a very large price, and thus was able to build up a large book business at the university. He now has several rooms filled with books for incoming classes, and is in a position to give good advice as to the class of questions that may be asked from the various examinations in the different departments, as he keeps a carefully collected list of questions when the term starts. He has some of these typewritten and made into pamphlet form for sale. He also has a stenographer, who takes the lectures in the different classes so has them for sale to the students who are unable to take them down during their class work, or for those who have been inattentive.

PLAN No. 780. THE WAY HE MADE GOOD IN THE ASSESSOR’S OFFICE

It is generally conceded that one of the hardest offices to fill, is the office of county assessor.

No matter how hard you may try to please the public generally, on assessment of their property, you will find delegation after delegation appealing to you to make change in their assessment, and you will find many of your dear friends who really insist on being treated in a special manner and different than the rest of the other people, they want you to discriminate as to them.

This young man had trained himself for the law and had practiced a few years. He decided before going into politics to try-out serving in this office for a time. After rendering his service for a number of years he was announced by his friends for this office and won. He made up his mind that when elected he would handle this office in a way that it would reflect credit in after years. He had noticed many people, when directing these offices, had failed, largely on account of their lack of will power to stand by what they absolutely knew was right. If an assessment was made on property and a delegation appeared before him, he would take all the blame, if there was any, and would go into the matter and have it settled once-for-all. After a short time people began to find out that the assessor had a mind of his own; that he knew what was right, and when any matter was taken before him they understood clearly if their contention was right he would do all he could to assist them.

He followed this policy throughout his term of office. Another thing he did after election was to call together all his assistants and made it clear to them that they were to serve the public in the best possible manner, and to be courteous at all times; and that the public was a final judge as to their ability to serve them and that he was only an instrument through which the public could give its approval or disapproval.

After a service along the lines which has just been suggested, he was re-elected to several other offices in the county, which is a remarkable record.

As to building up any political machine, he did not do this, but of course his friends and those who supported him were given preference in his appointments, and they were loyal to him.

PLAN No. 781. THIS MAN BECAME COUNTY CLERK

He was a very likable man and had served in public office for a number of years at the court house, and he in this way became generally acquainted throughout the county. He decided to run for the office of county clerk, and was successful.

As soon as he was elected he called together his assistants and made it clear to them that in this office application was one of the important parts of the service; that he wanted them to serve full time; that they were serving the public, and that nobody should be impertinent or short in their answers and should be most courteous in every way. In fact, he made it clear to them that if they were unable to render service in this way that they had better leave and, that they would be removed at any time when the time came they could not treat the public right, because, he stated, the public was their final judge.

The clerk himself was not a man given to very much talk, but he made it a point, when the attorneys called to speak to them kindly and give the greatest consideration regarding any matter they desired information. This was granted to all attorneys, irrespective of age or qualifications. The attorney handling the smallest business would receive the same consideration that the most wealthy among them--they were all equal in his office.

He also knew that if he was to be re-elected, or desired to win further political preference, that he must start his campaign when he first opened up the office, and this was his campaign: rendering the best kind of service that lay within his power.

PLAN No. 782. ATTORNEY VISITS BROTHER-ATTORNEYS

After graduating from his college he called on attorneys, in the town where he was reared, and obtained the best possible advice from them. He inquired as far as he dared into what they did to make their practice a success. Oftentimes attorneys do not know the plan they have followed, but upon visiting with them you will soon discover that they have followed some general plan of action. If the plan is productive of good profits put it down as a lesson for yourself.

This attorney continued this practice for years. He always made it a point to know all of his fellow attorneys and keep in touch with their advancement from time to time. At least once a year he would lay aside a certain amount of time to call on all the attorneys, and especially find out, if possible, what kind of business they were doing and what new ideas they had in that particular community for the advancement of their profession. He states that each year he obtained points which meant a great deal to his practice, as well as winning the friendship and good will of his fellow attorneys. He states that there was hardly a year that he did not receive something which meant five or six hundred dollars to his practice. Some suggestions as to keeping up the business that came into his office, or that his charges were not sufficient, or he failed to use business methods in this or that.

PLAN No. 783. GIRL MAKES LIVING BY MAKING TABLE FAVORS AND DECORATIONS OF PAPER

She purchased several rolls of crêpe paper of different colors at 15 or 20 cents per roll, and this she experimented with until she became very proficient in the making of various table favors. And, as a matter of fact, she became expert in making all kinds of decorations for tables. The next thing for her to do was to get the business which would enable her to make profits and keep her busy week in and week out. She watched the papers very carefully, noting all of those who were giving parties at their homes; she made a catalog of all the socially-inclined people, and then made it a point to call upon them personally and arrange to make them decorations for their next party.

She also called upon the restaurants and stood ready to make any special design they desired on certain occasions. She solicited this work a month ahead so that it would not all come at one time and make it impossible for her to give them what they desired. For example, Halloween, Saint Valentine’s Day and other days when the restaurants desired many of such decorations, she took these orders in advance and was prepared to deliver them when the occasion came.

From this work she averaged more than $25 a week. This is a good business for any girl in any city of 50,000 and over, and much money can be made in this work in towns of smaller size.

PLAN No. 784. ARE YOU COMPETENT TO BE A PATENT ENGINEER, DRAFTSMAN, ETC?

At the present time, in the city in which I reside, there is a great opportunity for men skilled in this profession of patent engineering and drafting. They obtain all the way from $.75 to $1.00 an hour for their services. Men capable in this work should get in touch with patent attorneys.

PLAN No. 785. A GOOD WAY TO START THE PRACTICE OF LAW

This attorney was educated in an eastern university, and after completing his course decided to start in a small town in the State of Vermont. This town was a county seat and had some 2,500 inhabitants. The first year he netted more than $2,000. He started in with a partner, and during his twenty-five years of practice always had a partner. He believes this is the best way, as a great deal of law is learned by such association. He says an attorney can obtain a start in a small town much earlier than in a large city. He has an opportunity from the very beginning to show his ability. It is up to the attorney who goes to a small town to make sure that he knows as much about the law as possible, and should devote himself to careful study. His efforts will be noted by the Court and if the Court and the Bar generally of a small community, see that he is in earnest and has the material in him, he will find that he will get good support from all, especially by the judges in his community, as they like to help the young lawyer make a success.

In the large city, he says it is different. If he cannot stand he must fall; nobody takes any particular interest in him. He has no opportunity of displaying the qualifications he possesses. He may live and die in a large city and be a Daniel Webster and nobody know it. He found after this association with the court of this county seat and the supreme court of the state that he obtained a class of business that was the very best, and he found that he knew the law better than his brothers in the city as every lawyer realizes that all the law is not in books, and the association with lawyers of high ability is the best instruction a lawyer can have.

In this little town, all of his cases were in the superior court and he had many cases that were heard in the federal court, and from this practice he derived a good income. He found in the city that most of his fellow attorneys of the same age never had the opportunity of going to the federal court. Most of their practice was in the justice court or police court.

PLAN No. 786. WHY NOT BECOME A PATENT ATTORNEY

I have known this attorney for years, and my acquaintance and conversation with him has enabled me to learn much from the experience that he enjoyed as a patent attorney. It is a profitable field as well as an extremely interesting one.

People generally realize that it is very difficult to get a patent through in the Department of Patents, but usually the examiner has many departments under him, and the various departmental heads go into all kinds of matters which would seem to the average person as unnecessary, and, in some cases, that is really the case. It is here that the patent attorney comes in.

There are people who are patent assistants, which is different from patent attorneys. They advertise and obtain much business. They are not lawyers, are not educated as lawyers and have clerks who work under them who are less qualified than they, but the attorney has a great advantage over these people, for he himself has been trained as an attorney and is familiar with the rulings of the court and has many advantages when it comes to drawing up the petition for the person desiring the patent.

Oftentimes before patent papers reach the examiner the owner becomes discouraged and withdraws, and the examiner is not troubled further.

Another thing is the drawing-up of the petition, which contains a drawing and specifications, claim, etc. The drawing of a patent claim is a science, and is entirely governed by court rules. It is probably the most difficult legal paper to draw that is known.

A great deal is required of a patent attorney. He should know something about mechanics and chemistry and even electricity. A very important thing to a person desiring a patent is, that the inventor must by all means understand the device upon which he is trying to obtain a patent. His information must be sufficient to assist the attorney. The attorney who desires to be a patent attorney realizes that the universities and colleges of our country do not give much which would be of assistance to one in that field, so the attorney mentioned in the foregoing account found that there were certain correspondence schools’ lectures put out which went into detail and were effective. These lectures will cost in the neighborhood of $30.00, and are entitled Correspondence Schools for Patent Law and Practice, put out by a Company at Washington, D. C.

Every examiner, you will find, has on his desk a book which contains 507 mechanic movements. The knowledge of this go to test whether or not your patent will be accepted. It will be further necessary for you to have a Correspondent at Washington, D. C., and this you can secure by writing. This man will make a search for you and obtain the classification number of the patent and will forward you a half-dozen or more printed copies along the same line as your patent covers, and this will be an index to you as how to proceed in your own particular case, and will serve a great opportunity for you to give real assistance to your client by showing him how far other men have progressed in the same field as his invention and often he will be able to see the various mistakes they made and where he has improved it. He sometimes may also obtain a new idea which will determine the success of his own proposition.

Now to get the business it is not understood as very good practice to advertise for this work. However, if you give that work your earnest attention in a city you will find your fellow-lawyers will send business to you, and soon, with the service you are able to render, you will develop a business.

PLAN No. 787. REAL ESTATE PUT THEM THROUGH COLLEGE

The university was close to a large city and these boys determined to get a legal education, so they went into the real estate business and developed a small business which would pay their expenses. One was in the office, while the other did the outside work. They finally made arrangements for a stenographer. Their business continued to grow until in a short time they both enrolled in the university and took up the study of law. They did not miss a class, and maintained a high standing throughout their college course. During their university course, their real estate business grew to great proportions, and before they had graduated they were very well to do.

PLAN No. 788. FARMER WINS SUCCESS

This farmer, who lives in eastern Washington, tells an interesting story of making a profitable place of his twenty acres of logged-off land:

“When I bought my land six years ago, I only had $15 to pay down, no team or anything to commence with, but I had faith in the land and I commenced to work.

“The first year I did not do anything on the land except to build a house, and I had to work out to support my family. The next winter I slashed and cleared some land in addition to cutting wood for a neighbor. The next year I broke up 8 acres with one horse and set out 375 apple and other trees, raised potatoes and other garden truck and bought a cow. The next year I raised garden truck and my wife and I ran a restaurant in the Y. M. C. A. in Spokane. The next year I broke up three acres more and planted this with the other land to potatoes, turnips, grain etc., working out as much as possible. Last year I sold $100 worth of crops from my eleven to twelve acres, raised grain enough for my two horses and two cows, and vegetables enough for my family; sold butter amounting to $100, and broke three acres more and sowed it to winter wheat.

“I have my land about paid for and have a good frame house of four rooms, a shed, barn, plenty of farm machinery, and about fourteen acres under cultivation. The stumps are not all out yet, but I hope to burn them this year, and get a few more acres cleared up sufficiently to break. I find, after burning the brush, that timothy and clover will do well by sowing in the fall in the ashes in time for them to get a start, and the following year the same grows sufficiently for good pasture. In a year or two the stumps are rotted, so that the cost of clearing is very much reduced and at the same time the pasture is making good food for my cows; and if a small patch is cleared to furnish feed for the winter months, two or more cows will help very much in solving the problem. Of course, chickens have helped us, my wife doing the work with the chickens and milking the cows when I was away earning money. With the large amount of work to be obtained in this country, a man need not be idle any part of the year.”

This is a good illustration of what a man with practically no money can accomplish.

PLAN No. 789. CURING A FARM OF THE CRAMPS

It seems a hopeless piece of work to try to bring back a farm when from over use its ability to produce is gone. The party in this article lived for years in the city and knew but little concerning soil until a real estate man sold him a farm of 42 acres.

After his house was up and about one-half of his farm implements purchased he found that his land would not produce very much. His 20 acres of corn made about 8 bushel to the acre. His peas did fairly well. He had just enough to winter his stock.

However he made up his mind to stick.

Government bulletins were secured, farmers institutes were attended, he asked the neighbors questions. He made his land his special study.

That year his wife taught school and he put in the winter hauling. After the cowpeas he put in wheat which 10 acres produced 100 bushels for which he received $100.

He started in to enrich his land. Catch crops were raised and turned under to put humus into the soil and fertilizer was freely used. He had sandy loam which he claimed needed a great deal of petting. For six years he sowed rye and crimson clover in every acre of corn planted and plows this under in the spring for late potatoes, and follows that with wheat. After the wheat was harvested he sowed cowpeas or soy beans and plowed them under in early winter.

He uses some of his wheat straw for bedding which he mixes with manure and later is used as fertilizer. The balance of the straw is scattered in the wheat field during the winter.

Here is what the over used soil now produces:

50 to 60 bushels of corn to the acre.

20 to 25 bushels of wheat to the acre.

150 to 200 bushels of potatoes to the acre.

This farmer now owns 100 acres and rents another 100 on which he has an option to purchase.

He summarizes his success as follows:

Hard study

Some hard work

Vegetable matter put in soil

Potato crop

Other products made to pay farm expenses.

PLAN No. 790. BACK LOT MONEY

Millions of dollars are lost by people in cities not using their back yards for poultry. There are thousands of acres of idle land that could be made to return a dividend. The thrifty Japs make every foot of soil produce. They farm mountains and hills that Americans would not touch. The Americans are wasteful, but since food has become so high they see that the land is the source of the bread of life, and we find many using their back yards for gardens or poultry.

Many raise a garden, and when fall comes buy pullets and keep them for winter eggs, selling the pullets in the spring, thus raising two crops off the same ground. By right methods, poultry and eggs are easily produced in back yards at a good profit. The day is coming when not only vacant town lots, but all back yards will be producing something of value. In some cities many have a few chickens on the roof.

CANDY AND CHICKENS

A man who conducts a candy kitchen in a large city has 400 hens in a building back of his store. These hens are kept in this building on both the first and second floors. He devotes two hours daily to this flock and they bring him in an income of $1,000 a year. The egg yield is due to comfortable quarters and a special system of feeding. He gets much feed at a low cost in this large city. He buys stale bread and skim-milk from creameries at reduced prices. He buys lawn clippings from the town boys at 5 cents per bushel. When the days are short he turns the electric lights on. He says the hens have to have a long day in which to work to turn out a good egg yield. He gets his highest prices for eggs during the winter, and it is at this time that he makes the most money from his hens. He has the White Leghorns. No roosters are kept among the flock to annoy the people by their early crowing.

Opportunity knocked at this man’s door and he heard. Opportunity is where you find it. Axiom has it that once, at least, opportunity knocks at every door, but for every time it knocks to make itself known, a hundred times it lies unobserved, while you pass unknowing. I wonder if any of you have heard Russel Conwell’s great lecture, “Acres of Diamonds.” If you have, you will always be the better for it, for therein he shows how we overlook our present opportunities for the things just a little farther off.

GET A HOBBY

We need to open our ears for the jingle of coin which is in our back yards. Every man and every woman should have a hobby as a kind of recreation, occupation, something to enthuse over. Anyone with time hanging heavy on his hands is a misery to himself and a nuisance to other folks, and the best medicine for the disorder is a hobby. A hobby lends itself to the means of all, for just a few dollars invested by the humble amateur or as many hundreds by the wealthy man. You may not have an “acre of diamonds” as per Russel Conwell, but you have a small gold mine which you may work, right in your own back yards, if you want to.

PLAN No. 791. BECOME WIREMAN FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217

PLAN No. 792. BECOME VETERINARIAN FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217

PLAN No. 793. BECOME WEIGHT AND MEASURE ASS’T. FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217

PLAN No. 794. ONE DOLLAR A DAY

During a recent vacation I saw a little girl seven years old sitting on a bench at the farthermost end of a golf course. By her side was a pail of water and a basket of red-cheeked apples. As the men playing golf passed this child, nearly all of them took an apple and a drink of water and placed upon the bench a nickel or sometimes a dime. I was told that the child often takes in a dollar a day for this service. How many families there are situated like this little girl who have not thought of making money through their proximity to a golf course or some other park or playground. How would a basket of ripe peaches, grapes, apricots, pears or plums be to a thirsty or hungry person, with even a few cookies tucked into a corner of the basket? These purchasers would not be likely to haggle about the prices they paid. If there are no particular gatherings of people near your farm, as was the case of the golf club, you have overlooked the opportunity of putting up a placard or sign near your house, stating that you have ripe peaches, apples, pears, plums, fresh eggs, or other farm products for sale in small or large amounts, and letting one of the children take charge of this place.

PLAN No. 795. HOW TO GET CUSTOMERS

This is a question that is most important to the farmer. All his profits depend on his ability to secure customers. The following experience will save much time as well as money to the farmer. Here is a successful method which has been followed by a group of farmers who joined forces to market their crops. The same plan can be used by the individual farmer as well.

This group of farmers named one of their members to act as the Secretary Treasurer. This man attended to all soliciting by mail and distributed the first orders and all following orders were filled by the member who shipped the first order.

The first question was how to get the names of prospective customers. A rate and telephone book were secured. The classes they thought would be most easily interested were written to. Their reason for using the phone book was that a person should be so connected in a business and social way with the city as to have a phone before they be given consideration. This list others trusted and such people they too could afford to trust. With this list there was practically no loss.

To such, a general letter was sent outlining their service--what they had to sell and what they would have for future delivery each month in the year. These letters in about 10 days were followed up with other letters giving a special group of products.

The different seasons of the year are considered. It may be canning time or near Thanksgiving or Xmas. If it is near Thanksgiving, then a list of dressed turkey, an assortment of fancy vegetables, hams, honey, nuts and pecans. And the prices are such as to interest the consumer. The farmer has not the overhead expense of the middle man--hence they can give a much better price.

A card file was kept which gave complete information as well as prospects and customers. Card gave names, address, business connection, salary and rating of each person. When a customer is made out of the prospect a red slip is attached to the top of the card, and a number is given, it corresponding to a page in order book where shipment record is kept.

This office is conducted by the Secretary Treasurer.

When orders come in for which they cannot themselves fill, they hustle out to other farmers and purchase the product and thus fill their customers orders. In connection with this article read over the parcel post service and apply same to your shipments.

PLAN No. 796. SHEEP PROFITABLE

A Kansas farmer made money in 1917 when the corn crop was unprofitable and here is how he succeeded.

Four years before he visited a fair where there were sheep and these were the first sheep he had ever seen so he bought three. A few days later he traded one shote for another sheep and in a few more days he gave up his Jersey cow for seven five-year old ewes and eight lambs. Soon he had gathered a flock of 59 sheep, including ewes and lambs of all ages, sizes and shapes. His interest grew until he had collected about 1000 head of sheep which averaged 30 lbs. to the head.

He allowed them to graze in a pasture of alfalfa and when this was gone he fed them at the rate of 2 lbs. of feed per head. In 100 days he nearly doubled his money. He took out the scrub ewes and wether lambs and fed them 55 days. Those he fed on corn weighed 72 lbs. per head and brought seven cents per lb.

The spring of 1917 he purchased 500 head. When the grass became too short he turned them into the corn to take care of themselves until November.

His investment of $8,000 through these sheep grew to $17,600. He has about 1,000 sheep and when the ewes have a good milk flow and do well he does not feed, otherwise he gives them oats. He says:

“I believe it is best to use self-feeders, feeding alfalfa-meal, corn chop, corn and kafir, or corn and barley mixed. I tried such a mixture with 100 head and for two days fed alfalfa-meal and corn mixture in the proportion of 2 lbs. of alfalfa for one pound of mixture. The next three or four days I fed half and half. The fifth day there was less meal, and on the sixth day I was feeding two-thirds corn chops and one-third alfalfa-meal. It took fifty-five days to feed them out. I did not keep track of the gains they made, but they did exceedingly well.”

This Kansas man is of the opinion that 1,000 head is all one man should handle since the lambing season takes all his time.

PLAN No. 797. BECOME WEIGHT CLERK FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217

PLAN No. 798. WAREHOUSE INVESTIGATORS FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217

PLAN No. 799. BECOME WATCHMAN FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217

PLAN No. 800. WHAT SHE DID WITH CHICKENS

This lady in Spokane, Washington, kept an accurate account of the cost of her poultry and reports the following average results per year:

Number of eggs per hen 105 Price received for eggs $0.37 Cost of feed per hen $1.74 Profit per hen from eggs $1.60 Total profit per hen, including eggs, fries and poultry sold $2.13

This is what you can do if out of employment or want to make your back yard and shed produce profit. The above figures are reliable. The example of what other people have done is the best argument in the world that you can do as well. These people do not bear charmed lives, but they are people who do not take a little discouragement as a barrier. The government stands ready to help you with excellent literature on this subject. Write to the Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.

PLAN No. 801. SQUABS

Do you wish to raise squabs for a living? If so the first thing to do before you waste a cent is to gather all the information possible about this. Drop a letter to the United States Government and they will give all the information they possess about squabs. Read all you can find on this subject; also visit someone already in the business.

When you begin it is best to start small, say 5, 10, or 20 pair which you should purchase from a reliable brooder who will guarantee that the pigeons are perfectly mated, and that he will take them back in 3 months if not satisfactory. The age of your pigeons should be 2 to 3 years old.

If you have 10 pair of brooding pigeons you should give them a rat-proof room, 6 to 7 ft. by 5 ft. and about 6 ft. high. If larger it would be better. Breeding quarters should have access to a wired flying cage the same width and 16 ft. long by 8 ft. high. Cover cage with one inch mesh galvanized wire netting so that the sparrows will not give trouble.

The breeding quarters should have at least 20 nesting boxes for 10 pair of pigeons. Store boxes will do--not less than 10 to 12 inches square, with a 4 to 6 inch strip fastened on front to keep the little ones from falling out also to give privacy during incubation. Or if you wish, earthenware or wood fiber nest-bowls may be used, with partitions one ft. square.

The outside cage or flight should have a shelf running the length of the cage where the birds may exercise and parade. Put in bottom of flight about 2 inches of ashes or gravel so it will be dry.

Feed the birds in the breeding place and keep the grain dry. Also provide water in the breeding house so that birds will not soil the water. Bath pans must be outside in the flight.

Have pigeon loft face south, with plenty of light and air but free from drafts. Windows should all be on the south side. Pigeon house should be one ft. to 18 inches above ground to avoid trouble from rats.

To protect against cold in the winter have floor made double, bottom of rough board and top of matched flooring. This is much warmer than concrete.

Ten pair of pigeons in 6 months will produce about 30 to 40 squabs. If you wish squabs for breeders remove them from parents when 6 weeks old. Put in pen 1¹⁄₂ ft. square and twice as much space outside.

It will cost about $2.25 to feed a pair of pigeons and 6 pair of squabs until they are 4 weeks old--which is the age to market them. If the sale price of the 6 pair is $3.00 you would realize a profit of 75 cents per breeding pair.

PLAN No. 802. 52-ACRE MICHIGAN ORCHARD

Fourteen years ago the first of March, I purchased twenty-five acres one-half mile south of Bangor, Michigan, and two weeks later moved onto it from Illinois.

Two years after moving onto this farm I set out an orchard of 500 trees, planting them twenty feet each way. This orchard was set to Duchess, Yellow Transparent, Wealthy, Grimes Golden, Snow and Jonathan. This orchard was cultivated each year until the first of August, then a cover crop was planted and turned under the following spring, until it was six years old. Then it was left to go into a natural seed, which is blue grass and red top.

These trees had made such a wonderful growth that they were large enough to bear a good crop at six years old. This orchard has been mowed each year since going into sod, and at harvesting time when the trees were six years old we took $340 worth of apples from the orchard, or $68 per acre. From that time on this orchard has been doing better each year, and when nine years old we made $90 per acre from it; at ten years $100 per acre, and the past season, at eleven years old, we sold $1,200 worth of apples, a return of $240 per acre.

This orchard is protected by timber on the west and north sides. It is sandy loam soil. The first trimming these trees received was when they were six years old, and from that time on they got an annual moderate trimming and received thorough spraying. Our spray has been lime sulphur and arsenate of lead. We found that we could not grow wood and fruit spurs at the same time, hence no trimming was done until the trees were large enough to bear.

PLAN No. 803. BECOME WAREHOUSEMAN FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217

PLAN No. 804. BECOME TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANT FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217

PLAN No. 805. CLIMBING WITH THE GOATS

Two men, both traders of rare ability, one had land located in the Ozark Mountains, Douglas County, Missouri, and the other owned level but dry land in the West. Each thought his land so poor that he could not lose in the trade.

The party whom we are most interested in took the Missouri land.

When his taxes were due he visited his land and found he had received in this trade some very beautiful scenery. In places it was so rough that he had to hold on to the trees to keep on his land.

The party showing him the land told him that this was good land for goat raising. This gave him an idea--goats would clean the land, build the soil and they required but little attention. And the goats would thrive in such a country. One advantage the land possessed was a good supply of water.

Thirty days after receiving this idea he put over fifty goats on the land and fenced his several hundred acres.

In five years his herd of fifty goats had grown to four hundred, he now owns 1300 acres. The goats cleaned all under brush and kept all sprouts down and deadened the timber. The goats had prepared this land so that orchard grass, native blue grass and clover was planted and grew in such abundance that the owner was able to take care of 100 head of cattle in addition to the goats.

The owner went into partnership with a party who receives one-half of the increase of the goats and cattle.

He states that no man will find land that flows with milk and honey now, but that cheap land with a good supply of water offers a great opportunity to a young man with a herd of goats and a little money to run him for a couple of years. In his 1300 acres he had some good land in the valleys where he raises alfalfa and clover.

PLAN No. 806. NEGLECTED ORCHARD PAYS PROFIT

C. F. Mason, of Hickman Mills, Missouri, has made a fortune from a forty acre apple orchard that the neighbors swore could not be made to pay. Up until the time Mr. Mason took hold of its management, this forty acres had never been known to pay more than $200 per year. His profits the first season totaled $2,000; the next year, $2,500; the third season, $8,100, and in the eight seasons he has rented this tract he has banked more than $40,000, in spite of the fact that he had gone up against two pretty disappointing seasons.

It was 1910 that Mr. Mason quit the trail of the grip to rent this forty-acre orchard. When he went to the owner and asked if he could rent it, they were delighted, for they thought they had discovered a new brand of fool who was willing to part with his time and money. Mr. Mason made his own terms the first year; since then he has made so much profit with the orchard that the owners have been very fair in their terms, since he had converted a millstone into a bank.

The second day after the contract was signed the renter with a force of men went into the orchard, consisting of fifteen-year-old trees, and the battle for a crop started. The trees were then in bloom and the work had to be done in quick order. It was. The first year the profit of $2,000 permitted the back-to-the-lander to purchase equipment needed to handle the orchard along practical lines.

The topnotch production was reached in 1912, when more than 15,000 bushels were harvested, selling for $8,100. More apples were sold from the orchard in 1918. In 1914, due to drought, the crop was reduced to about 9,500 bushels, which sold for $6,000.

RECORD OF SPRAYS

Mr. Mason says that 10 per cent of the orchards in Missouri and Kansas produce 90 per cent of the apples of a marketable type. His aim from the start was to have as near a 100 per cent producing orchard as possible. “I sprayed first in the spring at cluster bud time,” he says, “when the first leaves were about the size of a mouse’s ear. That was primarily for scab. I used one-gallon of lime-sulphur solution to twenty-five gallons of water.

“I sprayed the second time just as the blossoms were dropping. That was for the codling moth. I used one gallon of lime-sulphur to forty gallons of water, with two pounds of paste arsenate of lead, or one pound of dry arsenate. The third spraying was the same as the second, and was applied two weeks later to control the curculio. The fourth spraying was done about the first week of July, using the same formula as in the second and third applications, to control the second brood of codling moths and side worms. If cankerworms are prevalent I use three pounds of paste arsenate of lead, or half in dry form, to fifty gallons of water.

“That is the spring spraying. If the San José scale is present, the trees must be treated in winter, after the leaves drop and before they make their appearance in the spring, spraying once with a strong solution of lime-sulphur in proportion of one part of lime to ten parts water. This application is very good.”

CULTIVATION AND PRUNING

Mr. Mason believes in cultivation for apple profits, since he has demonstrated that his section of the country demands this treatment. “Cultivation of an orchard is just as necessary as cultivating corn and other crops,” he says. “Moisture must be present in the ground and the weeds must be kept down to prevent drinking up the moisture and fertility the trees need. The surface must be thoroughly tilled, too, to permit the moisture to enter the ground. Fall plowing of orchards has many great advantages.

“Another very important thing is the pruning. Remove the surplus wood and clear the tree out so that the sunlight and air strike it. Never cut out so much the sun will strike the big limbs. Don’t do all the pruning at once. Pruning should extend over a period of years. All cross limbs and limbs that are in the tree’s way should be removed, not all that are in your way.

“Pruning is an art. I advise all orchardists who want to engage in the business, as a business, to take a course in horticulture, either in some recognized agricultural school, or take a broad course at home. Watch the trees and their needs--study them closely. Each tree might require different treatment. In one tree we pruned properly in our orchard, the size of the apples was doubled over former years. The value of the apples was increased, as was the color and flavor.”

Mr. Mason starts spraying young orchards early, especially the first year. He says to do so prevents fungus from getting a start. He sprays the young trees in the winter also. “It is not advisable to set young trees out in an old orchard,” continued Mr. Mason. “We tried it and failed. The trees either died or just simply refused to live. I put new trees on fresh soil that has been rotated in various crops for at least five years.”

PLAN No. 807. BECOME TESTING ENGINEER FOR U. S. SEE PLAN No. 217

PLAN No. 808. A SYSTEM OF FARM RENTAL

Many farms are ruined because their owners have not understood the drawing up of a proper agreement and thereby including proper safeguards.

Many retired farm owners are located in the various small towns and cities with nothing to do who have rented their farms for cash and they have nothing to do but worry about the way the farm is going back. Many tenants follow a soil mining plan--get out of the farm all that is possible today and let tomorrow take care of itself as tomorrow the owner will have it back.

The following kind of a rental system has been followed with good results: This owner rented his 400 acre dairy and stock farm and it paid him in 1917--7.89% on a $25,000 investment, after all expenses had been deducted. At the same time his land has improved in production and value. Under this plan the tenant’s share amounted to $2,838.60 while the net earnings of the owner was $1,974.12 which was exclusive of his personal, managerial labor.

The lease contained the following conditions as to owner:

Active management of farm rests with the owner.

Financial and business operations are handled by owner.

Owner furnishes all seed and one-half of fertilizer.

All horse power, machinery and equipment.

All feed except one-half ensilage which tenant furnishes.

Twenty-five to thirty dairy cows and one registered bull.

Tenant receives one-third of gross income and owner two-thirds of gross income.

Which includes one-third share in all young stock.

TENANT

Provides all labor which consists of own service and two hired men by the year and labor necessary for harvesting and housing crop.

Bears one-third of stock loss.

Pays 6% interest on one-third of value of cows.

Keeps machinery and equipment in good condition and pays for necessary repairs.

All buildings to be kept in good repair.

Holds in check all weeds and filth along fence rows and in field.

Pays one-third of cost of delivery of milk to city distributers.

Furnishes one-third of fertilizer.

Furnishes one-third of thrashing and silo filling bills.

LEASE COVERS

Apportionment of undivided property or improvement if at any time contract should be terminated.

Runs for 10 years but may be terminated at the end of the year.

If tenant does not live up to agreement, farm automatically returns to owners complete control.

Owner can then hire such labor as is necessary to carry on business to end of year at which time lease will expire and tenant’s heirs or assignees would be paid their net share of the income due after expenses are paid.

The renter likes the plan for the following reasons:

It gives tenant residence for 10 years. No expense for frequent moves.

Live stock as dairy cows gives tenant income each month.

Tenant capitalizes his labor.

Tenant on farm long enough to gain the advantage of added benefits from live stock farming and the application of stable manure to fields.

The owner likes it for the following reasons:

The land is improved constantly.

Allows him to engage in other business and follow farming evenings and Saturdays.

Plan urges tenant to do his best to make grain and milk crops as large as possible.

Plan assures the owner that the live stock and farm equipment is well cared for.

The best tenant is a young married man experienced, competent and who likes the farm and wants to own a farm himself some day.

PLAN No. 810. BUILD AND SELL FARM HOME CONVENIENCES

The Agricultural Department of the United States put out a booklet in which are given the following ways of making Farm Home Conveniences. The farmer can by building these home articles save much money, but city people can also profit by doing the same.

There is no reason why men who are handy at making such articles cannot follow these plans set forth and manufacture one or several of same and thereby derive a comfortable living by selling them. Large fortunes have been made from most of the articles herein set forth by individuals or companies in the country. Along with each article a form letter should be prepared concerning the article made.

PLAN No. 811. THE KITCHEN CABINET

For plans 811 to 828 inclusive we are indebted to the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture

Contribution from the States Relations Service

A. C. TRUE, Director

A carpenter without his bench loses much time in getting the right tools and in putting them away. A chemist cannot do systematic laboratory work without a well-arranged desk. A kitchen cabinet is just as important to the housekeeper as the bench to the workman or the laboratory desk to the chemist. With it the housekeeper can sit comfortably down with her whole kitchen workshop within easy reach. It saves walking to and fro to gather up this thing and that, to prepare the food. Every kitchen should have a stool of the right height to enable the worker to sit at her work at the cabinet. The cabinet must be made of good wood, well seasoned. This is the most important consideration. Poorly seasoned wood warps and swells and is a constant annoyance in opening and closing drawers and doors.

A convenient sized cabinet is 6 feet 3 inches high to the top of the closet, 31 inches high to the top of the table. It is 21 inches deep and 48 inches wide. The part of the cabinet below the table should contain flour bin, large drawer, rack, and dough or pastry board. The bin is fastened to the frame with loose-pin hinges. By removing the pins the entire bin can be removed, cleaned, and replaced. The bin can be lined with tin to make it moist, insect, and mouse proof. The dough board should be made of wood that is tasteless and odorless and should be fitted well in the opening just below the table. A batten is tongued and grooved on each side of the board to prevent it from warping. The roomy board can be used for small utensils. The open space below the drawer can be occupied by the kitchen stool or the home-made fireless cooker when they are not in use.

Pie pans, lids, and covers have a most convenient place in the rack below the drawer. A drop table 21 inches wide and 19 inches long increases the table surface. This table is supported by inexpensive folding brackets.

The upper part of the cabinet consists of a closed compartment, three drawers, three open shelves, knife rack, and a row of screw hooks for hanging utensils. The closed compartment is for package goods and large utensils. The drawers are for kitchen linen and other things needed in daily use. The lower shelf is 5 inches in depth, while the upper shelves are 7¹⁄₂ inches. On these shelves are kept coffee, tea, sugar, and spice jars. Three inches below the lower shelf there is a strip 1¹⁄₂ inches wide which holds the screw hooks. The knife rack is made by sawing slashes 1 inch deep in a piece of material 2 inches wide.

PLAN No. 812. THE FIRELESS COOKER

Fireless cookers are now being made and used in hundreds of country homes. What is more pleasing to the farm woman than to put her dinner in the fireless cooker before she drives to town to market her products, and upon returning find it ready for serving?

The fireless cooker offers several advantages. The first economy of time, as the housekeeper may leave the food cooking without worrying about the results while she is engaged in other household duties or visiting her friends.

Some foods are improved by long cooking at relatively low temperature. The texture and flavor of tougher cuts of meat, old, tough fowl, and ham are improved by slow cooking. Cereals, dried legumes, and dried fruits are more palatable and wholesome when cooked for a long time. Soups and stews are delicious when cooked in the cooker. Baking, however, can not be done very conveniently nor satisfactorily in the ordinary homemade fireless cooker.

In some sections of the country economy of fuel must be an important consideration. The food for the cooker may be started on the wood or coal range when the morning meal is being prepared. In warm weather the use of the fireless cooker and a kerosene stove means not only economy of fuel, but also comfort.

The food to be cooked is first heated to boiling point on the stove in the cooking vessel and then this vessel, covered with a tight lid, is quickly placed in the cooker, where the cooking continues. The cooker is so constructed that the heat does not escape. For long cooking it is necessary to place in the cooker under the vessel a hot radiator. A soapstone is the best radiator and can be purchased at most hardware stores for 50 cents. A stove lid, a brick or disc made of concrete, heated and placed in the cooker, may serve as the radiator.

Directions: A tightly built box, an old trunk, a galvanized-iron ash can, a candy bucket, a tin lard can, and a butter firkin are among the containers that have been successfully used in the construction of fireless cookers.

The inside container or nest which holds the vessel of hot food may be a bucket of agate, galvanized iron, or tin. This nest must be deep enough to hold the radiator and the vessel of food but not large enough to leave much space, as the air space will cool the food. The inside container must have a tight-fitting cover, and straight sides are desirable.

The packing or insulation must be of some material which is a poor conductor of heat. The following materials may be used and they should be dry: Lint cotton, cotton-seed hulls, wool, shredded newspaper, Spanish moss, ground cork, hay, straw and excelsior.

Sheet asbestos ¹⁄₈ inch thick and heavy cardboard have proved to be the best lining for the outer container and the wrapping for the nest. Heavy wrapping paper or several sheets of newspaper may be used for the lining of the outer container, but the nest should be wrapped with asbestos or heavy cardboard to prevent the hot stone from scorching or burning the packing.

1. It is well to have the outside container large enough to permit four inches of packing below and around the sides of the nest. If a cooker is being made with two nests, six inches of packing should be allowed between the nests. Pack into the bottom of the lined outer container four inches of the packing. Place the nest or inside container wrapped with asbestos or heavy cardboard and hold steady while the packing is put around tightly and firmly until it reaches the top of the nest.

2. Make a collar, as shown in the illustration, of cardboard, sheet asbestos, or wood to cover the exposed surface of the insulating material. This collar should fit tightly.

3. Make a cushion which when filled with packing will be at least four inches thick and will completely fill the space between the top of the nest and the lid of the outside container. It should fit against the top tightly enough to cause pressure when the lid is closed.

4. The outside of the fireless cooker can be made more attractive by staining or painting it. The lid may be held in place by screen-door hooks and eyes. The cooker may be placed on castors so that it can be easily moved.

Selected recipes for preparing food to be cooked in the fireless cooker may be found in Farmer’s Bulletin 771, Homemade Fireless Cookers and Their Use. Write the Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.

PLAN No. 813. SPONGE BOX OR BREAD RAISER

In making bread the housekeeper often finds it difficult to hold her sponge or dough at the right temperature so that it will rise in a shorter period of time. She will find a sponge box or bread raiser a great help in keeping the right temperature. Such a box can be made from an ordinary dry-goods packing box.

A box 20x20 inches is a convenient size. About ten inches from the bottom of the box a shelf made of slats or strips of wood rests on cleats fastened to the sides of the box. A second shelf is placed four inches above the lower one. The shelves can be removed when cleaning the box. Below the lower shelf a sheet of galvanized iron slightly wider than the shelf is inserted. It is curved in order to make it slip in and stay in place securely. This prevents scorching the lower shelf when a lamp is placed below and also helps to distribute the heat more evenly. The door is hinged and fastened with a thumb-latch or hook and staple.

Several small holes are bored in the lower and upper parts of the sides and in the top of the box to promote circulation of air. A cork which has been bored through the center to admit a straight thermometer is inserted in one of the holes in the top of the box. A Fahrenheit chemical thermometer that registers as high as 100 degrees can be used. Such a thermometer may be ordered through a hardware dealer or directly from an instrument dealer.

To avoid all danger of fire, the box should be lined with asbestos or tin when a kerosene lamp is used for heating the box. If an electric light is used, the lining is not needed. A 16-candlepower light will heat the box nicely. A small and inexpensive night lamp is placed in the bottom of the box and a shallow pan of water is placed on the lower shelf so that the air in the box will be kept moist.

The bowl of sponge or pans of dough are placed on the upper shelf. The temperature of the box should be kept as near 86° F. as possible (80° to 88° F.) when bread is being made in the quick way. If a sponge is set overnight 65° to 70° F. is the better temperature until the dough is made in the morning, after which the temperature may be increased to 86° F. The temperature in the box may be varied by raising or lowering the flame of the lamp or by using warm or cold water in the shallow pan.

PLAN No. 814. DISH DRAINER

Perhaps no time spent in housework is more begrudged by the housekeeper than that spent in washing and wiping dishes. A dish drainer not only saves time and labor but it does away with the too often insanitary dish towel.

A most satisfactory dish drainer can be made by using an ordinary bread or biscuit pan and racks made of soft No. 12 or 14 wire. By using a pair of pliers the wire can be bent into the proper shape for forming the racks. The racks fit into the pan and hold the dishes out of the water. The compartment for silver is made of poultry netting. This compartment could be made of screen wire or a tin can with holes in the bottom might be used.

After the dishes are washed they are stacked in the racks and scalded with hot rinsing water. The pan catches the drip, and the dishes upon standing dry clean and lintless. If the drainer be used on the drain board of a sink a small hole can be made in the pan and the drip drained immediately into the sink. The wire racks can easily be removed so that the pan can be used for other purposes.

PLAN No. 815. HEIGHTS OF WORKING SURFACES

Kitchen tables and the bottom of sinks are usually too low for working surfaces when the housekeeper is standing. Low working surfaces are often responsible for tired backs and rounded shoulders because of the undue stooping and the strain on the arms and shoulders. The following figures show the proper level of working surfaces for the height of the housekeeper:

Proper height Height of woman. of working surface. Inches. 4 feet 10 inches 27 5 feet 28 5 feet 2 inches 29 5 feet 4 inches 30 5 feet 6 inches 31

The kitchen table should be raised to the proper height by the use of blocks of wood. Different types of blocks for raising the height of tables can easily be made by you and sold:

(a) A block of wood with a socket in which the table fits securely.

(b) A block of wood with metal strips and screws or nails for fastening the table legs, or the cabinet table.

PLAN No. 816. SERVING TRAY

The serving tray is a strength and time saver. The tray saves many trips between the dining room and kitchen, both in serving and clearing away meals, especially in a large household where many dishes must be handled. The top and shelf spaces are sufficient to remove all dishes to or from the table in one trip. It saves steps in serving refreshments at social occasions. It is invaluable to use as a bedside tray in the sick room. The tray when well made is attractive as well as useful and may serve as a reading table or flower stand.

The upper part of the serving tray is box shaped, 16 inches wide and 26 inches long. This is supported by four legs 1⁵⁄₈ by 1⁵⁄₈ inches which measure 31 inches from the floor to the top of the tray. The top of the tray or the lid of the china compartment is edged by a 1¹⁄₄ inch molding. The china compartment is 4¹⁄₂ inches deep and is painted white within. On the sides of this compartment are little screw hooks on which cups may be hung. There is a space in the compartment for serving dishes for six.

Below this serving compartment is a drawer 2 inches deep, which is divided in two parts. One side is used for linen and one side for silver. The side used for silver is lined with dark-colored felt or outing flannel.

In the space below the drawer a large undershelf is placed. The serving tray is put on noiseless swivel castors, thus allowing the table to turn completely around, which is a great convenience. Instead of castors, small swivel wheels or the small wheels of a baby carriage or toy wagon may be used. A tray made by the dimensions given above is a convenient size and one that will go through doorways without danger of bumping.

PLAN No. 817. FOLDING IRONING BOARD

The ironing board can be fastened up against the wall and be put out of the way when not in use. It should be made of well-seasoned 1 or 1¹⁄₄ inch material. A board of convenient size can be made by the following dimensions: 4 feet 8 inches long, 15 inches wide at the attached end, and 8 inches at the free end. About two inches from the attached end the board begins to taper gradually. The free end is rounded.

A strip 1¹⁄₄ by 4 inches by 15 inches is securely fastened by screws to the wall at a convenient height. The height at which the board is placed varies with the height of the user. For a woman of average height it should be about 31 or 32 inches. The board is hinged to the wall strip with two No. 2 butt hinges.

The leg or brace, made of material 1 inch thick and 4 inches wide, is fastened with a No. 3 butt hinge to a strip of board 1 by 4 by 8 inches. The board strip is screwed to the underside of the board eleven inches from the free end. The length of the brace depends upon the height of the board, and when the board is in position the brace rests against the baseboard of the wall. Skirts may be easily ironed without changing the position of the brace. A piece of galvanized iron may be tacked to the board, on which the hot iron may rest when not being used. The board is folded up against the wall and may be held in place by using the upper part of the rack for holding the portable ironing board.

PLAN No. 818. RACK FOR THE PORTABLE IRONING BOARD

The ironing-board rack or holder may be attached to the wall or to the inside of a closet door to hold a portable ironing board when not in use. The upper part of the holder is made of 2¹⁄₂ inch material and is 5 inches in depth. It is 12 inches across the top and is shaped to fit the contour of the smaller end of the ironing board. In the center is a button which holds the top of the board in place. The button is made of metal and so shaped as to give it a spring and to provide a finger hold for easy movement. The upper part of the rack or holder is screwed to the wall or door.

The bottom or lower part of the rack is 5 inches wide and 3 inches in depth, and is made of 2¹⁄₂-inch material. It is rabbeted on the side next to the wall. An inch rabbet is cut into for a rest for the ironing board. This part of the rack is fastened with two screws to the wall or door.

PLAN No. 819. ICELESS REFRIGERATOR

A very useful convenience for the farmhouse, where ice is not obtainable, is the iceless refrigerator. It will keep meats, fruits, and vegetables cool, and will extend the period for keeping milk and butter. It can also serve as a cooler for drinking water. In homes where large quantities of milk and butter are to be kept, it would be well to have one refrigerator for milk and butter and another for other foods, as milk and butter readily absorb odors from other foods. It costs very little to build the refrigerator and nothing to operate it.

Construction: A wooden frame is made with dimensions 42 by 14 inches and covered with screen wire, preferably the rustless kind, which costs little more than the ordinary kind. The door is made to fit closely and is mounted on brass hinges, and can be fastened with a wooden latch. The bottom is fitted solid, but the top should be covered with screen wire. Adjustable shelves can be made of solid wood or strips, or sheets of galvanized metal. Shelves made of poultry netting on light wooden frames, are probably the most desirable. These shelves rest on side braces placed at desired intervals. A bread baking pan, 14 by 16 inches, is placed on the top and the frame rests in a 17 by 18 inch pan.

All the woodwork, the shelves, and the pans should receive two coats of white paint and two coats of white enamel. This makes a very attractive surface and one that can be easily kept clean. The screen wire may also receive the coats of enamel, which will prevent it from rusting.

A cover of canton flannel, burlap, or duck is made to fit the frame. Put the smooth side out if canton flannel is used. It will require about three yards of the material. This material is buttoned around the top of the frame and down the side on which the door is not hinged, using buggy hooks and eyes or large-headed tacks and eyelets worked in the material. On the front side arrange the hooks on the top of the door instead of on the frame and also fasten the cover down the latch side of the door, allowing a wide hem of the material to overlap the place where the door closes. The door can then be opened without unbuttoning the cover. The bottom of the cover should extend down into the lower pan. Four double strips, which taper to 8 or 10 inches in width, are sewed to the upper part of the cover. These strips form wicks that dip over into the upper pan.

The dimensions given make a refrigerator of very convenient size for household use and one with sufficient evaporating surface, but it is not necessary to follow strictly these dimensions. If a larger capacity is desired, the height of the refrigerator can be increased.

Operation: The lowering of the temperature of the inside of the refrigerator depends upon the evaporation of water. To change water from liquid to a vapor, or to bring about evaporation, requires heat. As evaporation takes place heat is taken from the inside of the refrigerator, thereby lowering the temperature of the inside and the contents.

Keep the upper pan filled with water. The water is drawn by the capillary attraction through the wicks and saturates the cover. Capillary action starts more readily if the cover is first dampened by dipping it into water or throwing water upon it with the hand. The greater the rate of evaporation the lower the temperature which can be secured; therefore the refrigerator works better when rapid evaporation takes place. When the refrigerator is placed in a shady place in a strong breeze and the air is warm and dry, evaporation takes place continuously and rapidly and the temperature has been known to be reduced to 50° F. When it is damp, and the air is full of moisture, the refrigerator will not work as well, since there is not enough evaporation. More water will find its way to the lower pan, but it will be drawn up into the covering by capillary attraction when the air again becomes drier.

Care of Refrigerator: The refrigerator should be regularly cleaned and sunned. If the framework, shelves, and pans are white enameled they can more easily be kept in a sanitary condition. It is well to have two covers, so that a fresh one can be used each week and the soiled one washed and sunned.

PLAN No. 820. THE COLD BOX

For keeping food during cool weather, a cold box will be found very satisfactory. An ordinary light box can be used or one can be easily and cheaply made for this purpose. The box is fitted to the outside of the kitchen or pantry window. The north exposure is the coolest location. Raising the window gives access to the cold box. By this arrangement the light from the upper half of the window is still available.

The window sill is extended by a shelf which is supported by wooden brackets. The cold box rests on the window sill and the extended shelf, and is fastened to the window casing by screws or nails near the top and bottom of each end of the box. During warm weather, when the box is not in use, it may be removed if desired. The box should have a sloping roof to shed the rain. Holes for ventilation are made in the ends of the box and screened. Shelves in the box may be made of heavy screening or poultry netting or of wood. They rest on cleats fastened to the sides of the box.

Food placed in this box should be covered so as to protect it from dust.

PLAN No. 821. EQUIPMENT FOR HOME BUTTER-MAKING

There is no secret in making good butter. With proper care and attention to details good butter can be made in any farm home. The quality of the butter is dependent upon the intelligent use of equipment rather than the kind, although suitable equipment is time-saving and labor-saving and can be purchased and made at a nominal cost.

Milk vessels should be of high-grade tin with all joints and seams smoothly soldered so that there will be no crevices in which dirt may accumulate. A convenient milking can to use is the three-gallon shotgun can. It should have a smooth, heavily tinned interior, to prevent rusting and difficulty in cleaning. All butter-making equipment should be thoroughly scrubbed with a brush in hot water containing sal-soda or washing powder. Never use a dish cloth or soap. Inexpensive stiff fiber scrub brushes or vegetable brushes can be purchased at any grocery or hardware store. After equipment is washed it should be scalded or steamed. A home made sterilizer will be found most convenient and helpful. (Write for Farmer’s Bulletin No. 748, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.)

A medium sized dipper strainer with a fine-meshed gauze has been found to be very satisfactory. It should be smooth and free from seams. Butter should not be touched or handled with the bare hands. It injures the quality of the butter and is very insanitary. Wooden ladles can be easily whittled from maple, ash, or poplar or bought at a small cost. A thermometer is absolutely essential to successful butter-making. Controlling temperatures is second only to keeping equipment clean. A floating dairy thermometer can be ordered from any dairy supply company.

In making butter the salt should be uniformly distributed and the granules pressed together into a close-grained mass and the surplus water worked out. This can most easily be accomplished by use of a V-shaped lever butter worker made of one-inch material. This worker is made of maple, ash or poplar, the material of which all wooden butter equipment is made. Any woods from which odors or flavors might be absorbed by the butter should not be used.

For the amount of butter made in most farm homes a butter worker 18 inches long, 16 inches at the wide end and 2¹⁄₂ inches at the narrow end is a convenient size. The sides are 3 inches wide and are screwed to the bottom. The corrugated roller having six or eight sides is 24 inches long. One end of the roller is shaped to fit a small hole made in the pieces across the narrow end of the worker. This end piece is of a width that leaves a slot just above the bottom of the worker which allows the water to drain off into a pan as the roller is pressed firmly backward and forward over the butter. The worker rests on three knobs or supports. The two knobs at the wider end are 3¹⁄₂ inches high, while the knob at the narrow end is 2¹⁄₂ inches.

The most popular, convenient, and attractive butter mold is the brick-shaped or square-cornered shape. This mold can be made of ⁵⁄₈-inch material. The mold most commonly used is 4⁵⁄₈ by 2¹⁄₂ by 2³⁄₈ inches. An inch hole is bored through the center of the top and through the center of a plunger which fits closely into the mold. Through the hole in the top of the mold is inserted the round handle which screws into the hole in the plunger. Most satisfactory molds of this type can be found on the market.

When butter is to be sold, parchment papers 8 by 11 inches should be used to wrap the pound print. Also neat and attractive paper butter cartons should be used when butter is put on the market. It will bring a better price if packed well.

To make the butter-making equipment complete, a barrel churn should be added. The barrel churn is generally recognized as the most convenient and efficient kind of churn in use. When an extra large quantity of milk is handled it pays to use a cream separator. A separator insures more and better butter.

PLAN No. 822. CHEESE-MAKING EQUIPMENT

Cottage, Neufchatel, plain cream, and pimento cream cheese can be made in the farm home where a surplus supply of milk is available. Cheese is not only a very valuable food but if a first-class product is produced a good market can easily be found for it. The equipment for making cheese is very simple and most of it could be made at home.

The rack for draining the cheese is 16 inches deep, 12 inches wide, and 24 inches long, and is made of pine. The bottom slats which hold the pan under the draining cloth fit into notches made in the lower side strips and can easily be removed when the rack is washed. The corner posts extend ³⁄₄ inch above the strips at the top and the corner loops of muslin or cheesecloth drain cloth are looped over the posts. A similar rack, as described, could be made out of an orange or vegetable crate.

The press is made of two poplar or maple boards 1¹⁄₄ inches thick and 14¹⁄₂ inches square. Strips of wood 1³⁄₄ inches wide are nailed or screwed on the back of each board to prevent them from warping. The boards are planed and sandpapered until perfectly smooth. The lower board has a circular groove which has an outlet through which the whey drains as it is pressed out of the curd.

A wooden paddle, a dairy thermometer, and a food chopper or sausage grinder with molding tube complete the necessary equipment. The molding tube or cylinder could be made by a tinsmith or can be ordered through a hardware dealer. The paddle can easily be made. The molding tube or stuffing attachment which is attached to the food chopper molds the Neufchatel and cream cheese into attractive and convenient molds for the market. The cheese can also be packed into small glass jars by placing the opening of the jar over the end of the tube through which the cheese is forced. The pimento cream cheese is always put on the market in small glass jars.

PLAN No. 823. THE SHOWER BATH

Better bathing facilities are often needed in homes where bathrooms are not found. A cheap and convenient shower bath can be easily made and used in the kitchen or on the back porch. The shower bath is especially useful in homes where there are children.

A hole is cut in the bottom of a four gallon bucket and a piece of pipe 2 inches long soldered in the opening. Rubber tubing 4 to 6 feet long is attached to the pipe and a nozzle is fitted on the end of the rubber tubing. A sprinkler from a water can may be used instead of the nozzle. The bucket can be raised or lowered to suit the convenience of the person taking the bath by a rope fastened to the handle of the bucket and run through a pulley which is fastened with a staple to a joist in the ceiling. The end of the rope is looped over a hook, which is driven securely into the window or door facing, or into the studding in the wall.

A clothespin closed over the rubber tubing serves as a stopcock to cut off the water if desired. The shower can be better regulated by using a device such as is shown in the illustration. The end of a piece of No. 12 or 14 wire is fastened to a disk of leather or tin, or a cap of a tin can, by making a hole in the material used, running the wire through and looping the end. This disk is placed over the hole in the bottom of the bucket and the attached wire extends through the rubber tubing and the nozzle. The shower can be regulated by the disk being raised and lowered by means of the wire. The weight of the water in the bucket on the disk will form a sufficient seal when no flow is desired.

A large tub is placed under the shower, in which the bather stands. The tub and bucket are more attractive when given two coats of white paint and one coat of white enamel.

PLAN No. 824. WELL PROTECTION AND INEXPENSIVE WATERWORKS FOR A FARM KITCHEN

The three important principles to consider in the subject of water supply for the farm home are: (1) It is necessary to have clean water, (2) there should be convenient and serviceable equipment to furnish running water in the house, and (3) this convenient supply of safe water should be secured with economy.

The first and most important consideration is to get a supply of clean water. By clean water is meant water which is both clear and pure. Good farm water supplies are usually obtained from wells, springs and cisterns. Water from wells on farms is frequently contaminated and contains the source of disease. Contaminated water may be the cause of outbreaks of typhoid fever, dysentery, and other intestinal disorders among the members of the family.

Both shallow-dug wells and deep-bored wells may be polluted by the entrance of filth, vermin, unclean water at the top and also by seepage of contaminated soil water. These are the results of poor location of wells, generally unclean surroundings, open or loose well curbs, the absence of a well lining, or the presence of a poor well lining. The first step in securing a clean water supply is to remove all sources of possible contamination. Among the worst of these is the open privy vault, the leaching cesspool, and barnyard filth. A well in ordinary pervious soil, located lower than and within 100 feet of any of these, is almost certain to be contaminated. The well itself should be located as high as possible with regard to buildings, stock pens, and chicken yards, and as far away from all sources of contamination as convenience and local surroundings will permit. The final safeguards to a well-water supply are to provide an impervious lining of concrete, cemented bricks, cemented tile, or iron casing, and to provide a water-tight curb, not only to keep out surface wash, animals, and vermin, but to prevent the pump drip and dirt from shoes and bucket from entering the well.

The same precaution with reference to the entrance of filth and polluted water from the surface apply to underground cisterns.

Springs are subject to contamination by surface wash and because animals have access to them. They can be protected by fencing in from animals, walling in the spring to form a covered and water-tight reservoir, and by keeping the surroundings clean. Spring water should be kept under close observation for any signs of surface pollution, especially those springs occurring in limestone regions.

Having secured a clean water supply, the next step is to provide equipment to furnish running water in the kitchen at the turning of a faucet or by merely pumping.

If the well or cistern is located close to the house, one of the simplest and cheapest methods of obtaining running water for the kitchen in the warmer climates is to place a covered barrel or other supply tank on a shelf outside the kitchen wall in such a position that it can be filled from the pump through a hose, as desired. A pipe attached to the bottom of the barrel or tank and passing through the wall has attached to it a faucet over a sink in the kitchen. The hose is detachable and can be removed from the pump when not in use.

The sink is connected by lead pipe through a trap to a drain, which should consist of cast iron soil pipe when it is used anywhere in the immediate neighborhood of the well or cistern. Do not under any consideration use cemented tile for the purpose within 30 feet of any source of water supply. When far enough away from the house or well this drain can empty into an open jointed drain tile which may be placed in the garden soil or any other pervious soil, thus disposing of the waste water by absorption. The disposal tile should have a fall not to exceed 1 inch in 50 feet, else the water will rush to the lower end and water-log the soil. In very porous or sand soils 1 foot of 3 or 4 inch tile per gallon of discharge per day is sufficient. In heavier loam or clay soils 2 feet of tile are necessary and sometimes more for every gallon. Aeration of heavy soil can be brought about by the use of coarse cinders or gravel laid in the bottom of the tile ditch.

Where there is danger of freezing or where the well is very close to the house, about the simplest and cheapest method is to place a pitcher pump or force pump over a sink in the kitchen. The suction pipe of the pump may be attached to the well or cistern and water obtained when desired merely by pumping. This is provided the vertical distance from the pump to the water in the well does not exceed 20 feet, as under ordinary circumstances a pump will lift water satisfactorily by suction only to about that height. The allowable distance from the well to the pump for this arrangement will vary with local conditions, cases having been noted where the distance was as far as 200 feet. As water meets with resistance in pipes, due to friction, elbows, and bends, it is well to take off about 2 feet from the allowable vertical pumping lift for every 100 feet the water is drawn horizontally.

From the standpoint of economy, which is the third consideration, all local conditions which would have a bearing on obtaining clean water and putting it into the house with convenient and serviceable equipment should be determined. No matter how cheap this system, if the water is not clean or the equipment is not serviceable or convenient, the investment is a poor one. Plan first of all to do the necessary work to give absolutely clean surroundings; next secure the proper material to protect the well. By inquiry as to local prices of material and labor the cash outlay needed can be easily determined. In the majority of cases it will be found that the well or spring can be protected by the use of the material available on the farm, such as old bricks, stones, etc., with a cash outlay for little except cement, or in case of a bored well, iron casing. The same principle should be applied in planning the water equipment. All material available on the farm or in the locality should first be used and only such cash expenditure should be made as is necessary to make the system complete, serviceable, and convenient. It will be found on a great many farms that the two systems briefly outlined can be obtained for a moderate outlay of cash for the pump, sink, pipe, and fittings. In many cases the pump is already installed. Thus by the proper utilization of material and labor available on the farm and by a small cash outlay, cleanliness, convenience, comfort, and economy in the water supply can be obtained, the value of which can not be estimated.

PLAN No. 825. FLY TRAP

Fly control should begin at the breeding places. All refuse and other substances in which flies may breed should be disposed of immediately. Fly traps should be placed around the house and stable and in places frequented by flies, so as to catch them whenever they appear. It is necessary to use bait to attract the flies. After they are caught they may be destroyed by pouring hot water over the trap and then burning the flies.

Any woman, without hammer or saw, can easily make a fly trap. The dimensions will depend upon the size of trap desired. Non-rustable screen wire should be used. A straight rectangular piece of screen wire is used for the cylinder of body of the trap. This blanket is stitched with heavy thread to prevent the wire from raveling. The cone is made of a circular piece of screen wire from which a sector or V-shaped piece has been cut, and a small hole is cut at the center which permits the entrance of the flies. A binding of heavy muslin or denim is sewed around the edge of the cone. The cone is slipped up into the cylinder. It must be large enough to fit tightly. It is made secure by the bound edge being sewed to the cylinder. The top of the trap is made of a circular piece of wire which exactly fits the top of the cylinder. On the edge of this piece is sewed a piece of binding. On this edge is sewed a piece of wire 2 inches wide which forms the rim of the top of the trap. This top fits on the cylinder snugly and is held in place by pieces of tape. The legs of the trap are made of bent wire.

The trap should be thoroughly scalded every few days. The following may be used for baits--sour or skim milk to which a little sugar has been added; meat or fish scraps; bread and milk to which sugar has been added; and sugar, vinegar, and water.

PLAN No. 826. WINDOW SCREENS

All outside doors and windows should be screened. It will be an economy to buy the screen doors. For both doors and windows use non-rustable screen wire.

A very cheap, convenient and easily made window screen is shown in Fig. 23. Any woman can make this screen fit any window. Often in old houses window frames have warped and it is hard to make screen frames fit the windows.

Heavy denim or jeans or any other heavy material, of dark color, is cut into strips 4 inches wide. This is sewed around the edge of the screen, leaving about 2 inches of the doubled material as strips for eyelets. Eyelets are worked across the top and down the side strips. Small tacks are driven in the lower casing of the top window and down the sides of the window frames. The eyelets in the window screen are fastened over the heads of the tacks and thus the screen is held in place. This screen can only be used when the upper window cannot be lowered and it can be removed easily when not needed.

PLAN No. 827. COOKSTOVE DRIER OR EVAPORATOR

Vegetables and fruits can be dried in an oven, in trays or racks over the kitchen stove, or in a specially constructed drier. There are small driers on the market which give satisfactory results. The small cookstove driers or evaporators are small oven-like structures, usually made of galvanized sheet iron, or of wood and galvanized iron. They are of such a size that they can be placed on the top of an ordinary wood or coal range, or a kerosene stove. These driers hold a series of small trays on which fruit or vegetables are placed after being prepared for drying. Portable outdoor evaporators are especially convenient when it is desirable to dry as much as ten bushels of fruit or vegetables a day. They are usually constructed of wood except the parts in direct contact with the heater. The homemade dry kiln used in some sections of the country can be cheaply and easily made of brick and stone.

A drier that can be used on a wood or coal range or a kerosene stove can be easily and cheaply made. Dimensions: Base, 24 by 16 inches; height, 36 inches (including the height of the base). The drier can be made smaller if desired. A base six inches high is made of galvanized sheet iron. This base flares slightly toward the bottom and has two small openings for ventilation in each of the four sides. On the base rests a box-like frame made of 1 or 1¹⁄₂ inch strips of wood. The two sides are braced with 1¹⁄₄-inch strips which serve as cleats on which the trays in the drier rest. These are placed at intervals of 3 inches. The frame is covered with tin or galvanized sheet iron, which is tacked to the wooden strips of the frame. Thin strips of wood may be used instead of tin or sheet iron. The door is fitted on small hinges and fastened with a thumb latch. It opens wide so that the trays can be easily removed. The bottom in the drier is made of a piece of perforated galvanized sheet iron. Two inches above the bottom is placed a solid sheet of galvanized iron, three inches less in length and width than the bottom. This sheet rests on two wires fastened to the sides of the drier. This prevents the direct heat from coming in contact with the product and serves as a radiator to spread the heat more evenly.

The first tray is placed three inches above the radiator. The trays rest on cleats three inches apart. A drier of the given dimensions will hold eight trays. The frame of the tray is made of 1-inch strips on which is tacked galvanized screen wire, which forms the bottom of the tray. The tray is 21 by 15 inches, making it three inches less in depth than the drier. The lowest tray when placed in the drier is pushed to the back, leaving the 3-inch space in front. The next tray is placed even with the front, leaving a 3-inch space in the back. The other trays alternate in the same way. A ventilator opening is left in the top of the drier through which the moist air may pass away.

The principle of construction is that currents of heated air pass over the product as well as up through it, gathering the moisture and passing away. The current of air produces a more rapid and uniform drying. The upper trays can be shifted to the lower part of the drier and the lower trays to the upper part as the drying proceeds, so as to dry products uniformly throughout.

PLAN No. 828. THE CLEANING CLOSET

Entrance of dust and dirt into a house is unavoidable, and the housekeeper is compelled to spend some of her time and energy in the daily cleaning. Through the use of better equipment and more systematic planning she is able to do the cleaning more easily and quickly. It is well to have a special place where cleaning utensils may be kept in the best condition and ready for instant use. Much time and energy is spent in collecting the utensils needed for cleaning.

A closet, cupboard, or wardrobe, in the kitchen is the best place for keeping the cleaning utensils. A back-stair closet is also a good place. One end of a back porch may be inclosed and used for such a purpose. The closet should have plenty of hooks and racks for utensils and a shelf for cleaning materials.

The housekeeper should choose utensils according to her own needs and according to the requirements of her house. Those suggested below are inexpensive and will help to lighten the work of cleaning:

Bucket with wringer for mopping.

A piece of inch board 15 inches square with rollers makes a convenient platform on which to set the mop bucket, and permits it to be moved easily without lifting.

Wall mop made by tying a bag made of wool or cotton cloth over an ordinary broom.

A broom, with a hook screw in the end of the handle by which it can be hung up.

A long-handled dustpan.

Several brushes for cleaning purposes.

Cheesecloth, worn silk, and flannelette for dusters.

Dusters may be made by dipping pieces of cheesecloth in two quarts of warm water to which one-half cup of kerosene has been added. These cloths should be kept away from the stove and lighted lamps, as they are inflammable.

A blackboard eraser covered with flannelette for stove polishing.

An oiled floor mop to use on oiled or polished floors. Several makes can be found on the market, or one may be made of old stockings or any discarded woolen of flannelette material. The material is cut into one-inch strips and sewed across the middle to a foundation of heavy cloth. This is fastened to an old broom handle or used in a clamp mop handle. The mop is dipped into a solution made of one-half cup of melted paraffin and one cup kerosene and allowed to dry. To keep it moist, it is rolled tight and kept in a paper bag, away from stove or lamp.

A carpet sweeper or a vacuum cleaner should be used in the daily cleaning of carpets and rugs. A vacuum cleaner operated by hand or electric power removes practically all the dust and dirt from carpets and rugs in a dustless manner.

PLAN No. 829. BASKET BOARDERS

During the war people have been thrown upon their own resources and many methods of making a living have been attempted. Many suggestions have been given by the United States Department of Agriculture as to plans which would be feasible for making a living.

One suggestion is a plan followed by a New York woman. She had a small income but it was not sufficient to care for herself and small child. She arranged to board and room 15 girls and boys from the farm. And this board and room was paid with baskets of provisions from the farm from each of the children’s parents.

She conducted her home on a dormitory plan of a college. Each of the students took care of their own rooms and spent their week ends with their parents at which time their washing was taken along or sent to the city laundry at the expense of the student.

This idea has wonderful possibilities. There are thousands of boys and girls from the farms that cannot go to High School because of the lack of ready cash. But if a woman who can furnish the best of references will charge them $10 a month and a weekly basket of provisions from their farms it would be possible for them to have a High School or College education. With fifteen children this would mean an income of $150 a month and the lady could figure out what kind of provisions from week to week she needed and have the boys and girls regulate their baskets accordingly. If it was not practical for the boys and girls to return to the farms to bring baskets in person the baskets could easily be sent in by parcel post.

Any woman who has a family and is unable to go out to work can make a good income in this way as well as do a great favor to the boy and girl on the farm.

This is a good way for thousands of town and city families to escape the high cost of living and take from the farmer what he has to pay with--i. e., food for the education of his children.

OPPORTUNITIES IN PUBLIC OFFICE

There are many opportunities in public office in every city, and county in the United States.

Many a man with a dark outlook, if familiar with the many opportunities in public service, might find awaiting him just the kind of work he likes best.

In this field there is work from the most ordinary labor to the professions. Activities of the city, county, state and national government each year create opportunities which should not be overlooked by those who desire employment or who already have employment and desire work more in accord with their tastes. There is, perhaps, no more ideal work one can be engaged in. In public service you work under the best conditions and the workers do not sacrifice their liberties, and the hours and pay are good. Civil Service is now used by many city governments, which insures permanency. The Government every year offers great opportunities to workers through Civil Service which is set forth in Plan No. 217.

As space in this book will not permit me to enumerate the many opportunities given by governments in all cities, counties and states, I have taken the City of Spokane, County of Spokane, State of Washington, as an illustration and from this it will be easy for you to check up the opportunities in your own locality.

This brief of public affairs will be suggestive to those people who desire to enter public service as a career, as from this they can determine what work best suits their abilities.

The City of Spokane has been for a number of years under the commission form of government. The people elect five men at $3,500 each to run the affairs of the city. These men direct the affairs of the city much like the manager of a business. The salaries encourages good business ability to contest for these offices. Each commissioner is given a department and each department has a certain number of divisions, which are as follows: Those with a star before the name are either named by the commissioner at the head of the department or by the five commissioners together. Those names before which no star appears are covered by the Civil Service Board. If the office is appointive the thing for you to do is to get in touch with the party who gives appointments. Each division in the city departments offer opportunity for various kinds of service, the nature of which is shown. Your city offers like opportunities.

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

PLAN No. 830. HEALTH DIVISIONS

* Health Officer, named by Health Board $300.00 per month. * Assistant Health Officer 210.00 „ „ Clerk 120.00 „ „ Associated Clerk 100.00 „ „ Office Attendant 70.00 „ „ Public Health Nurse 90.00 „ „

SANITARY INSPECTION

Sanitary Inspector (collects milk samples) $100.00 per month. Sanitary Inspector 100.00 „ „ Intelligence Officer 100.00 „ „ Emergency Inspectors, as needed 4.00 „ day.

QUARANTINE

Quarantine Officer $120.00 per month.

FOOD REGULATION

Milk Inspector $132.50 per month. Bacteriologist 150.00 „ „ Food Inspector (meat) 115.00 „ „ Restaurant and Bakery Inspector 105.00 „ „ Food Inspector 115.00 „ „

ISOLATION HOSPITAL--RIVERCREST

Superintendent $ 90.00 per month. G. U. Nurse 70.00 „ „ Nurses, as needed 65.00 „ „

Utility Man $ 80.00 per month. Housekeeper 70.00 „ „ Assistant Housekeeper 50.00 „ „ [10]Steward and Assistant 135.00 „ „ Extra labor as needed 4.00 „ day.

EMERGENCY HOSPITAL

Chief Steward $125.00 per month. First Assistant Steward 115.00 „ „ Second Assistant Steward 105.00 „ „

[10] It is provided that the Health Officer may, in his discretion, apportion this monthly salary between the steward and assistant, provided the aggregate salaries of both shall not exceed $135 per month.

PLAN No. 831. CITY HALL DIVISION

Elevator Operators $ 85.00 per month. Utility Man, additional 25.00 „ „ Janitors 90.00 „ „ Telephone Operators 95.00 „ „ Substitutes at above rates.

PLAN No. 832. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES DIVISION

* Inspector $132.50 per month.

PLAN No. 833. LABOR AGENT’S DIVISION

* Labor Agent $165.00 per month. Assistant, male 115.00 „ „ Assistant, female 85.00 „ „

PUBLIC MARKET

Market Master as needed $ 85.00 per month.

DENTAL CLINIC

School Dentist, nine and one-half months $ 85.00 per month.

MUNICIPAL FISH MARKET

Salesman $100.00 per month. Salesman 90.00 „ „

PLAN No. 834. CREMATORY DIVISION

* Superintendent $200.00 per month. Assistant Superintendent 120.00 „ „ Night Foreman 110.00 „ „ Bookkeeper 110.00 „ „ Collector 95.00 „ „

HOUSEHOLD AND TRADE REFUSE COLLECTION

Barnman $100.00 per month. Blacksmith 115.00 „ „ Utility Man 115.00 „ „ Night Laborers 5.00 „ day. Day Laborers 5.00 „ „

REFUSE DISPOSAL

Engineer $105.00 per month. Fireman 100.00 „ „ Mechanics, as needed Going wage.

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

PLAN No. 835. COMMISSIONER’S DIVISION

* Secretary $140.00 per month. Stenographer-Permit Clerk 120.00 „ „

PLAN No. 836. FIRE DIVISION

* Chief $225.00 per month. Assistant Chiefs 175.00 „ „ Electrician 175.00 „ „ Secretary 140.00 „ „ Master Mechanic 160.00 „ „ Linemen 125.00 „ „ Telephone Operators 85.00 „ „ Captains 135.00 „ „ Lieutenants 125.00 „ „ Engineers 130.00 „ „ Truckmen, Drivers and Pipemen: First year service $100.00 „ „ Second year service 110.00 „ „ Third year service 120.00 „ „ Firemen assigned to shop work, additional 5.00 per month. Officers as fire inspectors downtown, additional 5.00 „ „

PLAN No. 837. POLICE DIVISION

* Chief $225.00 per month. Secretary 140.00 „ „ Clerk 110.00 „ „ Stenographer 100.00 „ „ Captain of Detectives 160.00 „ „ Captains of Police 150.00 „ „ Sergeants 130.00 „ „ Plain Clothes Men 130.00 „ „ Bailiff 120.00 „ „ Bertillon Officer 140.00 „ „ License Officer (Inspector) 120.00 „ „ Patrol Chauffeurs 120.00 „ „ Emergency Chauffeurs 110.00 „ „ Alarm Operators 85.00 „ „ Police Woman 50.00 „ „ Patrolmen: First year service 100.00 „ „ Second year service 110.00 „ „ Third year service 120.00 „ „ Special Police, as needed 4.00 „ day. Jailers 120.00 per month. Matrons 95.00 „ „

BUILDING INSPECTION

* Building Inspector $175.00 per month.

ELECTRICAL INSPECTION

* Electrical Inspector $160.00 per month. * Assistant Electrical Inspector 140.00 „ „

PLUMBING INSPECTION

* Plumbing Inspector $160.00 per month.

BOILER AND ELEVATOR INSPECTION

* Boiler and Elevator Inspector $160.00 per month.

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES

PLAN No. 838. COMMISSIONER’S DIVISION.

* Superintendent and Assistant to the Commissioner $200.00 per month.

CITY LABORATORY

City Chemist $160.00 per month. Assistant Chemist 125.00 „ „

WATER DIVISION

* Superintendent $300.00 per month. Chief Accountant 135.00 „ „ Bookkeeper (Class A) 135.00 „ „ Clerk to Superintendent 120.00 „ „ Bookkeeper (Class B) 120.00 „ „ Storekeeper 120.00 „ „ Civil Engineer 140.00 „ „ Draftsman and Estimator 130.00 „ „ Chief Rate Clerk 140.00 „ „ Assistant Cashier 130.00 „ „ Bookkeeper, consumers accounts 135.00 „ „ Ledger Clerks 120.00 „ „ Permit Clerk 120.00 „ „ Counter Clerk 110.00 „ „ Bill Clerk 90.00 „ „ Addressograph Clerk 80.00 „ „ Stenographer 80.00 „ „ Chief of Meter Bureau 150.00 „ „ Meter Bureau Clerk 100.00 „ „ Meter Shop Foreman 120.00 „ „ Meter Inspectors 110.00 „ „ Meter Readers 100.00 „ „ Meter Repair Men 100.00 „ „ Chief Inspector 135.00 „ „ Assistant inspector 120.00 „ „ Inspectors 105.00 „ „ Repair and Yard Foreman 130.00 „ „ Tapping Foreman 125.00 „ „ Clerk at Meter Building 105.00 „ „ Chief Engineer 150.00 „ „ Assistant Engineers 130.00 „ „ Chief Electrical Engineer 150.00 „ „ Assistant Electrical Engineers 130.00 „ „ Engineer, Lincoln Heights Station 115.00 „ „ Pump Tenders 110.00 „ „

The Superintendent of Water Division may employ the following when needed:

Foreman $6.00 per day. Assistant Foreman 5.50 „ „ Caulkers and Tappers 4.60 „ „ Powdermen 4.60 „ „ Blacksmith Helpers 4.50 „ „ Truck Drivers 4.50 „ „ Inspectors 4.25 „ „ Laborers 4.00 „ „ Mechanics Going wage.

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

PLAN No. 839. COMMISSIONER’S DIVISION

* Superintendent $170.00 per month. Improvement Clerk-Stenographer 132.50 „ „ Bookkeeper 137.50 „ „ Cost and Distribution Clerk 132.50 „ „

PLAN No. 840. ENGINEERING DIVISION

* City Engineer $300.00 per month. Chief Field Engineer 167.50 „ „ Chief Office Engineer 167.50 „ „ Sewer Engineer 140.00 „ „ Instrument Man 127.50 „ „ Draftsman 137.50 „ „ Chief Clerk 140.00 „ „ Counter Clerk 120.00 „ „ Abstract Clerk 120.00 „ „ Chainmen, as needed 100.00 „ „ Improvement Inspectors, as needed 4.50 „ day. Bridge Foreman, as needed 6.00 „ „ Bridgemen, as needed Going Wage.

PLAN No. 841. SEWER DIVISION

Superintendent $132.50 per month. Inspector 110.00 „ „ Sewer Men, as needed 4.25 „ day.

ASPHALT PLANT

* Superintendent $175.00 per month. Plant Foreman, as needed 5.50 „ day. Plant Engineer, as needed Going wage. Blacksmiths, as needed 5.00 per day. Watchmen, as needed 4.00 „ „ Roller Engineer, as needed Going wage. Surface Heater Engineer, as needed „ „ Rakers, as needed 5.00 per day. Tampers, as needed 4.50 „ „ Smoothers, as needed 4.50 „ „ Utility Man, as needed 4.50 „ „ Teamsters, as needed 7.00 „ „ Laborers, as needed 4.00 „ „ Auto Truck Drivers, as needed 4.50 „ „ Mechanics, as needed Going wage.

PLAN No. 842. GARAGE DIVISION

Foreman $150.00 per month. Mechanics, as needed Going wage. Apprentices, as needed „ „ Blacksmith, as needed 5.00 per day.

PLAN No. 843. STREET DIVISION

* Superintendent $160.00 per month. Street Foreman 115.00 „ „ Utility Men, as needed 4.00 „ day. Tractor Drivers, as needed 5.50 „ „ Roller Engineer, as needed Going wage. Auto Truck Drivers, as needed 4.50 per day. Teamsters, as needed 7.00 „ „ Team Drivers, as needed 4.00 „ „ Laborers, as needed 4.00 „ „ Mechanics, as needed Going wages.

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

PLAN No. 844. CITY TREASURER’S DIVISION

* City Treasurer $220.00 per month. Cashier 165.00 „ „ Tax Clerk (Class A) 130.00 „ „ Tax Clerks (Class B) 120.00 „ „ Assistant Bookkeeper 125.00 „ „ Bond and Warrant Clerk 125.00 „ „

PLAN No. 845. CITY AUDITOR’S DIVISION

* City Auditor $220.00 per month. Deputy City Auditor 155.00 „ „ Deputy and Counter Clerk 132.50 „ „ Local Improvement Deputy 120.00 „ „ Assistant Bookkeeper 135.00 „ „ General Checker 165.00 „ „ Local Improvement Checker 135.00 „ „ Cage Checker 120.00 „ „

PLAN No. 846. PURCHASING AGENT’S DIVISION

* Purchasing Agent $220.00 per month. Stenographer-Clerk 100.00 „ „ Storekeeper 120.00 „ „

DEPARTMENTS NOT UNDER INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONER

PLAN No. 847. LEGAL DIVISION

* Corporation Counsel $5,000.00 per annum. * First Assistant 250.00 „ month. * Second Assistant 175.00 „ „ Clerk 120.00 „ „ * Claim Agent 130.00 „ „

PLAN No. 848. CITY CLERK’S DIVISION

* City Clerk $220.00 per month. Deputy 130.00 „ „ Deputy 120.00 „ „

PLAN No. 849. CIVIL SERVICE DIVISION

* Secretary $130.00 per month.

PLAN No. 850. JUDICIARY DIVISION--UNDER THE MAYOR

* Police Judge $125.00 per month. Police Court Clerk 90.00 „ „ Probation Officer 75.00 „ „

COUNTY GOVERNMENT

In the County, Civil Service does not apply, but your selection is largely dependent upon your political standing. Become an active man in your party and if you are fortunate in supporting a winner you will have employment. The county officers run as follows:

PLAN No. 851. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS--ELECTIVE

(Three in number at $3,000 per year.)

PLAN No. 852. JUDGES OF SUPERIOR COURT

(Five in number at $4,000 per year.)

PLAN No. 853. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE

(Three in number at $1,800 each, per year, one of which is to be police judge, named by city and receives additional salary from city. Each justice names his own clerk.)

PLAN No. 854. CONSTABLES--ELECTIVE

(Three in number at $960 each per year.)

PLAN No. 855. COUNTY AGRICULTURIST

(Named by County Commissioner.)

Part Pay by Government $125.00 per month. Part Pay by County 125.00 „ „ Counter 60.00 „ „

PLAN No. 856

Purchasing Agent (named by Commissioners) $160.00 per month. Assistant Purchasing Agent 110.00 „ „

PLAN No. 857. HEATING AND LIGHTING

Custodian of Court House (Named by Commissioners) $110.00 per month Three Engineers (work eight hours) 110.00 „ „ Four Janitors 95.00 „ „ One Watchman 90.00 „ „ Telephone Operator 85.00 „ „ Relief Operator 20.00 „ „

PLAN No. 858

Steward--Jail (named by County Commissioners) and board $110.00 per month.

PLAN No. 859. TUBERCULAR HOSPITAL

Edgecliff Lady Head Nurse $115.00 per month. Bookkeeper 60.00 „ „ X-Ray (doctor) 75.00 „ „ Twelve Nurses 60.00 „ „ Four Cooks 40.00 „ „ Head Cook 85.00 „ „ Two Waitresses 45.00 „ „ Dishwasher 35.00 „ „ Waitress and Pantry Girl 16.00 „ „ Three Ward Maids 35.00 „ „ Three Hairdressers 35.00 „ „ Two Engineers 135.00 „ „ One Gardener 40.00 „ „ Two Janitors 40.00 „ „ Two Orderlies 40.00 „ „ County Carpenter 150.00 „ „

PLAN No. 860

County Auditor $3,000.00 per year. Twenty Employees 125.00 „ month.

PLAN No. 861

County Treasurer $3,000.00 per year. Twenty Employees 125.00 „ month.

PLAN No. 862

County Assessor $3,000.00 per year. Twenty Employees 125.00 „ month.

PLAN No. 863

County Clerk $3,000.00 per year. Fifteen Employees 125.00 „ month.

PLAN No. 864

County Sheriff $3,000.00 per year. Fifteen Employees 125.00 „ month.

PLAN No. 865

County Prosecuting Attorney $3,000.00 per year. Eight Employees 150.00 „ month. County Prosecuting Attorney’s Stenographer 75.00 „ „

PLAN No. 866

County Superintendent of Schools $166.65 per month. Two Employees 115.00 „ „ Department Superintendent 150.00 „ „

PLAN No. 867

Juvenile Court (named by Presiding Judge) Eight Employees $100.00 per month.

PLAN No. 868

Chief Probation Officer $150.00 per month. Chief Probation Officer Assistant 125.00 „ „ Stenographer 100.00 „ „

PLAN No. 869

County Commissioner $166.65 per month. Clerk 150.00 „ „

PLAN No. 870. SPOKANE COUNTY INFIRMARY EMPLOYEES OR POOR FARM

(Named by County Commissioners)

Superintendent $160.00 per month. Physician 100.00 „ „ Steward 90.00 „ „ Nurse 50.00 „ „ Cook 100.00 „ „ Engineer 90.00 „ „ Assistant Engineer and Laundry 60.00 „ „ Farmer 75.00 „ „ Milker 60.00 „ „

PLAN No. 871

County Coroner $100.00 per month.

PLAN No. 872

County Engineer $200.00 per month. Fifteen Employees Engineers $150.00 per month. Draftsmen 140.00 „ „ Roadman 140.00 „ „

Each of the five Superior Court judges elected names his clerk, bailiff and court stenographers.

STATE GOVERNMENT

People generally are not aware of the great number of men and women employed by the State Government. The State of Washington is comparatively a young state and yet it employs at least two thousand people in its different departments. Abilities of every description are required.

The Governor has great power, as most of the different department heads are appointed by him. In some cases the state law limits him as to a certain number of appointments, but as a rule, the Governor is allowed to make all appointments.

If you desire to learn the nature of work you can apply to the secretary of the various departments.

The following offices not marked elective are filled by appointment.

PLAN No. 873. CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE (ELECTIVE)

U. S. Senators (2) $8,000.00 per year. U. S. Representatives (5) 7,500.00 „ „

PLAN No. 874

Governor (elective) $6,000.00 per year. Secretary to the Governor

PLAN No. 875

Lieutenant Governor (elective) $1,200.00 per year.

PLAN No. 876

Secretary of State (elective) $3,000.00 per year. Assistant Secretary of State

PLAN No. 877

Auditor (elective) $3,000.00 per year. Assistant State Auditor Deputy State Auditor

PLAN No. 878

Treasurer (elective) $3,000.00 per year. Deputy State Treasurer

PLAN No. 879

Attorney General (elective) $3,000.00 per year. Assistant Attorney General Assistant Attorney General Assistant Attorney General Assistant Attorney General Assistant Attorney General

PLAN No. 880

Commissioner of Public Lands (elective) $3,000.00 per year.

PLAN No. 881

Insurance Commissioner (elective) $3,000.00 per year. Deputy Insurance Commissioner Actuary Insurance Department

PLAN No. 882

Superintendent Public Instruction (elective) $3,000.00 per year. Assistant Superintendent Public Instruction Deputy Superintendent Public Instruction.

PLAN No. 883

Adjutant General $3,000.00 per year. Assistant Adjutant General

PLAN No. 884. GOVERNOR’S APPOINTMENTS

The following offices are filled by the Governor and the boards and commissions are partly, if not all, determined by him.

These different department Boards and Commissions employ many people in the state. There is hardly a type of work that is not to be found from the most ordinary labor to the professions. The number of people employed are more than 2,000.

STATE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

Agricultural Commissioner Secretary Agricultural Dept Assistant Commissioner Division of Dairy and Live Stock Assistant Commissioner Division of Foods, Feeds, Fertilizers, Drugs and Oils (including inspection of bakeries) Chief Deputy Oil Inspector Assistant Commissioner of Horticulture State Fair Secretary Director of Farm Markets State Labor Commissioner State Librarian Assistant State Librarian Superintendent Traveling Library State Fish Commissioner and Chief State Game Warden Deputy State Game Warden Coal Mine Inspector Public Printer Bank Examiner Deputy Examiners Hotel Inspectors Fire Warden Highway Commissioner Assistant Highway Commissioner State Geologist State Chemists State Commissioner of Health State Fiscal Agency State Superintendent of Weights and Measures Deputy Superintendent of Weights and Measures Inspector of Weights and Measures Commissioner of Statistics Deputy Commissioner of Statistics Clerk of Supreme Court Superintendent of Election Division State Printing Expert Hydraulic Engineer Assistant Hydraulic Engineer Agricultural Advisory Board Board of Accountancy Secretary Board of Barber Examiners Secretary Board of Control Secretary Board of Dental Examiners Secretary Board of Education Secretary Board of Embalmers Ex-officio Secretary Board of Medical Examiners Secretary Board of Health and Vital Statistics Secretary Board of Optometry Secretary Board of Pharmacy Secretary Board of Chiropody Bureau of Inspection and Supervision of Public Affairs Secretary State Labor Commissioner Assistant State Labor Commissioner Secretary Forest Commission Secretary Industrial Insurance Commission Secretary Library Advisory Board State Medical Aid Board State Nautical Board Nurses’ Examining Board State Board of Park Commissioners State Capitol Commission Bar Examiners Public Service Commission Chief Grain Inspector Industrial Welfare Commission Tax Commissioner Assistant Tax Commissioner Uniform Legislation Commission Veterinary Examining Board State Humane Bureau Board of Regents University of Washington Board of Regents State College of Washington Trustees State Normal School, Cheney Trustees State Normal Schools, Bellingham Trustees State Normal School, Ellensburg State School for Deaf State School for Blind State Training School State School for Girls State Soldiers’ Home Washington’s Veteran’s Home Western Hospital for Insane Eastern Hospital for Insane Northern Hospital for Insane State Penitentiary State Institution for Feeble Minded State Reformatory Superintendent

U. S. GOVERNMENT

If you are out of employment it is well for you to examine carefully the activities of the Government in your city or county, or any place in the state where it may have general offices.

Any man who is out of work cannot say he has done his best to obtain employment when he has neglected looking up Government work.

Because the Civil Service applies to certain positions, do not let this stand in the way. Go to the head of the department in whatever locality it is and ascertain whether there are any possibilities of taking a Civil Service examination in the different departments; or find out whether there is not a temporary position that you can fill. This condition often exists and many times employment is obtained in this way and Civil Service Examination is given later.

READ OUR PLAN NO. 217 IN CONNECTION WITH THE FOLLOWING PLANS

In Spokane, Spokane County, State of Washington, a town of about 125,000 population, the Government employs more than 600 men. I will take up the various departments of the Government in Spokane County and give you a statement concerning these different departments, which might assist you if you are desirous of obtaining employment which are also represented in your State.

PLAN No. 885. POSTAL DEPARTMENT

This department is headed by the postmaster, who receives a salary of $6,000 per year, and an assistant postmaster who receives $3,150. About two hundred employees work in this department. The rural route employs about ten men. The mail men in the city receive from $1,350 to $1,668 per annum. The Civil Service governs this department. The rural mail carriers receive from $1,100 to $1,600 per annum. They are also under Civil Service.

PLAN No. 886. SECRET SERVICE DEPARTMENT

There are two employed in this department. Their salaries range from $1,500 to $2,200 per year. These employees are appointed by the chief of the Secret Service, Washington, D. C., and confirmed by the Secretary of the Treasury. The title of this department is self-explanatory.

PLAN No. 887. U. S. MARSHAL IS APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT AND CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE

This officer has four deputies. U. S. Marshal receives a salary of $4,000 per annum, while the deputies receive from $120 to $170 per month. This department names bailiffs for the Federal Judge.

PLAN No. 888. FEDERAL ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

The attorney in charge is appointed by the President and confirmed by the senate and holds office for four years. He receives $4,500 per annum. He has one assistant, appointed by the Attorney General under advice of the District Court, who receives $1,800 per year.

PLAN No. 889. CUSTOM HOUSE INSPECTOR

There are two employed in this department--the man in charge and his assistant. The appointment is made by the Secretary of the Treasury at Washington, D. C. The salary received is $800.00 per annum. The office is subject to the Civil Service.

PLAN No. 890. IMMIGRATION OFFICER

This department is subject to the Civil Service, the salary received being $1,380. The man in charge attends to all immigration matters and also co-operates at different times with the Secret Service office.

PLAN No. 891. INTERNAL REVENUE AGENT

This department has four in its employ, who receive about $1,800 to $3,600 per year, and are called inspectors.

The business of this department is to investigate all income tax return. Civil Service applies.

PLAN No. 892. INTERNAL REVENUE COLLECTOR

There are four employed in this office. The Civil Service does not apply. The duties of the employees of this office are to collect about six-sevenths of all government tax in a certain territory. A pamphlet put out by this department deals with the law governing collection by the government. Salaries, $1,200 to $3,000.

PLAN No. 893. THE WEATHER BUREAU

This department is under Civil Service, there being three employed. People who know of the activities of this office and the information it furnishes concerning weather conditions realize its value to the farmers.

PLAN No. 894. CUSTODIAN OF THE FEDERAL BUILDING

This department is under Civil Service. The number of employees engaged is fifteen. Their duty is to look after the Federal Building in the city. There are six laborers who receive a salary of $800 or $840 per year. Charwomen, who work five hours a day, are paid at the same rate as the laborers. There are two watchmen at $840 per annum; one elevator conductor, salary approximately $840; one engineer at $1,320, and one assistant at $1,320.

PLAN No. 895. INSPECTOR OF LOCOMOTIVES

There are two inspectors in this department of the same rank; they receive $3,000 per year each. The appointment is made by the Interstate Commerce Commission at Washington, D. C. They employ together one office woman, who does all the clerical work, and their duties call them out of the office a great deal of the time. Their purpose is to see that all of the rules of the Interstate Commerce Commission are lived up to. A pamphlet or booklet is put out by this department giving all of the rules and regulations of the Interstate Commerce Commission as to locomotives. These inspectors investigate all accidents and keep in close touch with all of the locomotives, safety appliances, etc., and in case of defects in locomotives, the matter is taken up at once with this department.

PLAN No. 896. BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY

This is governed by the Civil Service Department. The salaries in this department run from $100 to $125 per month. There is one veterinary in charge, and three who act as inspectors. There are also five lay inspectors, grade number two, and four lay inspectors, grade number one.

It is the business of this department to examine all stock and meat. They make certain examinations prior to the death of the animal and post mortem subsequent to the death. The five lay inspectors, grade number two, look after and inspect the curing and shipping of all meats. The four lay inspectors, grade number one, assist veterinaries. One clerk is employed.

PLAN No. 897. BUREAU OF CROP ESTIMATES

There are two persons employed in this department under the Civil Service, one being the field agent and the other the stenographer and clerk. All information concerning crops in a certain territory is gathered together by the field agent and stenographer and forwarded to the Government to supply information for the Crop Reporter, which is sent out from Washington, D. C. The salaries in this department range from $100 to $125 per month.

PLAN No. 898. BUREAU OF MARKETS

This is a very interesting department. It has in its employ two telegraphers, receiving $1,400 per annum; three stencil cutters and persons who can run the mimeograph, who receive about $1,200 per year each. The person in charge must be able to decipher codes. One stenographer, one office boy and two general office workers are also employed. The General Chief Clerk, and his immediate subordinate receive $2,200 and $1,800 per annum respectively. There is also a special man sent out from Washington, D. C., who is on the road most of the time. This department issues a market report giving the price for farm produce at certain points where the farmer sells. It also gives the cost of handling the produce at other points and the price retailers ask. This shows the farmer the difference between his selling price and that of the retailer. A pamphlet called the Confidential Apple is also published and sent to all apple growers twice a week. This shows the price that apples are being sold for; also what the various farmers receive for the apples they dispose of. Since the Confidential Apple has been established, there has been only a few cents difference in the sale price of apples. Prior to that time there was frequently a difference as high as 50 or 60 cents which shows the great advantage of this service to the farmer.

This department also sends out a Post Card Reporting Service for Washington, Oregon and Montana. All carload shipments are recorded, showing the point from which cars are shipped. If a carload of apples was shipped last week from a certain town, it is indicated by a certain red pin on a map, and one can from this pin, find the entire history concerning that shipment of apples. Or if it is potatoes that have been shipped from a certain district, the clerk has that information at hand. All of this information is furnished to the farmer by the department and is of great assistance to him. It is also helpful to those buyers to whom it is important to know just where the crops are produced.

The man in charge of this department must make inspections when any question occurs as to the produce received by the wholesale houses or other persons who purchase from the farmer. This service is of great value to the farmer, because if he has sent in a load of good potatoes and the market has changed in the meantime, the inspector has to examine the potatoes, and if they are as good as represented by the farmer when they arrive, he will recover for any loss. Or, if a bad quantity of apples or other farm produce is shipped to the wholesale houses, they can call upon the government inspector and show what was forwarded to them, and this inspector’s opinion is a basis for settlement.

PLAN No. 899. HAY AND GRAIN INSPECTORS

There are two employees in this department--one clerk and one manager, both being subject to the Civil Service and receiving from $100 to $150 per month. A letter, called a Market Letter, is issued. The inspectors see to it that the rules governing hay and grain are lived up to by the farmer.

PLAN No. 900. SEED INSPECTOR

There are two employees in this department--the man in charge and the clerk or stenographer. A letter is also issued by this department, which will also furnish all desired information as to seeds and their value.

PLAN No. 901. CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT

This appointment is made by the Federal Judge. Four officials are also employed besides the clerk, serving out of the city. Salaries run from $2,500 to $5,000 per annum fixed by the United States Attorney General.

PLAN No. 902. FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT OFFICE

This department employs one person. It has not existed long enough to come under the Civil Service, so work in the office may be obtained by appointment from Federal Director and confirmed by the Department of Labor. In 1918 this office filled more than 197,000 positions in the State of Washington. The salary is $130 per month.

PLAN No. 903. FEDERAL LAND OFFICE

There are four employees in this office: one registrar and one receiver, who receive their appointment by the President and are confirmed by the senate. Each has an appointment of one clerk. The department is established on the fee basis, the registrar and the receiver getting not more than $3,000 in fees per annum and not less than $500.

This department issues a circular relative to the law covering government lands. It will furnish you information about the area of the government land in various counties of the United States and will give you such information as the department has on file. To this department come matters relative to homesteads, minerals, desert claims, timber claims and oil matters. Final proof to the land you locate is made in this office. Salaries received by the clerks range from $125 to $135 per month.

PLAN No. 904. CLERKS OF THE RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE

This department is under the Civil Service. Seven persons are employed in the city and more than 170 men report to the office in the city of Spokane, Washington.

CIVIL SERVICE

It often happens that a man who has occupied a position for years finds the work in which he is engaged is injuring his health, for example, the labor he is performing has an effect on his lungs, like marble working, or some similar trade, and he desires a change. Or perhaps he is in some service that is not suitable to him and he is unable to progress. For such a man it is well to run over the preceding list very carefully and ascertain what field of work appeals to him. He should also read carefully plan No. 217.

I have in mind at the present time a man of good legal ability, but who did not possess business-getting qualities. He was somewhat discouraged, being unable to make his profession yield him a proper income. He was urged by one of his friends to take a Civil Service Examination in one of the departments. He took the examination and after a few months, his position was available, and he has occupied it for a number of years.

Work with the Government is always pleasant and the income steady and permanent.

PLAN No. 905. FEDERAL JUDGE

A Federal Judge of the United States District Court is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, his salary is $7,500 per annum. He has one clerk, one assistant and one stenographer. The stenographer is appointed by himself. Then there are the various departments such as the United States Marines Recruiting Office, which employs three men; the United States Navy Recruiting Office, which employs three men; the United States Army Recruiting Office, which employs three men, and is under the Civil Service. These departments employ many emergency men at times.

PLAN No. 906. BUREAU OF FARM MANAGEMENT

This department is governed by the Civil Service and employs three persons, the salary being----.

PLAN No. 907. HOME DEMONSTRATION AGENT

The Government and Agricultural School usually name a woman for this position. She must be trained in her work and have an Agricultural College course to her credit. Here is a field where women can do as good work as men, and it offers an excellent opportunity for them.

PLAN No. 907B. FORESTRY DEPARTMENT

Six persons are employed. At the present time the headquarters of this office is at Missoula, Mont. It is under the Civil Service, but from time to time emergency men are employed.

PLAN No. 908. HE NETTED BETTER THAN $5,000 A YEAR TAKING PICTURES

This man, for years, was unable to make much of a saving in his photographic work. His wife and he possessed ability in preparing photographs. He finally hit upon the following plan:

He hired two men called spotters, who took the pictures and went into different communities picturing men in the offices and at work at their desks. These two spotters were able to take at least fifty pictures a day each, making better than one hundred pictures per day. These men he paid $25.00 to $30.00 per week and traveling expenses. He saw to it that they had their supplies and everything ready when they arrived in town for work. Immediately following these men were salesmen who, after the pictures were printed, called and gave the price per dozen, which was $4.50 mounted size 9x7. Unmounted his charge was three pictures for a dollar. The salesmen were able to make the number of pictures actually taken average about $0.80 per picture.

The two salesmen were then followed by two delivery women. The photographer and his wife did all of the developing and finishing. A city of 125,000 would take about six weeks.

Great care must be taken by the man who is directing this work to see that his men are all kept busy and working. This man succeeded in keeping the spotters going fast enough, and everything was worked out in a systematic manner. He also gave the workers an opportunity of receiving a commission in addition to their salary.

I remember clearly the way the spotter approached me. “I would like to take a picture of yourself and office,” he said, but I protested that I did not care to have the picture. “That is all right, I would like to have the negative and I am paid just the same and it is no obligation to you.” He then took the picture relying entirely upon selling me the picture when I saw the finished product. In this he took very little chance, as he well knew that 80 per cent of the people who saw a picture of their office and themselves at work would be glad to pay the price for it.

There is a great field in this work and there is no reason why there should not be work in many different parts of the United States affording a good livelihood and a big saving for many photographers who are not now making a good living.

IMPORTANT NOTICE!

The following plans were compiled by the Federal Board for Vocational Education, U. S. A.

We gratefully acknowledge with thanks the Board’s permission to publish them.

PLAN No. 909. JOURNALISM AS A VOCATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

For the material of this monograph the Federal Board for Vocational Education is indebted to the J. Lippincott Co., Philadelphia, Pa., through its publication, “Training for the Newspaper Trade,” and the Collins Publicity Service, Philadelphia, Pa., through its publication, “Journalism,” School Edition, Teachers’ Auxiliary, of which this article is largely an abstract. This article was prepared by Dr. H. L. Smith under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division for Editorial assistance.

It is very important that the right decision be made, for one’s future success and happiness is largely dependent upon this choice. No two individuals have the same desires or the same ability or experience. Some like and are by nature and experience fitted to prepare for one line of work and unfitted for another, even for one in some instances which close acquaintances may urge them to take up. It is one’s duty therefore, to consider carefully the line of work one wishes to train for. Some may choose wisely to enter the field of journalism. It is hoped that this pamphlet may assist such to make the proper choice and may prevent those who are unfitted for this profession from undertaking it.

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THE WORK IN JOURNALISM?

The main purpose of a newspaper is to give the day’s news. Another purpose is that of making the meaning of this news clear to the readers. Moreover, newspapers often furnish their readers with advice and with useful information as well as with entertaining reading. There was a time when the purpose of a paper was thought to be that of simply stating conditions as they are. At the present there is a rapidly growing tendency to use the newspaper to state conditions as they should be. A newspaper that tells what to do to make things better plays a great part in making democracy safe.

In any large newspaper plant there are three main divisions--the business office, whose duty it is to make the paper pay; the plant that must see to the actual printing of the paper; and the editorial department, which prepares all of the reading matter except the advertisements. It is with the editorial department that the term “journalism” is connected, and it is with the work of that department that this pamphlet deals.

There are two classes of reading matter in a newspaper, the news and the editorial comment, each class of material being prepared by a different force of writers. The editor in chief is at the head of the editorial staff, and since editorials consist of opinions rather than of bare statements of new facts, he holds the most important position on the paper. He is helped by men who are very well informed about all matters that are of interest to the public. The number of these helpers is from one to a dozen, according to the size of the city paper.

The managing editor looks after gathering and reporting news. His department is made up of several parts, each one in charge of an editor. The news editor looks after all out-of-town news, that is, all news from other countries or from this country outside of a distance 75 miles from the city of the newspaper. The telegraph editor looks over “copy” sent in by outside reporters and decides what is good and what is poor. The Sunday editor gets up the pictures and other “features” and special articles outside of strictly news articles. The art editor decides upon the pictures to be used and the method of making those pictures. The cable editor prepares the foreign news by filling in cable messages and making long articles out of them. The city editor hires and directs reporters on city work and on work outside the city but within a distance of seventy-five miles, having sometimes as many as seventy-five helpers within the city, and as many as that outside called local correspondents. The sporting editor looks after news of sports and has an assistant for each kind of sport. The night city editor covers late news, being in charge after 6 p. m. to receive copy brought in by reporters previously assigned to their duty by the city editor. The night editor is in charge of the “make up” of the paper and the getting of the paper to press. Most newspapers also have other editors called department editors for such departments as music, drama, society, finance, literary criticism, railroads, real estate, and stock markets. The department editors gather as much of their news as possible by themselves. Their work differs from that of other editors in that their copy goes directly to the printer and is not first looked over and corrected by the city editor.

The life of a newspaper man is not an easy life. A study[11] of newspaper work in Boston sums up the hardships and difficulties in the life of a reporter in the following way:

[11] Vocational Studies, Journalism, P. 11. School Ed., Teachers’ Auxiliary, No. 16, Collins Publicity Service, Philadelphia, Pa.

“The hours are long and irregular. On a morning paper they run from 1 in the afternoon until midnight, usually with an occasional evening off. But the free evenings can never be counted on in advance; they come only when the news happens to be slack. On the afternoon papers the hours are almost as bad, for, while they are only supposed to be from half-past 8 or 9 to 5, an assignment will very often come in at the last minute that will keep the reporter out until midnight. This means little or no freedom.

“The irregular hours also affect the meals. An assignment often takes the reporter out into the suburbs for hours at a stretch, where there are no restaurants, and where one can only work as fast as possible in order to get back to town. It means all kinds of weather, too, for suicides and elopements will occur, be it fair day or foul, in houses several miles from the nearest car track, and they have to be looked up at once. A long, hard trip, like this, is not only an every day matter, but it means no extra pay.”

The desk man or editor, while freed from the hardships of travel, has other difficulties to overcome. These difficulties are set forth in the following further quotation from the same report:

“As the time for going to press approaches, the copy pours in faster and faster, the composing room signals that the paper is already overset and yet perhaps, now, at the last minute, an item of first importance in the whole day’s events comes in, and room must be made for it. In the midst of all this clamor the desk man must keep his head, racing through the piles of copy, weighing its merits discriminately and giving as cool and careful decision as though he had all the leisure and quiet in the world.”

WHAT PHYSICAL AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS ARE NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS IN JOURNALISM?

One must have good health to stand the hardships of long and irregular hours of work, under bad conditions, often long distances from the office and in all kinds of weather. There are also certain personal qualifications that one must have to succeed in the field of journalism. Chief among these personal qualifications is the ability to adapt one’s self to many different subjects and feel at home in each.

Unlike writers in other fields, the reporter is a writer of matter which lives today and is dead tomorrow. He is not so much in need, therefore, of the artistic quality in his writings as he is in need of the ability to pass quickly from subject to subject writing briefly but to the point on each.

Another thing one must have for success in journalism is what may be termed “the news instinct”; this is the ability to recognize news in any form, even in the most commonplace events, and to write these commonplace things up in such a way as to interest the reader. This ability is not found in the person who does not observe carefully.

A clear, easy style full of dash is necessary for the reporter. This style can usually be gained with a little practice by the man or woman with a sense for news. The reporter’s main aim is to catch the public eye, after that he needs most to produce copy at great speed, remembering all the while that his work is not likely to be read more than once.

Other qualifications a reporter should have are intelligence, and an understanding of people. He must have tact, and be a “good mixer,” capable of easily gaining the confidence of people in order to draw them out in his search for news.

WHAT TRAINING IS NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS IN JOURNALISM?

A college education is a help, of course, but it is not absolutely necessary in the journalistic profession. One who wishes to become a journalist may enter the newspaper field as a reporter at almost any time after he has had enough experience and general knowledge to make him well acquainted with a number of subjects and when, in addition to this, he has learned to write his thoughts in clear, forceful language. Certainly a grade education is necessary and some high school education is advisable for the beginner. More and more as the field of newspaper work enlarges and broadens a full four-year high school course is becoming essential. The best opportunities will more and more open up only to those of wide experience and knowledge. Toward this experience and knowledge a college education adds very much, particularly if the college education deals with the theory and methods of newspaper organization, as well as with practical training in reporting and in editing work. Whether the foundation education is gotten in the grade school, in the high school, or in college, one must have acquired somewhere along the line the ability to write correctly and briefly in language that can not be misunderstood. Much of the ability to do this comes from the practical school of experience. Much of it, however, can be given in schools. More and more the emphasis is being placed upon thorough preparation before entering the profession of journalism.

Once the college man in a newspaper office was thought of as a joke by others in the office. They sneered at his style. Two things have happened to change that feeling. In the first place college men are now trained in a simpler style of writing than they once were. In addition to that they now get more practical training than they once did. Besides this, so many college trained men have done well in journalism that newspaper men are beginning to see that their success is due largely to the college training. On many papers today one will find the staff made up very largely of college men. On many papers now when they are looking for a new man for the writing force they often look for a man with a college degree.

The first school of journalism in the world was started by Joseph Pulitzer in 1904 at Columbia University. In the words of its founder the purpose of this school was to raise the standard of newspaper work through better education of those who enter the profession. “I am deeply interested in the progress and elevation of journalism,” he wrote, “having spent my life in that profession, regarding it as a noble profession and one of unequaled importance for its influence upon the minds and morals of people * * *. It will be the object of the college to make better journalists, who will make better newspapers, which will better serve the public. It will impart knowledge, not for its own sake, but to be used for the public service. It will try to develop character, but even that will be only a means to the one supreme end--the public good.”[12]

[12] Vocational Studies, School Ed., Teachers’ Auxiliary, No. 16, Collins Publicity Service, Philadelphia, Pa.

Since the beginning of the Pulitzer School of Journalism at Columbia University, about 20 colleges and universities have put in courses in journalism. One of the requirements for entering these courses is the full four years of high school work. The course, itself, ranges from courses of lectures by newspaper men to a complete course, four years in length, which usually leads to a bachelor of arts degree, or its equivalent. Instruction in journalism includes a study of the English language, literature, and composition, the work of the reporter and editorial writer, the methods of gathering news, the technique of newspaper making, the general management of papers, the history of journalism, together with general history, economics, sociology, psychology. Typewriting and often stenography are also required for graduation. The college work in journalism is accompanied by actual experience on papers, either college publications or papers published in the city or town in which the college is located. Students trained in such courses know how to write a story, how to get up a headline, and how to write editorials, and because of this fact men so trained get promotions in shorter periods of time than others.

For the benefit of those journalists who have not the chance to take the full college course, several phases of journalism are given in the summer schools of many colleges, and special courses in newspaper and magazine writing are given in evening schools. Such courses can be taken at the same time that one is employed on a newspaper.

It is clear, therefore, from the above, that more and more journalism calls for education and training before one begins actual work as a regular reporter on a paper.

HOW MUCH INCOME MAY ONE REASONABLY LOOK FORWARD TO, IF SUCCESSFUL IN THE FIELD OF JOURNALISM?

In few vocations is there greater difference in salaries than in the field of journalism. So far there does not seem to be any general standard that all the papers of the country attempt to live up to. The managers of certain newspapers follow the practice of employing only experienced men, taking them wherever they can be found from the staffs of other newspapers. Such papers, of course, pay good salaries. Other publications are willing to take on a few, or even a large number of beginners. Such papers naturally pay smaller salaries. Seldom, however, is the beginner in journalism paid less than $12 or $15 per week on the daily papers, though some receive as low as $10 a week. Often a paper works, not only on a basis of straight pay, but on the basis of the space the articles contributed occupy.

“Space rates” range from $2 to $10 per column, the amount varying with the standing of the newspaper, and with the character of the news itself. Promotions are very rapid and anyone with promise can hope to get a raise in salary from time to time until it reaches from $19 to $25 a week, which is the salary of regular reporters. Reporters who do special work are generally paid more. Their salaries range from $25 to $35 per week. On the very best papers there are very few reporters who draw salaries ranging from $35 to $50 per week. Such men are as well paid as men in the editorial department. The chiefs of the different editorial departments draw from $30 to $50 a week. Managing editors and editors-in-chief get salaries ranging all the way from $2,500 to $10,000 per year.

From the mere money point of view there are other lines of work far easier to master, and more certain to bring large money rewards than journalism. The tendency now, however, is to pay bigger salaries to newspaper men. As it is, the income is greater than that of the minister and equal to that of a lawyer.

WHAT ARE THE OTHER REWARDS TO A JOURNALIST, ASIDE FROM THE FINANCIAL REWARDS?

With many men in journalistic work, however, ideals mean more than money. The public good with such men means more than private gain. Another reward to the young man in this profession is that he comes in contact with mature people. He learns to know even personally many of the great men in business, in politics, in law. The newspaper is one of the very greatest educational agencies. What it does for the adult in an educational way is like what the public schools do for children in an educational way. Among the mature there are masses of ignorant people, ignorant in letters and ignorant in citizenship. The journalist, through the newspaper, has all the people as his audience. Through his opportunity for instruction the journalist may exercise great influence in politics in connection with work for municipal reform, clean streets, better schools, etc., and against machine control in politics, with its bribery and election frauds. Some people have objected to newspaper work because they thought such work corrupted beginners. The truth is that journalism is to each man in it what he makes it. There is more freedom of action in journalism than in the ministry or even than in law or medicine, but a code of ethics is rapidly being developed in the newspaper world that compels each one to do more nearly the right thing. Certainly the reporter does not know the full significance of his stories, headlines, and editorials until he realizes the probable effect of his writings on the ideas and ideals of his readers. Especially is the opportunity for such influence by the journalist good in America, where there are twice as many papers published as in any other country, and far more than twice as many copies issued. It is estimated that more than 5,000,000,000 copies of newspapers of all kinds are printed in the United States yearly.

HOW MANY YEARS WILL IT TAKE TO ESTABLISH MYSELF IN JOURNALISTIC WORK?

The newspaper reporter does not have the experience of a young lawyer or doctor, who must pick up business slowly and wait sometimes for years before he is satisfactorily established. The reporter succeeds or fails from the outset. In fact reporting is the work of comparatively young men, and is especially liked by those of from 20 to 30 years of age. Those who have been successful in this period of life are generally picked for promotions, and less uncertain assignments in the later periods of life.

Very often men who have been successful in early life as newspaper reporters take up magazine writing later. It is often stated that magazine writing is post-graduate newspaper work. The monthly magazine has become an important influence in the modern world, many of the more popular magazines having a larger circulation than any newspaper. On the staff of each periodical there are usually several special editors in charge of separate departments. These editors are often assisted by a regular staff of writers. Frequently, however, those who write for magazines are not connected with the regular staff, but are “free lances” contributing articles from time to time on subjects which they are especially fitted to write about.

The question often arises, Where shall the start be made? Is it best to begin in the country or in the city? The editor of one of the New York dailies says that there are many changes in the staff on a city paper, so a man who is capable has a chance to get a pretty good position, in fact a very good newspaper position, within a half dozen years’ time. This editor also says that it takes about as long to get a good position on a country paper, and after that if one goes to the city he must begin at the bottom and work up, so that much time is wasted. The advantage in beginning on a paper in a small city rather than a large one is that one is more likely there to gain an all around knowledge of everything that must be done in a newspaper office.

HOW GREAT IS THE DEMAND FOR MEN IN THE JOURNALISTIC FIELD?

There are in the United States and Canada at the present time approximately 25,000 newspapers and periodicals being published. Nearly 40 per cent of all such publications in the world are published in the United States and its outlying territories. In 1915 these publications in the United States gave employment to over 100,000 people, approximately 35,000 of whom were editors and reporters. The total circulation at that time aggregated 164,468,040. Moreover, newspapers are being circulated in larger numbers every day and are being read by an increasing number of people every day. The whole field of journalism is constantly enlarging and the claim is made by those who are expert in the field that the profession is not overcrowded with good workers.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO PREPARE FOR NEWSPAPER WORK?

If you are a soldier or a sailor discharged from the service since October 6, 1917, with a disability for which the Bureau of War Risk Insurance will grant you compensation, your education will be furnished free by the Government. The Bureau of War-Risk Insurance, through its compensation, will meet a part of the expenses and the Federal Board for Vocational Education will supplement that amount to a minimum of $65 a month with the purpose of meeting all of your expenses for living, clothing, transportation, tuition, and incidentals.

THE LUMBER INDUSTRY

Lumbering is the felling and conversion of trees into lumber. The extraction of the timber from the forest is known as logging, and the manufacture of the logs into lumber is known as sawmilling.

PLAN No. 910. LOGGING

REGIONS

The chief centers of the logging industry are in New England, the Lake States, the Southern Appalachians, the Southern pine region, the cypress swamps of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the Inland Empire (Montana, Idaho, and Eastern Washington and Oregon), and the Pacific coast.

METHODS AND LABOR CONDITIONS

The methods of logging and the opportunity for employment in this work present many different aspects in these regions. Animal logging prevails in the Northeast, the Lake States, and the Inland Empire, and power logging in the other sections, although no one method is universally used in any of these regions.

The demand for labor, both skilled and unskilled, in every section is now greater than the supply, and competent men can readily find some form of employment to which they are adapted.

Conditions surrounding work in the forest vary greatly in the different regions, and one who is not familiar with local conditions should weigh carefully his own ability and the opportunities which each section may offer to him.

WHO SHOULD UNDERTAKE THE WORK?

Logging work will appeal most strongly to one who has been accustomed since his early years to an outdoor life, and who is familiar in a general way either with outdoor manual labor or with some mechanical trade.

The best opportunities for men who wish to make lumbering a life work are with the larger companies, since they have organizations in which employment is more continuous, and in which there is the greatest possibility of advancement. Small lumbering concerns offer but little inducement, unless a way is open to secure an interest in the business.

Advancement to the beginner in the lumber industry is not rapid and, therefore, it holds more promise to the young, single man who can afford to serve an apprenticeship, than to the older man who has a family to support and whose financial requirements are greater at the beginning.

Felling timber is hard work, but appeals to strong, robust men, because the wages paid for it are among the highest paid in a logging camp. The work is too heavy for one past the prime of life, or for a young man who may be physically incapacitated.

Where logging is done by animals, the position of teamster may be filled by older men as well as that of swamper, grab setter, tong hooker, scaler, and like positions which do not call for heavy manual labor.

Power logging, which is common in the South and in the far West, affords an excellent opportunity for active young men with mechanical ability, since skilled operators are required to run the skidding machinery and to keep it in repair.

A northern logger should not consider employment in the cypress swamp forests, because it is work which appeals chiefly to those who have grown up in the cypress “brake” region.

PLAN No. 911. RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Men who have had experience with railroad construction or operation will find a promising field in the lumber industry, since on most large operations the logs are hauled from the forest to the mill over logging railroads. Locomotive engineers and firemen are in demand and command a fairly high wage. The hours are long because it is necessary to deliver a certain quantity of logs to the mill daily, and in case of delays in schedule, the crews must work until the necessary quantity of logs has been delivered.

On large operations new railroad lines are continually under construction, and opportunity is afforded for employment to those who are familiar with railroad construction.

LOG DRIVING

Where logs are transported down streams to the mill, log drivers are required during the spring and summer months. On “rough water” this work requires experience and skill, and is hard work which must be done often in inclement weather. It is not a class of work to which an inexperienced man would be adapted.

SOCIAL CONDITIONS

Social conditions in the different regions have played a prominent part in the distribution of labor in the lumber industry. The trend of labor migration has been from the East to the West, and not from the North to the South, because woods workers from the North and East have found both climatic and social conditions more to their liking in the West than in the South. Northern and eastern loggers have gone South in small numbers to fill positions of responsibility, but in general, the unskilled laborer has not found living and working conditions to his liking in the lowlands and southern pineries.

An important factor to be considered in this connection is the color line, which is more or less sharply drawn in the South. In some sections both whites and negroes work together on the same operations. The standard of work and the social conditions which prevail in southern logging camps, however, do not appeal to the northern man, and but few are content to remain for any length of time.

In the West the northern logger meets with conditions similar to those existing at home and, therefore, he is satisfied to become a permanent resident in the region.

Logging work in most sections is more or less removed from settlements and, in general, it is not possible for the logger to enjoy family life. The exception to this case is the logging camp of the southern pineries, which is a community comprising the loggers and their families. The buildings are small, portable houses, two or more constituting the home of a single family. Medical facilities are provided by the company, along with a school and a church and each community comprises a settlement in itself. Although both white and colored laborers may live in the same camp, the quarters are separated and the two races do not intermingle. The social advantages for an ambitious man with a family are not great and many northern and eastern men would not find conditions to their liking. Only men familiar with local conditions should seek employment in southern logging camps.

The mountain region of the Southern Appalachians appeals to many northern loggers, because the conditions in this region are not dissimilar to those with which they are familiar.

It is not practicable to point out any particular branch of logging work which might appeal to individuals. Each man after choosing the region in which he desires to work should try out the various classes of employment to which he may find himself adapted, expecting ultimately to find that class of work for which he is best fitted.

In general, one who desires to enter the field of logging should be young, have a robust constitution, possess a liking for outdoor work, and should seek employment in some region with which he is familiar, or in some section which is similar in climatic and social conditions to his home region.

PLAN No. 912. SAWMILLING

The sawmill industry is scattered over a wide area in this country, but the chief centers of lumber manufacture are in or adjacent to the great forest areas of the country, in the southern pine region, which produces nearly one-third of all of our lumber cut, and in the Pacific Northwest, which produces about one-eighth of our total cut. The sawmill business includes plants ranging from the small mill, cutting a few thousand feet daily, up to the plant which turns out nearly one million feet of lumber in twenty hours.

LUMBER SETTLEMENTS

Lumber manufacture is centered in permanent settlements, a new plant usually having a normal life of at least 20 years. Some of these communities comprise only the lumber companies’ employees (a “one-man town”) while others are located at or near cities or towns. Merits are claimed for both systems, but it is true that some of the cleanest and most enlightened communities are those in which the control of affairs rests largely in the hands of the lumber company. In this way undesirables may be kept away from the settlement, better schools are usually maintained, and the entire tone of the community placed on a higher standard than exists in the “open” towns.

CHARACTER OF WORK

The work at a sawmill plant is extremely varied in character, and ranges from that requiring high technical and mechanical ability down through every degree of skill to work which can be performed by a low grade of common labor. The wage scale likewise shows a wide range. The highest technical positions, such as saw filer in a large mill, may command $12 per day and up, while the lowest wage is the minimum for common labor in the region. Sawmilling proceeds in all kinds of weather, except during the winter season in the northern regions. At all plants, however, some forms of work, such as lumber piling, trucking dry lumber to the planing mill, and loading cars, may be discontinued during short spells of inclement weather. The actual sawing of lumber, in most regions, seldom ceases except when the entire plant closes down, since this work is largely done under cover and the men therefore are sheltered.

Sawmill work should appeal to one who is interested in factory work; who desires employment which keeps him more or less in the open; and who prefers to live in a settled community. It offers a clean, healthful occupation for all degrees of skill, hence it affords opportunity for every industrious man.

WAGES

The wages paid in the lumber industry vary with the region in which the work is performed and local wage scales, but the compensation is as great as in other industries requiring an equal amount of skill.

PLAN No. 913. CLASSIFICATION OF LABOR IN THE LUMBER INDUSTRY

225 JOBS LISTED

Logging work as a rule requires a man of robust constitution who can stand up under hard physical labor performed in the open in all kinds of weather. Loggers must as a rule be skilled in the use of ax, crosscut saw, and like tools, or to be competent teamsters, although considerable unskilled labor is employed in each camp.

Sawmill employees should in most instances be robust. They are not as a rule exposed to inclement weather to the same degree as loggers. A high degree of mechanical skill is required of saw filers, sawyers, mechanics, and persons filling like places, but the greater part of the sawmill work does not demand mechanical skill of even average degree and consequently the work can be satisfactorily performed by labor which has had but little previous experience. In most positions a man who is of average intelligence and has the ability to quickly adapt himself to new lines of work will prove successful.

Woods work as a rule does not appeal to the city born and bred man, because it takes him from settled communities. On the other hand, both logging and sawmill work often appeal to the country-reared man because it keeps him out in the open.

The scarcity of labor during the last year has necessitated the employment of many laborers who would not have been acceptable in former times. Women are now filling many places in the industry to which they were not formerly considered eligible. They are now driving teams on logging jobs, felling timber, laying railroad steel, surfacing railroad track, and doing other work in the woods, as well as filling very satisfactorily a large number of places in sawmills, box factories, and other woodworking establishments which were formerly filled exclusively by men.

There is promise of a readjustment of labor conditions in the industry, and it is certain that the discovery of the worth of female labor in the industry will have a marked effect on labor conditions. The entrance of female workers will mean that many forms of the lighter labor formerly performed by physically deficient males will be given over to women, and it is possible that this may have a marked bearing on the possibility of employing wounded soldiers for this purpose. Few soldiers will be advised to enter the lumber industry unless they were formerly engaged in a similar line of work.

The following tabulation shows in a very general way the minimum range of the technical and mechanical qualifications required for certain lines of logging and sawmill work. Experienced men with greater disabilities than those mentioned may prove efficient, but it is not believed that inexperienced men who can not meet the requirements would prove satisfactory in the industry.

_Better Than 225 Jobs_

Labor Classification--Lumber Industry

_Physical and Technical Qualifications_

=========================+=====================================+ | Physical requirements. | +---------+-----+-----+------+--------+ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Eye- | | |Physique.|Arms.|Legs.|sight.|Hearing.| +---------+-----+-----+------+--------+ A. Logging engineering: | | | | | | (1) Land surveys-- | | | | | | _a._ Instrument man. |Robust. | 2 |[13]2|Good. |Fair. | _b._ Rodman. | do. | 2 |[13]2|Fair. | do. | _c._ Chainman. | do. | 2 |[13]2| do. | do. | _d._ Axeman. | do. | 2 |[13]2| do. | do. | (2) Timber cruising-- | | | | | | _a._ Cruiser. | do. | 1 |[13]2|Good. | do. | _b._ Compassman. | do. | 2 |[13]2|Fair. | do. | _c._ Cook. | do. | 2 |[13]2|1 eye,| do. | | | |fair. | | (3) Topographic | do. | 2 |[13]2|Good. | do. | mapping and map | | | | | | making. | | | | | | (4) Railroad location--| | | | | | _a._ Instrument man. | do. | 2 |[13]2| do. | do. | _b._ Rodman. | do. | 2 |[13]2|Fair. | do. | _c._ Chainman. | do. | 2 |[13]2| do. | do. | _d._ Axeman. | do. | 2 |[13]2| do. | do. | (5) Planning logging | | | | | | operations-- | | | | | | _a._ Forester or | do. | 2 |[13]2| do. | do. | logging engineer. | | | | | | B. Logging: | | | | | | (1) Felling and bucking| | | | | | (including saw | | | | | | fitting)-- | | | | | | _a._ Head faller. |Robust. | 2 | 2 |Fair. |Fair. | _b._ Second faller. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _c._ Saw filer. |Fairly | 2 | 1 |Good. |Fair to | |robust. | | | |poor. | _d._ Saw boss. | do. | 1 | 2 |1 eye,|Fair. | | | | |fair. | | (2) Skidding and | | | | | | yarding (animal)-- | | | | | | _a._ Teamster. |Robust. | 2 | 2 |Fair. | do. | _b._ Swamper. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | | _c._ Grab setter. | do. | 2 | 2 |1 eye.| do. | _d._ Tong hooker. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _e._ Tong unhooker. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _f._ Cant hookman. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _g._ Skidway man. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | (Power--Pacific coast):| | | | | | _a._ Hook tender. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _b._ Rigging shingle.| do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _c._ Choker man. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. |Good. | _d._ Sniper. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. |Fair to | | | | | |poor. | _e._ Signalman. |Average. | 1 | 2 |1 eye,|Good. | | | | |fair. | | _f._ Yarding and road| do. | 2 | 2 |Good. | do. | engineer. | | | | | | _g._ Yarding and | do. | 2 | 2 |Fair. |Fair. | road-engine fireman. | | | | | | _h._ Wood buck. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. |Fair to | | | | | |poor. | _i._ Head loader. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. |Fair. | _j._ Second loader. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _k._ Loading engine |Average. | 2 | 2 | do. |Good. | engineer. | | | | | | _l._ Loading engine | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | fireman. | | | | | | _m._ Pump man. | do. | 2 | 1 | do. |Fair. | _o._ Master mechanic.| do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _n._ Blacksmith. |Robust. | 2 | 1 |Good. | do. | _p._ Carpenter. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _q._ Car repairer. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _r._ Pole road | do. | 2 | 2 |Fair. | do. | construction | | | | | | (foreman). | | | | | | _s._ Pole road | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | construction | | | | | | (laborers). | | | | | | _t._ Landing | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | construction | | | | | | (foreman). | | | | | | _u._ Landing | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | construction (men). | | | | | | (3) Transportation-- | | | | | | _a._ Locomotive | do. | 2 | 2 |Good. |Good. | engineer. | | | | | | _b._ Locomotive | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | fireman. | | | | | | _c._ Conductor, log |Average. | 1 | 2 | do. | do. | train. | | | | | | _d._ Brakeman, log |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | train. | | | | | | _e._ Section foreman.|Average. | 1 | 2 | do. |Fair. | _f._ Section man. |Robust. | 2 | 2 |Fair. |Fair to | | | | | |poor. | _g._ Railroad | do. | 2 | 2 | do. |Fair. | construction | | | | | | (foreman). | | | | | | _h._ Railroad | do. | 2 | 2 | do. |Fair to | construction (men). | | | | |poor. | _i._ Rafting or boom | do. | 2 | 2 | do. |Fair. | foreman. | | | | | | _j._ Rafting or boom | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | men. | | | | | | _k._ Driver foreman. | do. | 2 | 2 |Good. | do. | _l._ River driver | do. | 2 | 2 |Fair. | do. | (4) Timber | | | | | | measurement-- | | | | | | _a._ Scaler. |Average. |1 or | 2 |Good. | do. | | | 2 | | | | _b._ Scaler’s helper.| do. | 2 | 2 |Fair. |Fair to | | | | | |poor. | (5) General camp crew--| | | | | | _a._ Foreman. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _b._ Barn man. |Average. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _c._ Cook. |Robust. | 2 | 1 | 1 | do. | _d._ Flunkey. |Average. | 2 | 1 |1 eye,| do. | | | | |fair. | | _e._ Chore boy. | do. | 2 | 1 |Fair. | do. | _f._ Camp clerk. | do. | 1 | 1 | do. | do. | Lumber manufacture: | | | | | | C. (1) Log storage-- | | | | | | _a._ Log car |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. |Fair. | unloaders. | | | | | | _b._ Pond foreman. |Average. | 2 | 2 |1 eye,| do. | | | | |fair. | | _c._ Sinker raiser. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _d._ Boom men and | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | jacker feeder. | | | | | | (2) Sawmill proper-- | | | | | | _a._ Dock man and |Average. | 2 | 2 |Good. |Fair. | scaler. | | | | | | _b._ Sawyer. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _c._ Setter. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _d._ Carriage rider. | do. | 2 | 2 |Fair. | do. | _e._ Swamper or off- | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | bearer. | | | | | | _f._ Tripper. |Average. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _g._ Edgerman. |Robust. | 2 | 2 |Good. | do. | _h._ Tail edger. | do. | 2 | 2 |Fair. | do. | _i._ Slasherman. |Average. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _j._ Gang sawyer. | do. | 2 | 2 |Good. | do. | _k._ Gang feeder. |Robust. | 2 | 2 |Fair. | do. | _l._ Gang tailer. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _m._ Trimmer loader. | do. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _n._ Trimmer |Average. | 2 | 1 |Good. | do. | leverman. | | | | | | _o._ Clean-up man. | do. | 2 | 1 |Fair. | do. | _p._ Oiler. | do. | 2 | 2 |Good. | do. | _q._ Foreman. | do. | 1 | 1 | do. | do. | _r._ Saw filer. | do. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _s._ Saw filer | do. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | helper. | | | | | | _t._ Jump saw | do. | 2 | 1 |Fair. | do. | operator. | | | | | | _u._ Millwright. |Robust. | 2 | 2 |Good. | do. | _v._ Watchman. |Average. | 1 | 2 | do. | do. | (3) Sorting and | | | | | | grading-- | | | | | | _a._ Inspector, | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | lumber. | | | | | | _b._ Graders. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _c._ Sorting table | do. | 2 |[14]1|Fair. | do. | man. | | | | | | (4) Yard and kiln | | | | | | work-- | | | | | | _a._ Foreman. |Average. | 1 | 2 | do. | do. | _b._ Teamsters. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _c._ Stackers. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _d._ Send-in men. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | (5) Planing mill-- | | | | | | _a._ Foreman. |Average. | 1 | 2 | do. | do. | _b._ Machinist. | do. | 2 | 2 |Good. | do. | _c._ Shipping clerk. | do. | 1 | 1 |Fair. | do. | _d._ Machine feeders.|Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _e._ Grades behind |Average. | 2 | 2 |Good. | do. | Machines. | | | | | | _f._ Machine tailers.| do. | 2 | 2 |Fair. | do. | _g._ Tyers. | do. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | (6) Loading and | | | | | | shipping-- | | | | | | _a._ Truckers. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _b._ Car loaders. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _c._ Checkers. |Average. | 2 | 2 |Good. | do. | (7) Office and Sales-- | | | | | | _a._ Clerk. | do. | 2 | 1 |Fair. | do. | _b._ Salesman. | do. | 1 | 2 | do. | do. | (8) Commissary | do. | 2 | 1 |1 eye,| do. | employees. | | | |fair. | | (9) Power house-- | | | | | | _a._ Engineer. | do. | 2 | 2 |Fair. | do. | _b._ Fireman. | do. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _c._ Common labor. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | (10) Machine shop-- | | | | | | _a._ Foreman. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _b._ Blacksmith. |Robust. | 2 | 2 |Good. | do. | _c._ Machinist. | do. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _d._ Boiler maker. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _e._ Pattern maker. | do. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _f._ Welders. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _g._ Electrician. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _h._ Helpers. | do. | 2 | 2 |Fair. | do. | _i._ Common labor. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | (11) Miscellaneous-- | | | | | | _a._ Timekeeper. |Average. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _b._ Common labor. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | D. Lath Manufacture: | | | | | | _a._ Foreman. |Average. | 2 | 1 |Fair. |Fair. | _b._ Slab picker. |Robust. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _c._ Machine feeders.| do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _d._ Machine tailers.| do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _e._ Lath bundlers |Average. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | and Graders. | | | | | | E. Shingle manufacture: | | | | | | _a._ Foreman. | do. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _b._ Bolter. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _c._ Shingle sawyer. | do. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _d._ Knob sawyer. | do. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _e._ Grader and |Average. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | bundler. | | | | | | F. Paper industry: | | | | | | (1) Millwork-- | | | | | | _a._ Head piler | do. | 1 | 2 | do. | do. | (wood). | | | | | | _b._ Wood handlers. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _c._ Conveyor man. | do. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _d._ River man. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _e._ Head wood |Average. | 1 | 2 | do. | do. | handler. | | | | | | _f._ Slip man. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _g._ Head preparer. |Average. | 1 | 1 | do. | do. | _h._ Swing sawyer. |Robust. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _i._ Barker. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _j._ Splitter. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _k._ Waste handler. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _l._ Chipper. |Average. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _m._ Head grinder | do. | 1 | 2 | do. | do. | man. | | | | | | _n._ Stone |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | sharpener. | | | | | | _o._ Grinder man. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _p._ Block handler. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _q._ Screenman. |Average. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _r._ Sliver man. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _s._ Head pressman. | do. | 1 | 2 | do. | do. | _t._ Pressman. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _u._ Decker man. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _v._ Sulphur burner. |Average. | 1 | 2 | do. | do. | _w._ Acid maker. | do. | 1 | 2 | do. | do. | _x._ Lime slacker. | do. | 1 | 2 | do. | do. | _y._ Lime handler. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _z._ Towerman. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _aa._ Cook | do. | 1 | 1 | do. | do. | (digesters). | | | | | | _bb._ Cook, first | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | helper. | | | | | | _cc._ Cook, second | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | helper. | | | | | | _dd._ Blow pitman. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _ee._ Screenman. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _ff._ Waste handler. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _gg._ Head pressman. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _hh._ Pressman. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _ii._ Head beater |Average. | 1 | 1 | do. | do. | man. | | | | | | _jj._ Beater man. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _kk._ Clay and size |Average. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | man. | | | | | | _ll._ Machine tender.|Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _mm._ Machine man | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | (others). | | | | | | _nn._ Head finisher. |Average. | 1 | 1 | do. | do. | _oo._ Cutter man. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _pp._ Rewinder. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _qq._ Weigher. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _rr._ Marker. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _ss._ Balers. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _tt._ Oilers. |Average. | 2 | 2 |Good. | do. | _uu._ Cleaner. | do. | 2 | 2 |Fair. | do. | _vv._ Filter man. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _ww._ First core | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | cleaner. | | | | | | _xx._ Core cleaner. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _yy._ Stock saver. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _zz._ Engineer. | do. | 2 | 1 or| do. |Good. | | | | 2 | | | _aaa._ Fireman. | do. | 2 | 1 | do. |Fair. | _bbb._ Dynamo man. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _ccc._ Coal and wood |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | handlers. | | | | | | _ddd._ Boiler | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | cleaner. | | | | | | _eee._ Head repair |Average. | 1 | 2 | do. | do. | man. | | | | | | _fff._ Repair man. |Robust. | 2 | 2 |Fair. | do. | _ggg._ Repair man | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | helpers. | | | | | | _hhh._ Core maker. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | G. Cooperage industry: | | | | | | (1) Woods work (same | | | | | | qualifications as for |Average. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | regular logging). |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | (2) Manufacture-- | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _a._ Drag saw | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | operator. | | | | | | _b._ Bolter. | | | | | | _c._ Peeler. | | | | | | _d._ Sawyer. | | | | | | _e._ Knife grinder |Average. | 2 | 1 |Good. |Fair. | and filer. | | | | | | _f._ Jointers. |Robust. | 2 | 2 |Fair. | do. | _g._ Matchers. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _h._ Turners. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _i._ Packers. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _j._ Truckers. |Average. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _k._ Clean-up men. | do. | | | | | H. Veneer mill: | | | | | | _a._ Foreman. | do. | 1 | 1 | do. | do. | _b._ Drag saw man. |Robust. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _c._ Hot box man. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _d._ Deck labor. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _e._ Machine | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | operator. | | | | | | _f._ Sawyer. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _g._ Grader. |Average. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _h._ Stock handler. |Robust. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _i._ Trucker. | do. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _j._ Kiln operator. |Average. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _k._ Packer and |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | loader. | | | | | | _l._ Engineer. |Average. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _m._ Fireman. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _n._ Common labor. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | I. Wood preservation: | | | | | | _a._ Superintendent. |Average. | 1 | 1 | do. | do. | _b._ Foreman. | do. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _c._ Common labor. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | _d._ Engineer. |Average. | 2 | 1 | do. | do. | _e._ Fireman. |Robust. | 2 | 2 | do. | do. | -------------------------+---------+-----+-----+------+--------+

=========================+===========================================+ | Training and experience. | +--------------------------+----------------+ | Technical | Mechanical | | knowledge. | skill. | +----+---------+-----------+----+-----+-----+ | | | | |Aver-| | |Low.|Average. | High. |Low.| age.|High.| +----+---------+-----------+----+-----+-----+ A. Logging engineering: | | | | | | | (1) Land surveys-- | | | | | | | _a._ Instrument man. | | |Yes; mathe-| | | | | | |matical. | | | | _b._ Rodman. | |Yes; | | | | | | |general | | | | | | |knowledge| | | | | | |of sur- | | | | | | |veying. | | | | | _c._ Chainman. | | do. | | | | | _d._ Axeman. | | | | |Yes. | | (2) Timber cruising-- | | | | | | | _a._ Cruiser. | | |Yes; timber| | | | | | |estimating.| | | | _b._ Compassman. | | |Compass | | | | | | |work. | | | | _c._ Cook. | | | | | | | (3) Topographic | | |Compass | | | | mapping and map | | |work. | | | | making. | | | | | | | (4) Railroad location--| | | | | | | _a._ Instrument man. | | |Yes; Mathe-| | | | | | |matical. | | | | _b._ Rodman. | |Yes; | | | | | | |general | | | | | | |knowledge| | | | | | |of sur- | | | | | | |veying. | | | | | _c._ Chainman. | | do. | | | | | _d._ Axeman. | | | | |Yes. | | (5) Planning logging | | | | | | | operations-- | | | | | | | _a._ Forester or | | |Knowledge | | | | logging engineer. | | |of logging | | | | | | |methods. | | | | B. Logging: | | | | | | | (1) Felling and bucking| | | | | | | (including saw | | | | | | | fitting)-- | | | | | | | _a._ Head faller. | | |Yes. | | | | _b._ Second faller. | | | | |Yes. | | _c._ Saw filer. | | |Knowledge | | | | | | |of saw | | | | | | |fitting. | | | | _d._ Saw boss. | | | do. | | | | (2) Skidding and | | | | | | | yarding (animal)-- | | | | | | | _a._ Teamster. | | | | |Yes. | | _b._ Swamper. | | | |Yes.| | | _c._ Grab setter. | | | |Yes.| | | _d._ Tong hooker. | | | |Yes.| | | _e._ Tong unhooker. | | | |Yes.| | | _f._ Cant hookman. | | | | |Yes. | | _g._ Skidway man. | | | | |Yes. | | (Power--Pacific coast):| | | | | | | _a._ Hook tender. | | | Yes. | | |Yes. | _b._ Rigging shingle.| | | | | |Yes. | _c._ Choker man. | | | | |Yes. | | _d._ Sniper. | | | | |Yes. | | _e._ Signalman. | | | |Yes.| | | _f._ Yarding and road| | | | | |Yes. | engineer. | | | | | | | _g._ Yarding and | | | | |Yes. | | road-engine fireman. | | | | | | | _h._ Wood buck. | | | | |Yes. | | _i._ Head loader. | | | | | |Yes. | _j._ Second loader. | | | | |Yes. | | _k._ Loading engine | | | | | |Yes. | engineer. | | | | | | | _l._ Loading engine | | | | |Yes. | | fireman. | | | | | | | _m._ Pump man. | | | | |Yes. | | _o._ Master mechanic.| | | | | |Yes. | _n._ Blacksmith. | | | | | |Yes. | _p._ Carpenter. | | | | | |Yes. | _q._ Car repairer. | | | | | |Yes. | _r._ Pole road | | | | | |Yes. | construction | | | | | | | (foreman). | | | | | | | _s._ Pole road | | | | |Yes. | | construction | | | | | | | (laborers). | | | | | | | _t._ Landing | | | | | |Yes. | construction | | | | | | | (foreman). | | | | | | | _u._ Landing | | | | |Yes. | | construction (men). | | | | | | | (3) Transportation-- | | | | | | | _a._ Locomotive | | | | | |Yes. | engineer. | | | | | | | _b._ Locomotive | | | | |Yes. | | fireman. | | | | | | | _c._ Conductor, log | | | | |Yes. | | train. | | | | | | | _d._ Brakeman, log | | | | |Yes. | | train. | | | | | | | _e._ Section foreman.| | | | |Yes. | | _f._ Section man. | | | |Yes.| | | _g._ Railroad | | | | |Yes. | | construction | | | | | | | (foreman). | | | | | | | _h._ Railroad | | | |Yes.| | | construction (men). | | | | | | | _i._ Rafting or boom | | | | | |Yes. | foreman. | | | | | | | _j._ Rafting or boom | | | | |Yes. | | men. | | | | | | | _k._ Driver foreman. | | | | | |Yes. | _l._ River driver | | | | |Yes. | | (4) Timber | | | | | | | measurement-- | | | | | | | _a._ Scaler. | | |Yes. | | | | _b._ Scaler’s helper.| | | | |Yes. | | (5) General camp crew--| | | | | | | _a._ Foreman. | | | | | |Yes. | _b._ Barn man. | | | |Yes.| | | _c._ Cook. | | | | | | | _d._ Flunkey. | | | | | | | _e._ Chore boy. | | | | | | | _f._ Camp clerk. | | | | | | | Lumber manufacture: | | | | | | | C. (1) Log storage-- | | | | | | | _a._ Log car | | | |Yes.| | | unloaders. | | | | | | | _b._ Pond foreman. | | | |Yes.| | | _c._ Sinker raiser. | | | |Yes.| | | _d._ Boom men and | | | |Yes.| | | jacker feeder. | | | | | | | (2) Sawmill proper-- | | | | | | | _a._ Dock man and | |Yes. | | |Yes. | | scaler. | | | | | | | _b._ Sawyer. | | |Yes. | | |Yes. | _c._ Setter. | | Yes. | | |Yes. | | _d._ Carriage rider. | | | |Yes.| | | _e._ Swamper or off- | | | |Yes.| | | bearer. | | | | | | | _f._ Tripper. | | | |Yes.| | | _g._ Edgerman. | | |Yes. | | | | _h._ Tail edger. | | | | | | | _i._ Slasherman. | | | | | | | _j._ Gang sawyer. | |Yes. | | | | | _k._ Gang feeder. | | | | | | | _l._ Gang tailer. | | | | | | | _m._ Trimmer loader. | | | | | | | _n._ Trimmer | | | | |Yes. | | leverman. | | | | | | | _o._ Clean-up man. | | | | | | | _p._ Oiler. |Yes.| | | | | | _q._ Foreman. | | | | | |Yes. | _r._ Saw filer. | | |Yes. |Yes.| | | _s._ Saw filer | |Yes. | | |Yes. | | helper. | | | | | | | _t._ Jump saw | | | |Yes.| | | operator. | | | | | | | _u._ Millwright. | | | | | |Yes. | _v._ Watchman. | | | | | | | (3) Sorting and | | | | | | | grading-- | | | | | | | _a._ Inspector, | | |Yes. | | | | lumber. | | | | | | | _b._ Graders. | |Yes. | | | | | _c._ Sorting table | | | | | | | man. | | | | | | | (4) Yard and kiln | | | | | | | work-- | | | | | | | _a._ Foreman. | |Yes. | | |Yes. | | _b._ Teamsters. | | | |Yes.| | | _c._ Stackers. | | | | |Yes. | | _d._ Send-in men. | | | |Yes.| | | (5) Planing mill-- | | | | | | | _a._ Foreman. | | | | | |Yes. | _b._ Machinist. | | | | | |Yes. | _c._ Shipping clerk. | | | | | | | _d._ Machine feeders.| | | | |Yes. | | _e._ Grades behind | |Yes. | | | | | Machines. | | | | | | | _f._ Machine tailers.| | | | | | | _g._ Tyers. | | | | | | | (6) Loading and | | | | | | | shipping-- | | | | | | | _a._ Truckers. | | | | | | | _b._ Car loaders. | | | | | | | _c._ Checkers. | | | | |Yes. | | (7) Office and Sales-- | | | | | | | _a._ Clerk. | | | | | | | _b._ Salesman. | | | | | | | (8) Commissary | | | | | | | employees. | | | | | | | (9) Power house-- | | | | | | | _a._ Engineer. | | | | | |Yes. | _b._ Fireman. | | | |Yes.| | | _c._ Common labor. | | | | | | | (10) Machine shop-- | | | | | | | _a._ Foreman. | | | | | |Yes. | _b._ Blacksmith. | | | | | |Yes. | _c._ Machinist. | | | | | |Yes. | _d._ Boiler maker. | | | | | |Yes. | _e._ Pattern maker. | | | | | |Yes. | _f._ Welders. | | | | | |Yes. | _g._ Electrician. | | | | | |Yes. | _h._ Helpers. | | | | |Yes. | | _i._ Common labor. | | | | | | | (11) Miscellaneous-- | | | | | | | _a._ Timekeeper. | | | | | | | _b._ Common labor. | | | | | | | D. Lath Manufacture: | | | | | | | _a._ Foreman. | | | | |Yes. | | _b._ Slab picker. | | | | | | | _c._ Machine feeders.| | | | | | | _d._ Machine tailers.| | | | | | | _e._ Lath bundlers | | | | | | | and Graders. | | | | | | | E. Shingle manufacture: | | | | | | | _a._ Foreman. | | | | |Yes. | | _b._ Bolter. | | | | |Yes. | | _c._ Shingle sawyer. | | | | |Yes. | | _d._ Knob sawyer. | | | | | | | _e._ Grader and | | | | | | | bundler. | | | | | | | F. Paper industry: | | | | | | | (1) Millwork-- | | | | | | | _a._ Head piler | | | |Yes.| | | (wood). | | | | | | | _b._ Wood handlers. | | | | | | | _c._ Conveyor man. | | | | | | | _d._ River man. | | | | |Yes. | | _e._ Head wood | | | | |Yes. | | handler. | | | | | | | _f._ Slip man. | | | | | | | _g._ Head preparer. | |Yes. | | | | | _h._ Swing sawyer. | | | |Yes.| | | _i._ Barker. | | | | |Yes. | | _j._ Splitter. | | | |Yes.| | | _k._ Waste handler. | | | | | | | _l._ Chipper. | | | | |Yes. | | _m._ Head grinder | | | | |Yes. | | man. | | | | | | | _n._ Stone | | | | |Yes. | | sharpener. | | | | | | | _o._ Grinder man. | | | | |Yes. | | _p._ Block handler. | | | | | | | _q._ Screenman. | | | | |Yes. | | _r._ Sliver man. | | | | |Yes. | | _s._ Head pressman. | | |Yes. | |Yes. | | _t._ Pressman. | |Yes. | | |Yes. | | _u._ Decker man. | | | |Yes.| | | _v._ Sulphur burner. | |Yes. | | | | | _w._ Acid maker. | |Yes. | | | | | _x._ Lime slacker. | |Yes. | | | | | _y._ Lime handler. | | | | | | | _z._ Towerman. | | | | | | | _aa._ Cook | |Yes. | | | | | (digesters). | | | | | | | _bb._ Cook, first | | | | | | | helper. | | | | | | | _cc._ Cook, second | | | | | | | helper. | | | | | | | _dd._ Blow pitman. | | | | | | | _ee._ Screenman. | | | | |Yes. | | _ff._ Waste handler. | | | | | | | _gg._ Head pressman. | | |Yes. | |Yes. | | _hh._ Pressman. | |Yes. | | |Yes. | | _ii._ Head beater | |Yes. | | |Yes. | | man. | | | | | | | _jj._ Beater man. | | | | | | | _kk._ Clay and size | |Yes. | | | | | man. | | | | | | | _ll._ Machine tender.| |Yes. | | |Yes. | | _mm._ Machine man | | | | |Yes. | | (others). | | | | | | | _nn._ Head finisher. | | |Yes. | | | | _oo._ Cutter man. | | | | |Yes. | | _pp._ Rewinder. | | | | |Yes. | | _qq._ Weigher. | | | | | | | _rr._ Marker. | | | | | | | _ss._ Balers. | | | | | | | _tt._ Oilers. | | | |Yes.| | | _uu._ Cleaner. | | | |Yes.| | | _vv._ Filter man. | | | | |Yes. | | _ww._ First core | | | | |Yes. | | cleaner. | | | | | | | _xx._ Core cleaner. | | | | |Yes. | | _yy._ Stock saver. | | | |Yes.| | | _zz._ Engineer. | | | | | |Yes. | _aaa._ Fireman. | | | |Yes.| | | _bbb._ Dynamo man. | | | | | |Yes. | _ccc._ Coal and wood | | | | | | | handlers. | | | | | | | _ddd._ Boiler | | | |Yes.| | | cleaner. | | | | | | | _eee._ Head repair | | | | | |Yes. | man. | | | | | | | _fff._ Repair man. | | | | |Yes. | | _ggg._ Repair man | | | |Yes.| | | helpers. | | | | | | | _hhh._ Core maker. | | | | |Yes. | | G. Cooperage industry: | | | | | | | (1) Woods work (same | | | | | | | qualifications as for | | | |Yes.| | | regular logging). | | | |Yes.| | | (2) Manufacture-- | | | |Yes.| | | _a._ Drag saw | | | | |Yes. | | operator. | | | | | | | _b._ Bolter. | | | | | | | _c._ Peeler. | | | | | | | _d._ Sawyer. | | | | | | | _e._ Knife grinder | | | | |Yes. | | and filer. | | | | | | | _f._ Jointers. | | | | |Yes. | | _g._ Matchers. | | | | |Yes. | | _h._ Turners. | | | | |Yes. | | _i._ Packers. | | | | | | | _j._ Truckers. | | | | | | | _k._ Clean-up men. | | | | | | | H. Veneer mill: | | | | | | | _a._ Foreman. | | | | |Yes. | | _b._ Drag saw man. | | | |Yes.| | | _c._ Hot box man. | | | |Yes.| | | _d._ Deck labor. | | | | | | | _e._ Machine | | | | |Yes. | | operator. | | | | | | | _f._ Sawyer. | |Yes. | | |Yes. | | _g._ Grader. | |Yes. | | | | | _h._ Stock handler. | | | | | | | _i._ Trucker. | | | | | | | _j._ Kiln operator. | |Yes. | | |Yes. | | _k._ Packer and | | | | | | | loader. | | | | | | | _l._ Engineer. | | | | |Yes. | | _m._ Fireman. | | | |Yes.| | | _n._ Common labor. | | | | | | | I. Wood preservation: | | | | | | | _a._ Superintendent. | | |Yes. | |Yes. | | _b._ Foreman. | | | | |Yes. | | _c._ Common labor. | | | | | | | _d._ Engineer. | | | | |Yes. | | _e._ Fireman. | | | |Yes.| | | -------------------------+----+---------+-----------+----+-----+-----+

=========================+============================================ | | | | Remarks. | | | +-------------------------------------------- A. Logging engineering: | (1) Land surveys-- | _a._ Instrument man. |Must be able to travel on foot for long |distances. _b._ Rodman. |Do. _c._ Chainman. |Do. _d._ Axeman. |Do. (2) Timber cruising-- | _a._ Cruiser. |Do. _b._ Compassman. |Do. _c._ Cook. |General qualification for cook. (3) Topographic |Must be able to travel on foot for long mapping and map |distances. making. | (4) Railroad location--| _a._ Instrument man. |Do. _b._ Rodman. |Do. _c._ Chainman. |Do. _d._ Axeman. |Do. (5) Planning logging | operations-- | _a._ Forester or |Do. logging engineer. | B. Logging: | (1) Felling and bucking| (including saw | fitting)-- | _a._ Head faller. | _b._ Second faller. | _c._ Saw filer. | _d._ Saw boss. | (2) Skidding and | yarding (animal)-- | _a._ Teamster. |Must be a skilled teamster. _b._ Swamper. |Must be able to handle an ax. _c._ Grab setter. | _d._ Tong hooker. | _e._ Tong unhooker. | _f._ Cant hookman. | _g._ Skidway man. | (Power--Pacific coast):| _a._ Hook tender. | _b._ Rigging shingle.| _c._ Choker man. | _d._ Sniper. | _e._ Signalman. | _f._ Yarding and road| engineer. | _g._ Yarding and | road-engine fireman. | _h._ Wood buck. | _i._ Head loader. | _j._ Second loader. | _k._ Loading engine | engineer. | _l._ Loading engine | fireman. | _m._ Pump man. | _o._ Master mechanic.| _n._ Blacksmith. | _p._ Carpenter. | _q._ Car repairer. | _r._ Pole road | construction | (foreman). | _s._ Pole road | construction | (laborers). | _t._ Landing | construction | (foreman). | _u._ Landing | construction (men). | (3) Transportation-- | _a._ Locomotive | engineer. | _b._ Locomotive | fireman. | _c._ Conductor, log | train. | _d._ Brakeman, log | train. | _e._ Section foreman.| _f._ Section man. | _g._ Railroad | construction | (foreman). | _h._ Railroad | construction (men). | _i._ Rafting or boom | foreman. | _j._ Rafting or boom | men. | _k._ Driver foreman. | _l._ River driver | (4) Timber | measurement-- | _a._ Scaler. | _b._ Scaler’s helper.| (5) General camp crew--| _a._ Foreman. |Wide experience. _b._ Barn man. | _c._ Cook. |General qualifications for industrial camp |cook. _d._ Flunkey. | _e._ Chore boy. | _f._ Camp clerk. |Ordinary clerical ability. Lumber manufacture: | C. (1) Log storage-- | _a._ Log car |Loss of 1 or 2 fingers no detriment. unloaders. | _b._ Pond foreman. |Do. _c._ Sinker raiser. |Do. _d._ Boom men and | jacker feeder. | (2) Sawmill proper-- | _a._ Dock man and |Loss of 1 or 2 fingers no detriment. scaler. | _b._ Sawyer. | _c._ Setter. |Loss of 1 finger no detriment. _d._ Carriage rider. |Loss of 1 or 2 fingers no detriment. _e._ Swamper or off- |Do. bearer. | _f._ Tripper. |Do. _g._ Edgerman. | _h._ Tail edger. |Loss of 1 finger no detriment. _i._ Slasherman. |Loss of 1 or 2 fingers no detriment. _j._ Gang sawyer. |Loss of 1 finger no detriment. _k._ Gang feeder. |Do. _l._ Gang tailer. |Do. _m._ Trimmer loader. | _n._ Trimmer | leverman. | _o._ Clean-up man. |Loss of 1 finger no detriment. _p._ Oiler. |Do. _q._ Foreman. | _r._ Saw filer. | _s._ Saw filer | helper. | _t._ Jump saw |Loss of 1 or 2 fingers no detriment. operator. | _u._ Millwright. | _v._ Watchman. |Loss of 1 finger no detriment. (3) Sorting and | grading-- | _a._ Inspector, |Do. lumber. | _b._ Graders. | _c._ Sorting table | man. | (4) Yard and kiln | work-- | _a._ Foreman. | _b._ Teamsters. | _c._ Stackers. | _d._ Send-in men. | (5) Planing mill-- | _a._ Foreman. | _b._ Machinist. | _c._ Shipping clerk. |Ability to handle men and handle office |work. _d._ Machine feeders.| _e._ Grades behind | Machines. | _f._ Machine tailers.| _g._ Tyers. | (6) Loading and | shipping-- | _a._ Truckers. |Loss of 1 or 2 fingers no detriment. _b._ Car loaders. | _c._ Checkers. | (7) Office and Sales-- | _a._ Clerk. |General clerical ability. _b._ Salesman. |Sales ability. (8) Commissary |General store clerk ability. employees. | (9) Power house-- | _a._ Engineer. | _b._ Fireman. | _c._ Common labor. | (10) Machine shop-- | _a._ Foreman. | _b._ Blacksmith. | _c._ Machinist. | _d._ Boiler maker. | _e._ Pattern maker. | _f._ Welders. | _g._ Electrician. | _h._ Helpers. | _i._ Common labor. | (11) Miscellaneous-- | _a._ Timekeeper. |Average clerical ability. _b._ Common labor. | D. Lath Manufacture: | _a._ Foreman. | _b._ Slab picker. | _c._ Machine feeders.| _d._ Machine tailers.| _e._ Lath bundlers | and Graders. | E. Shingle manufacture: | _a._ Foreman. | _b._ Bolter. | _c._ Shingle sawyer. | _d._ Knob sawyer. | _e._ Grader and | bundler. | F. Paper industry: | (1) Millwork-- | _a._ Head piler | (wood). | _b._ Wood handlers. | _c._ Conveyor man. | _d._ River man. | _e._ Head wood | handler. | _f._ Slip man. | _g._ Head preparer. | _h._ Swing sawyer. | _i._ Barker. | _j._ Splitter. | _k._ Waste handler. | _l._ Chipper. | _m._ Head grinder | man. | _n._ Stone | sharpener. | _o._ Grinder man. | _p._ Block handler. | _q._ Screenman. | _r._ Sliver man. | _s._ Head pressman. | _t._ Pressman. | _u._ Decker man. | _v._ Sulphur burner. | _w._ Acid maker. | _x._ Lime slacker. | _y._ Lime handler. | _z._ Towerman. | _aa._ Cook | (digesters). | _bb._ Cook, first | helper. | _cc._ Cook, second | helper. | _dd._ Blow pitman. | _ee._ Screenman. | _ff._ Waste handler. | _gg._ Head pressman. | _hh._ Pressman. | _ii._ Head beater | man. | _jj._ Beater man. | _kk._ Clay and size | man. | _ll._ Machine tender.| _mm._ Machine man | (others). | _nn._ Head finisher. | _oo._ Cutter man. | _pp._ Rewinder. | _qq._ Weigher. | _rr._ Marker. | _ss._ Balers. | _tt._ Oilers. | _uu._ Cleaner. | _vv._ Filter man. | _ww._ First core | cleaner. | _xx._ Core cleaner. | _yy._ Stock saver. | _zz._ Engineer. | _aaa._ Fireman. | _bbb._ Dynamo man. | _ccc._ Coal and wood | handlers. | _ddd._ Boiler | cleaner. | _eee._ Head repair | man. | _fff._ Repair man. | _ggg._ Repair man | helpers. | _hhh._ Core maker. | G. Cooperage industry: | (1) Woods work (same | qualifications as for | regular logging). | (2) Manufacture-- | _a._ Drag saw | operator. | _b._ Bolter. | _c._ Peeler. | _d._ Sawyer. | _e._ Knife grinder | and filer. | _f._ Jointers. | _g._ Matchers. | _h._ Turners. | _i._ Packers. | _j._ Truckers. | _k._ Clean-up men. | H. Veneer mill: | _a._ Foreman. | _b._ Drag saw man. | _c._ Hot box man. | _d._ Deck labor. | _e._ Machine | operator. | _f._ Sawyer. | _g._ Grader. | _h._ Stock handler. | _i._ Trucker. | _j._ Kiln operator. | _k._ Packer and | loader. | _l._ Engineer. | _m._ Fireman. | _n._ Common labor. | I. Wood preservation: | _a._ Superintendent. | _b._ Foreman. | _c._ Common labor. | _d._ Engineer. | _e._ Fireman. | -------------------------+--------------------------------------------

[13] Ability to travel on foot.

[14] Preferably 2.

PLAN No. 914. EMPLOYMENT MANAGEMENT

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This article was prepared by Edward D. Jones, Director of Course Materials, Employment Management Section of the War Industries Board, under direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings of the Research Division for editorial assistance.

THE NEW LABOR PROBLEM

A great deal of thought is now being given, by American business men, to the subject of employment management. At one time the labor problem seemed to be solely a matter of the policies of organized labor and the methods of industrial warfare. It now shows itself to be chiefly a question of the intelligent handling of the human relations which result from the normal course of business, day by day. It has to do with a study of the requirements of each occupation, the careful selection of men for their work, their adequate training, the fixing of just wages, the maintenance of proper working conditions, and the protection of man against undue fatigue, accidents, disease, and the demoralizing influences of a narrow and inadequate life, and the opening of a channel through which employees may reach the ear of the management for the expression of any dissatisfaction with its labor policies.

A DEPARTURE IN BUSINESS PRACTICE

Hitherto, executive control in business has been exercised through three main divisions of administration:

(1) Finance--in charge of a treasurer or president.

(2) Manufacturing--in charge of a general manager or general superintendent.

(3) Sales--in charge of a sales manager.

To these general divisions industrial enterprise is now adding a fourth, i. e., employment management or, as it is sometimes called, supervision of personnel. In the employment department of a business are gathered all those activities which have to do with the human relations--hiring, education, promotion, discipline, discharge, wage setting, pensions, sick benefits, housing, etc. To bring all these matters together under one head, and provide each subsection with specialists, is a great step toward scientific industrialism.

Industrial experience has proved the advantage of a separate department equipped to deal with questions of personnel by themselves. The prompt discovery and analysis of unfavorable working conditions can be made only by a central bureau. Most of the approved methods of dealing equitably with the working force have been devised or brought to notice by the new type of industrial specialist.

Where employment departments have been established under competent executives, the waste of turnover has been uniformly reduced, and employees have been rendered more efficient through proper selection, assignment, training, and supervision. In no case of which there is record has an establishment which once tested the benefits of employment work of this character ever returned to the old methods of permitting employment functions to be handled by a variety of minor executives.

FUNCTIONS OF THE EMPLOYMENT MANAGER

The primary functions of an employment manager are to hire shop employees (and often office employees also), to superintend transfers and discharges, to assist in determining rates of pay, to study the causes of labor turnover and absenteeism and strive to reduce them, to adjust grievances, and to recommend changes in working conditions which will eliminate fatigue and accidents, or will improve the health and spirit of the force.

In performing these functions the employment manager will need to organize a staff and provide himself with proper office aids. He will require a set of labor records, which will reveal for each department of the business the degree of efficiency being attained in the utilization of labor. He will analyze the sources of labor supply and make studies upon which job specifications, which set forth the qualifications required for each task, can be based. He will install such methods of physical and mental examination as will safeguard the force against the hazards of the occupation and the hazard of co-employment with men unfitted for their work.

To the employment manager often falls the function of supervising the training of employees by apprenticeship, in vestibule or shop schools, or by Americanization programs.

The employment manager should be the chief agency of his corporation in forming and executing the policies which may be adopted for keeping the worker up to the standard. These efforts may take any one of a variety of forms. In one case a restaurant may be opened; in another housing may be provided. In one plant a mutual benefit organization may be a success; elsewhere local transportation may be a serious problem, or a recreational or thrift campaign may occupy the most attention. Each industrial situation requires particular study. The prescription of economic and social remedies should rest as strictly upon diagnosis as does prescription in medical practice. This means that the employment manager should know how to make industrial and labor surveys.

Finally, in connection with the government of the shop, the employment manager will have a hand in drawing up shop rules, and will, by means of suggestion systems and control sheets, deduce the significance of complaints and the causes of discharge. He will be in contact with shop committees, should such be formed. And he will be a harmonizer and mutual interpreter in all collective bargaining negotiations with organizations of employees, striving ever sincerely to reach a fair and permanent basis for loyal co-operation.

It will be observed that most of these functions are not new in industry. They are now being gathered together under one authority so that they may be handled in a more expert manner, that they may be harmonized into a consistent policy, and that they may be made the definite responsibility of competent officers.

In such a summary of possible activities as the foregoing, the range of duties indicated is wider than would be actually undertaken in most individual cases. Nevertheless, the employment manager has need of a firm grasp on the technique of his art, and an acquaintance with the successful policies of other employers.

He is called upon to practice human engineering, and he has a leading part in transforming the relation of employer and employee from a mere “cash nexus” into a satisfying human relationship. Before the employment manager there opens one of the finest opportunities American business life has to offer. In proper ratio to these opportunities should be the dominating purpose and the training of the candidate.

THE EMPLOYMENT MANAGER AND THE GENERAL OFFICERS

The employment officer comes into a business organization as a staff man, to relieve the general executives. The general executive is a correlator. He is a balancer of claim against claim. His business is to define the general aims and to harmonize all lesser activities with them. To do this work well, he must be supplemented by specialists who do not have a wide range of functions, and so can concentrate upon some special phase and, upon demand, can furnish him with detailed knowledge and standardized special agencies.

The line executive in war determines where a battery shall go and what it shall do, but he depends upon staff men to breed a reliable artillery horse, to design convenient gun carriages, and to prepare service tables for sighting guns. In industry, the function of staff departments is already understood with reference to mechanical equipments. The general executive decides to construct a factory or a warehouse; but he depends upon an architect to design a building which will resist the probable stresses. He desires a product; but he organizes a designing department and an inspection department to control the dimensions of parts. He would not pretend to a mastery of all the sciences involved. The analogy between the function of the purchasing agent in a modern organization and that of the employment manager is close. Formerly, factory foremen thought they knew best how to purchase raw materials. The development of the purchasing agent proved the fallacy of this, since his testing laboratory and specialized knowledge made the results far superior to those obtained by the individual foremen. This principle of staff service is now being carried over into the field of human administration. General executives demand well-chosen men, men who are physically examined and pronounced safe for the work they are to do, men who are properly paid, and men who are so handled that they become permanent, contented, and loyal co-operators in the general plans of the enterprise. Of all the standardized agencies which a service department can put at the disposal of a general executive, the supreme one is a first-class man.

When it is recalled that the general superintendent of a modern factory is responsible for general supervision of the purchase, repair, and use of equipment; for the purchase, testing, storage, and accounting of materials; for shop schedules, promises of delivery, and measurement of output; for cost estimates, inspection of product, tool accounting, and all production orders, it can readily be seen that he has little time or energy to consider the interests of the workers in other than a very general way. There is some excuse for his looking upon men as merely the tools of production. With such an administrative blockade already existing, even in small businesses, there has intervened in recent decades the enormous growth of American corporations. This growth has so overwhelmed executives with functions, and so regimented each class in industry by itself, that officers and wage earners have been swept apart, and the friendly elbow-touch of the earlier day of small shops entirely destroyed. The effort is now being made to build a bridge between employer and employed--the chief span in this bridge is the employment department.

THE EMPLOYMENT MANAGER AND THE FOREMAN

From the shoulders of the overloaded superintendent there have slipped down upon the foreman of the shops a mass of heterogenous functions. In establishments where the modern plan of functionalizing the foreman is unknown, each foreman is for his own shop a Jack-of-all-trades, endeavoring to deal directly with the details of a great variety of duties. The inefficiency of such methods has been amply revealed by the analyses of the exponents of scientific management.

The remedy is specialization. This means that groups of related duties are put in the charge of special foremen or service departments, such as the stock clerk, the engineer in charge of repairs, the planning room, and the tool room. From the foreman’s point of view the employment manager is such another functionalized foreman.

In this way the general shop foreman is relieved of hiring friends of employees in his own department who importune him for selected jobs merely on the basis of friendship and not fitness. He is no longer a “bouncer.” He no longer can sell jobs, or hold his pets in soft assignments. He has not the easy device of covering his own incompetence by firing a man. He can ask for the transfer of unsatisfactory employees, but if enough of these transfers show that discarded persons are able to make good in another shop where the foremanizing is different, he prepares a prima facie case against himself. The foreman gets a more even and dependable run of workmen from the employment department than he can provide for himself. And he is freed from many distractions to become an expert in shop manufacturing processes. The employment manager must find a way to secure the enthusiastic co-operation of the foremen with whom he works, and to enlist their sympathy with the policies of the management, and of his own department, as if those policies were their own.

WILL EMPLOYMENT MANAGERS BE NEEDED AFTER THE WAR?

The movement which is developing human engineering is not a temporary nor sporadic demand, but is in response to an underlying trend of our economic life. It has not been dominantly, nor even largely, a product of war conditions, except as the war has made men everywhere appreciate more keenly the social virtues, and has made them long more earnestly for a new justice and comradeship. After the war, the underlying economic forces, which are all based upon the urgency of human wants, will steadily drive forward those economic reforms for which human knowledge has prepared the way.

The distinction between the economics of the war period and of the post-war period lies in this: during the war the competitive struggle was chiefly to save time, after the war it will be to reduce costs. During the war speed outweighed economy. The employment manager was demanded because time was lost by absenteeism and turnover and the training of new men. Time was lost when workers were put at jobs for which they were unfitted; and time was lost by sickness, accidents, and strikes. After the war efficiency will appear to be more a matter of cost. If the losses of this war are not recouped by the efficiency of superior organization, and the only means of making them good is a curtailment of consumption, we may look for the struggle to lessen costs and lower prices to be more intense than has ever been known in modern times. In such an event the employment manager will be demanded by intelligent employers, because sickness and voluntary absenteeism mean idle equipment; because labor turnover means the cost of breaking in new workers; because an antagonistic attitude means waste of materials and tools, spoiled work and soldiering; while strikes mean the entire loss of overhead charges.

RELATIONS TO THE UNITED STATES EMPLOYMENT SERVICE

The United States Employment Service is a national system of recruiting bureaus operated by the Department of Labor of the United States Government, for the purpose of organizing the general relations of supply and demand on the labor market, and of distributing the available supply of wage earners as efficiently as possible to those localities and to those employers where they are in greatest demand.

The employment manager is the representative of private business, which has the task of selecting such labor as it needs and of utilizing it to the best possible advantage in the actual work of production. If, therefore, the Government assists in finding men for industry, it is the function of the employment manager to use those men with intelligence, to take such steps as are appropriate for private industry to maintain their productive efficiency unimpaired, and to see that no condition which can be remedied throws them upon the labor market to be placed again.

By the new system the employer is brought into contact with public officers, who seek a justification of his demands. It is necessary for employers to state accurately what types of skill they require--a thing which requires job analysis. It is necessary to give advance notice of wants; for this a labor schedule is needed. It is certainly no recommendation for an employer, in the eyes of his community labor board, if he must admit that he still continues the antiquated hiring-and-firing process, or that he has a high labor turnover, or that he has no department charged with responsibility for maintaining proper working conditions.

A PERMANENT DEMAND

We have spoken of the underlying forces which are creating a demand for specialists to deal with the human factor in industry. It would be difficult to point to an industrial reform which is more clearly the converging point of a number of progressive movements. Employment management is a result of the evolution of cost accounting, of the idea of supplementing line executives by competent staff departments, and of the movement to specialize the work of foremen. It is an opportunity to apply vocational guidance and industrial training. It provides the expert required for setting wages by investigation rather than by dispute. It gives the needed supervisory agency for safety first, industrial hygiene, and medical aid. And it provides an officer able to deal intelligently with shop committees and collective bargaining.

The personnel officer, as an accountant, applies the methods of cost analysis to the factors which influence labor efficiency. As a hiring officer he has an opportunity to make vocational guidance more definite than it has yet been, because he can supplement the analysis of the individual with a parallel analysis of jobs. He has a powerful motive for competence in industrial training work, for he graduates his pupils in rather than out. His students benefit from the psychology of doing real work for pay in a real shop.

The employment manager is related to recent movements in psychology. He has an opportunity to apply appropriate performance tests and general intelligence tests, for the purpose of sorting out those persons who, although adult in physical development, have still the minds of children. These classes he identifies, not to reject from employment but to place at appropriate work; not to browbeat and terrorize, but to protect and guide by patient and educative foremanizing to insure their becoming happy and permanent members of the productive community.

The evolution of wage systems demands a specialist. The ideal form of reward is that of the man who is in business for himself, whose remuneration rises or falls according to his talent and effort. In the complexity of the modern corporation it is difficult to devise such a wage. In general, it may be said that to take a step toward greater fairness in wage setting, it is necessary to achieve greatness in measuring the basic factors involved in wages. Such are the worker’s talent, the nature of the task, the character of the working conditions; the chances of permanency and promotion, and the local cost of living. There is need of some agency to supervise the prolonged process by which each craft or skill in an establishment is placed at its proper point in the wage scale, with reference to the others.

“Safety first” has exerted a great influence toward personal supervision. Workmen’s compensation laws have enforced responsibility upon employers. Students of accidents maintain that a greater number of disabilities result from the carelessness or ignorance of the working force than from faults of equipment and processes. This puts the matter as much in the domain of the personnel officer as of the engineer.

A great advance has been made in medical science in recent decades. This advance has laid bare the intimate relation between good water, ventilation, digestible food, a reasonable work schedule, and home conditions, on the one side, and accident rates, fatigue, absenteeism, antagonism of mind, and strikes, on the other. The interlacing of these factors accounts for the profitableness of the health work which has been undertaken by progressive employers.

Employment supervision represents a movement in the direction of the democratic shop, in which a voice is given to labor in determining working conditions. It may be said to be a method of applying to the relations of employer and employed those conceptions of “Truth” and “Service” which have revolutionized salesmanship and advertising. As the customer is “sold” a finished product--that is to say, is convinced and satisfied by square and generous dealing--so the workman is to be “sold” his job. The latter must be satisfied as to the task, the working conditions, the wages, the foremanizing, and the general policies, before he becomes a genuine employee.

All of these movements, which have so rapidly shaped the new art of employment management, are functions of a rising level of intelligence, of an increasing power to produce wealth, and of growing interest in ideals of social welfare, as contrasted with ideals of personal luxury or arbitrary power. We may look upon them, therefore, as enduring forces and destined to work a progressive change in business management. Upon them the future of employment management rests. That future is secure.

NECESSARY QUALIFICATIONS

The employment manager, who measures up to the new standards now being set, is a first-class executive, standing on a parity with the sales manager or the production engineer. He has the more need of talent because of the newness of his position; a circumference which emphasizes flexibility of ideas, the ability to conduct investigations, the courage to be a pioneer, and the power of commanding the confidence of others in his pioneering. Again, his position is difficult, because he stands between parties which have been traditionally opposed to each other, namely, capital and management on the one side, and labor and craftsmanship on the other. He must always perform the functions of a mutual interpreter and often those of a peacemaker.

In considering a proposed occupation it is wise to present a sober view of its conditions, so that persons who lack a sufficient persistency and depth of conviction for success may be early dissuaded. Wherever there is authority there is responsibility; wherever there is reward there is struggle. If the general significance of employment management lies in its accord with the progressive tendencies of the age, the greater part of the energies of the individual employment manager is absorbed by the practical problems of finding enough workmen, of supervising records, and of hearing and adjusting complaints. It may be the lot of an employment officer to deal with a hard-headed proprietor, who is habituated to take the defensive against new plans. He may encounter the open or concealed opposition of foremen who, for the sake of prestige, cling to functions they can not properly perform. He may find organized labor cold to benefits which the unions have not won, and which look toward the substitution of a vertical bond, uniting employer and employed, for the horizontal union of employees of different establishments.

All of this means that the successful employment manager must be a person exceptionally fitted for leadership. He needs good native ability, made serviceable by adequate general and special training. He should possess a well-balanced and absolutely impartial judgment. It is a powerful aid if he possess humanitarian instincts and a sympathetic disposition. These must, however, be real attributes, and not a mere pose or policy, for no deception will long blind those with whom he is associated.

The person who measures himself for this profession should be able to find indubitable testimony as to the strength of his own character, in the quality and amount of his achievements, and in the regard he has been able to earn from responsible persons with whom he has been associated. He should find in himself, also, the ability to understand human nature, not through the absurd practice of some quackery of phrenology and physiognomy, but by having analyzed his own nature, and having found therein the instincts and emotions which illuminate for him the motives and passion of others.

With these endowments the employment manager should couple sufficient education to avoid embarrassment in the oral or written use of his mother tongue. His education should enable him to understand the use of general principles, avoiding the pitfalls into which the so-called “practical” man has usually fallen when he complains of “theories.” And this education should have had a wide enough scope to enable him to meet the minds of others, and cement friendships, in a world of ideas larger than the details of his work.

Finally, the employment manager is perfected for the practice of his art by general industrial experience and (if the position in view be in a manufacturing establishment) by actual contact with shop problems. This shop experience is useful to make the candidate familiar with factory tools, machinery, equipment, materials, and processes. It will instruct him, as no form of systematic training can do, in the meaning of factory life, the significance of its discipline, the meaning of its schedule of hours in terms of fatigue, and in the attitude of the worker to his job, his boss, his fellow worker, and to life in general. Any general social experience which the candidate may have had, which has taught him how to deal with people, not as individuals only but in the various forms of voluntary organization, will have value.

It is not to be expected that every candidate will be ideal in all particulars. Special merits may offset deficiencies, within reasonable limits, bearing in mind always that defects of native endowment are less remediable than those of education and experience. If the employment clerk and the labor scout of the past are to give way and personnel relations in industry be placed upon a new footing by an executive officer who is able to formulate adequate policies and bear large responsibilities a high standard of ability must be maintained for the new profession.

To summarize the matter of qualifications we give the relative weights which a number of successful employment managers have agreed upon for five principal factors:

Per cent. Personality 35 General industrial experience 25 Executive experience 20 Shop experience (for employment managers in manufacturing establishments) 15 Experience with organized social movements 5 --- Total 100

WHAT A MAIMED MAN CAN DO

Employment management is a thinking job--a matter of judgment, and organizing ability, and tact, and personality. If a man has lost an arm or leg, but still has a good head and a noble heart, he may become a success in this field. Without a leg, or even both legs, a man may still get about enough within a plant to keep in touch with his shops, and be known by the rank and file as something more than an armchair officer. If he has lost an arm, or even both arms, he may be able to work out, with his stenographers and secretarial aids, such a detailed and searching division of labor between hand and brain as to make a success. Robustness and dependable health may play the same role in this work as in other administrative positions. Nervous poise and stability of temperament are highly essential.

REMUNERATION

The employment manager’s remuneration is salary and not wages. This signifies that its amount is fixed rather by an estimate of the standard of living of the class of persons with whom the employment manager should associate on terms of equality in the business world than by an effort to measure his exact contribution to the income of the company. At present the salaries of employment managers--the great majority of which probably fall between $2,000 and $5,000--are not equal to those commanded by sales managers and production engineers of equal ability. This discrepancy is due partly to the recentness of the function and to its more subtle and indirect relations to the profit-making process. It is due further to the fact that the work of the employment manager is a form of social service which is deeply satisfying to many natures, and which in itself provides a reward able to compensate for some inadequacy of salary.

EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES, LITERATURE, ETC.

It may be remarked concerning untrained candidates for an important position that those who are best qualified by nature and general education will usually possess a certain insight which gives them warning of future difficulties, and makes them willing to take preliminary training, and to work at first in subordinate positions. Those without this insight are likely to argue that training is unnecessary and that they are qualified to take at once responsible posts. Thus the line is illustrated, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.”

To indicate the scope of any vocational course of training dealing with the art of employment management a brief analysis of the subject into its major and minor component parts is given herewith.

Organization and equipment of an employment department:

Causes which have produced the need of employment management.

Functions of employment departments.

The administrative organization of a department.

Relations to other departments of a business.

Types of records and reports used in labor accounting--Forms--Office management.

Layout of an employment department.

The employing of the worker:

Job specification.

Analysis of the labor market and its sources of supply.

Problems of dilution.

The selection of employees--Physical examinations--Mental tests.

Discharging, paying off, and the collection of control statistics.

Definition of labor turnover and its calculation.

The law of the labor contract.

The training of the worker:

Apprenticeship indentures and schools--Vestibule schools--Americanization.

The psychology of the presentation of the task to the worker.

The payment of the worker:

Wage setting--Minimum wages and the cost of living--Wage scale formation--Technique of wage paying.

Promotions and deferred benefits.

The control of working conditions:

Health, hygiene, sanitation, medical aid, fatigue, mental strain, motion study.

Working hours and rest periods.

Problems connected with the introduction of women into industry.

Efforts to keep the worker up to standard:

Accidents, accident prevention, insurance, and workmen’s compensation.

Canteen economics.

Local transportation--Home conditions.

Housing--Community efficiency.

Recreation and its effect upon productive energy.

Thrift, loans, relief and legal aid.

Pensions and the problem of the aged worker.

The relation of the employment manager to local and State agencies.

The government of the shop:

Shop rules, rule books, foremanizing, absenteeism.

Suggestion systems and the treatment of complaints.

The organization of shop committees and their functions.

Collective bargaining contracts and procedure.

Associations of employees.

The ultimate bases of discipline and loyalty.

Fortunately, there is now a considerable body of literature available to the person who would inform himself. It should be remembered, however, that mere reading is not study; and that even earnest study only yields correct conceptions. It is experience alone which teaches us the uncommunicable art of applying the powers of our personality in the pursuit of a course of conduct which receives its guidance from our conceptions. There is a great difference between being informed on a group of subjects and being expert in the practice of a profession. If you feel qualified to undertake this training talk it over with the Vocational Advisor of the Federal Board for Vocational Education.

Following is a brief list of references which may be called the employment manager’s 3-foot bookshelf. They indicate the broad range of his interests and activities, and with these any course of training for this new trade or profession must deal adequately.

1. Annals of American Academy of Political and Social Science, Philadelphia.

May, 1916.

May, 1917.

2. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, D. C.

Bulletins as follows:

No. 144. Industrial Court of the Cloak Industry, 1914.

No. 196. Proceedings of Employment Managers Conference, Minneapolis, 1916.

No. 198. Collective Agreements in the Men’s Clothing Industry, 1916.

No. 202. Proceedings of Employment Managers Conference, Boston, 1916.

No. 208. Profit Sharing in the United States, 1916. 20 cents.

No. 222. Welfare Work in British Munition Factories, 1917. 10 cents.

No. 221. Hours, Fatigue, and Health in British Munition Factories, 1917. 15 cents.

No. 227. Proceedings of Employment Managers Conference, Philadelphia, 1917.

No. 229. Wage Payment Legislation in the United States, 1917.

No. 230. Industrial Efficiency and Fatigue in British Munitions Factories, 1917. 20 cents.

3. Emerson, Harrington. The Twelve Principles of Efficiency. New York, 1917.

4. Handling Men. Chicago, 1917.

5. Hoxie, R. F. Scientific Management and Labor. New York, 1915.

6. Industrial Management (monthly). New York.

7. Jones, Edward D. The Administration of Industrial Enterprises, New York, 1916.

8. Kelly, Roy W. Hiring the Worker. New York, 1918.

9. Metcalf, H. C. Report of Committee on Vocational Guidance. New York, 1916, National Association of Corporation Schools.

10. Monthly Labor Review, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, D. C. Gratis.

11. Price, Geo. M. The Modern Factory, Safety, Sanitation, and Welfare. New York, 1914.

12. Stimpson, W. C. Prevention of Disease and Care of the Sick. Washington, 1917, United States Public Health Service. 50 cents.

13. Tarbell, Ida M. New Ideals in Business. New York, 1917.

14. Tolman, William H. Social Engineering. New York, 1909.

15. Trade Specifications and Occupational Index of Professions and Trades in the Army. Washington, 1918. War Department Document 774. Office of The Adjutant General. Gratis.

16. Webb, S. B. Problems of Modern Industry (an English book). New York, 1913.

PLAN No. 915. THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE AS A VOCATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

For the material of this monograph the Federal Board for Vocational Education is indebted to the J. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, Pa., through its publication “Training and Rewards of the Physician,” and the Collins Publicity Service, Philadelphia, Pa., through its publication “Medicine,” School Edition, Teachers’ Auxiliary, Number One, of which this pamphlet is largely an abstract. The monograph was prepared by Dr. H. L. Smith under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance.

NATURE OF THE PHYSICIAN’S WORK

The work of the physician is twofold. It is his duty to cure those who are sick and to keep the well from becoming sick. Usually he is not called upon until there is illness, so that the bulk of his work is with the sick. There are two general fields of activity for a physician, that of the general practitioner, and that of the specialist. Physicians in rural communities and small towns and cities must be prepared to deal with any type of accident or disease. In cities the tendency is to specialize on some particular disease or on disturbances connected with some particular part of the body. Some specialists in large cities are able to confine their activities to office work altogether.

The work of the physician is difficult. There is a great mental strain connected with his work, for often even the life of the patient is at stake. With the general practitioner there is a great physical strain due to irregular meals and sleep, and trips in all kinds of weather. Particularly is this true of the practice of medicine for its curative effects. More and more thought in medical science is being directed in modern times to preventive medicine, that is, to ways and means of keeping well rather than of getting well. The preventive work can be done under conditions more nearly those that the physician himself chooses rather than under conditions forced upon him as is usual in the case of curative work.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS

Of all the professions the practice of medicine makes the greatest demands along the line of a good sound body. In some professions a man with even severe physical defects can, through careful living, be successful. Good health, however, is essential to the physician in order that he may successfully withstand the long periods of strain, the irregular hours for meals and sleep, the bad weather he is often forced to go out in, and the dangers of infection.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS

Not only must the physician be practically fit, he must have a natural aptitude and love for his profession. He should care more for medicine than for any other calling in life. By natural aptitude for medicine is meant certain foundation qualities which are essential.

It goes without saying that the physician, because of his close relationship with his patients, must be of the highest moral character in order to gain and retain the confidence of his patients. A kindly and tactful manner are essential also in gaining this confidence. One must be alert, too, particularly at the present time when rapid advances are being made in medicine--more rapid than in many other professions. Self-reliance is essential in medicine because unexpected situations are constantly arising, and emergencies, too, in which the help of other physicians can not readily be gained. To practice medicine successfully one must be constantly learning. Because of the rapid changes in medical science one’s apprenticeship is never completed. Each day some new method or means of treatment must be mastered. Moreover, one’s work is never ended. One great element of success is faithfulness to the patients one already has. This means love for the work and enthusiasm over the idea of service to mankind.

Among the characteristics that lead to failure in the practice of medicine are dislike of the work, inability to decide quickly and definitely, and lack of ability to get along well with other practitioners and with patients.

GENERAL EDUCATION NECESSARY AS A BASIS FOR A COURSE IN MEDICINE

As a basis for a course in medicine one must have completed not only the eight grades of common-school work, but the four years of high school. Twenty-eight medical schools require two years of college work for entrance, and there is some tendency to require even four years of college work. This tendency, however, will probably not grow very fast. Certainly if the requirement is made it can not be a hard and fast rule, for the simple reason that it would raise the age of graduation from the medical school to a point higher than the age at which it is wise for one to begin practice.

The question of what subjects should be taken in premedical work is very important also. Not long ago some 300 graduates of the Harvard Medical School were asked to fill out answers to questions, giving their opinions in regard to the value of their premedical education. They were asked to state whether they thought it best in this premedical work to have a large amount of general culture--such as history, philosophy, economics, literature, and art--or a large amount of natural science--such as physics, chemistry and biology. Of the 300 reporting, 120 favored a large amount of science, while 110 favored a large amount of general culture. Seventy favored an equal amount of general science and culture. It would seem, therefore, that according to the present opinion there should be an equal amount of general culture and science in one’s college education previous to taking up the special training in medicine.

Available records show that in 1904 there were only 20 States that had made any legal provision for preliminary education to go before the definite education in medicine. Now 26 States have such a provision. At that time only 10 States required four years of high school as a minimum amount of preliminary premedical education and none required college work. Now 30 States require the four years, or an equivalent, and 8 of these 30 require either one or two years of college work in addition. At that time 36 States required that all candidates for license be graduates of legally chartered medical schools. Now 44 States make this requirement by law. At the present time 48 States require an examination to be taken by all those who are seeking license to practice medicine, unless they hold a license granted by some other State.

It is necessary, therefore, that the course of instruction taken in medicine shall include courses that will qualify the graduate to meet the requirements of the examination for license to practice in the State in which he wishes to locate. There is a tendency at present for the examination to consist not only of questions and answers, but of some practical test of one’s ability to practice medicine successfully.

THE LENGTH OF THE MEDICAL COURSE ITSELF

At the present time one can not hope to get a satisfactory medical education without taking a full four-year course in the medical school. The course of study in American schools of medicine at present is definitely laid out, and one can know beforehand just what subjects will have to be taken. Even at the end of the four-year course in medicine it is not advisable to begin the practice of medicine immediately. Those who are looking for good positions in the profession should add to the theory gained in college some actual practice. The best way to get this practical work is to serve as an interne in a hospital. Appointments to such positions are often made on the basis of an examination. Such positions last sometimes for one year and sometimes for two years. During the first period of his work in the hospital an interne is directed to some extent by other physicians, but largely by his senior internes. During the last six months of his experience as an interne, however, when he is usually acting as the house doctor or surgeon, he is shown especial attention by physicians and surgeons who have patients in the hospital. There is generally no pay given the interne aside from board and lodging. The period in which one acts as an interne is considered as a further educational period. It has been said that the experience gained during the two years’ interneship in New York City’s largest hospital is considered equal to that acquired in 10 years of ordinary undirected practice.

But even after one actually begins the practice of medicine his education is not complete. In order to keep up with the times he must do a great deal of reading. He must attend district medical meetings, and also State and national meetings. Moreover, he should visit other cities and thus come in contact with the ideas of other practitioners in other communities.

An ideal standard of medical education is outlined in the following quotation:

“The American Medical Association’s ideal standard of medical education as set forth by the Council on Medical Education, after years of extensive study, research, and investigation, is given herewith:

“(a) Preliminary education sufficient to enable the candidate to enter our recognized universities, such qualifications to be passed upon by the State authorities.

“(b) A course of at least one year to be devoted to physics, chemistry, and biology, such arrangements to be made that this year could be taken either in a college of liberal arts or in the medical school.

“(c) Four years in pure medical work, the first two of which should be largely spent in laboratories of anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, etc., and the last two years in close contact with patients in dispensaries and hospitals in the study of medicine, surgery in its various branches, and the specialties.

“(d) A sixth year as an interne in a hospital or dispensary should then complete the medical course. Under such procedure the majority of students would begin the study of medicine at about 18 years and graduate from the hospital interneship at about 25.”[15]

[15] Vocational Studies: School Edition, Teachers’ Aux. No. 1, p. 4, Collins Publicity Service, Philadelphia, Pa.

THE INCOME THAT CAN REASONABLY BE EXPECTED IN THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE

The practice of medicine does not hold out the hope of any great financial reward. There are some medical practitioners who have made small fortunes in their practice, but such cases are few. The ordinary practitioner can not count on much more than a comfortable living, in accordance with the living standards in the community in which he lives. Not only is the physician’s salary generally small, but it is uncertain as well.

The following table gives the incomes of Harvard medical graduates, by classes and by years of experience, according to a study recently made:

_Average Earnings of Harvard medical graduates, by classes and by years of experience._[16]

=========+============================================================ Years in | Classes practice +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------ | 1901| 1902| 1903| 1904| 1905| 1906| 1907| 1908| 1909| 1910 ---------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------ First | $866| $787| $541| $362| $625| $502| $350| $533| $425|$1,237 Second | 827|1,089| 790| 995| 773| 826| 588|1,250| 874| 1,083 Third |1,181|1,539|1,412|1,295| 995|1,262|1,353|1,025|1,370| 1,578 Fourth |1,505|1,694|1,720|1,566|1,559|1,765|1,963|1,575|1,632| 1,835 Fifth |2,027|1,556|1,966|1,981|1,818|2,359|2,347|1,847|2,150| Sixth |2,341|1,837|2,333|2,277|2,347|2,997|3,202|2,360| | Seventh |2,527|2,161|2,654|2,967|3,043|3,650|3,545| | | Eighth |3,003|2,491|3,155|3,043|3,337|4,332| | | | Ninth |3,560|2,900|3,616|3,604|4,500| | | | | Tenth |3,524|2,963|4,135|4,535| | | | | | Eleventh |3,885|3,691|4,604| | | | | | | Twelfth |4,422|4,130| | | | | | | | Thir- |4,680| | | | | | | | | teenth | | | | | | | | | | Maximum | | | | | | | | | | number of| | | | | | | | | | men | 38| 39| 29| 39| 33| 26| 29| 29| 25| 26 ---------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------

[16] Training Rewards of the Physician (Cabot), J. Lippincott Co., Philadelphia, Pa., v. 136.

OTHER REWARDS CONNECTED WITH THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE

The fact that the physician’s work has a great effect upon the length of life of the patient is in itself a great reward. During the past three centuries medical science has made so great an advance that the average working life of the English-speaking people has been almost doubled. The things that have added to this increased length of life are physical comfort, medicine, hygiene, and surgery. Aside from the satisfaction of seeing length of life increased, the worthy physician enjoys the satisfaction of holding a position of trust and leadership in his community. As a result of this, he is in a position to teach others what they should know. Through his work also a physician has a chance to come in contact with all classes of people.

THE LENGTH OF TIME IT WILL TAKE TO ESTABLISH ONE’S SELF IN THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE

If one decides to establish one’s self as a general practitioner he must count upon at least a year of patience and hard work with little income. At the end of the year, however, if he has been fortunate in the choice of location, and if he has a good personality, he can reasonably hope soon to inspire confidence and come into public recognition. Often he can hasten this public recognition by giving his services, free of charge, to those whom he knows to be worthy of such assistance and consideration. If it is necessary for the graduate from the medical school to become an actual earner immediately, he will probably apply for an official position in some public institution, such as health officer, teacher, medical missionary, or research worker.

THE EXTENT OF THE NEED FOR PHYSICIANS

It has been said that in America the number of doctors, in proportion to the number of people, is greater than in any other country. A recent study shows that there were in the United States 151,132 practicing physicians and surgeons, 16,920 students in medical schools, and 6,955 instructors in medical schools. Before the European war the supply of physicians in the United States was large--so large, in fact, that the income of physicians was being materially affected thereby. As a result of the war, however, new fields of practice will be opening up for American physicians in other countries, because of the fact that many physicians in those countries were either killed or disabled, and also because students have not been graduating from the medical schools in those countries during the past few years. It is said that it will take five or six years to develop or to train a new group of physicians in England, France, and in other warring nations.

HOW MUCH IT WILL COST TO PREPARE FOR PRACTICE OF MEDICINE

If you are a soldier or a sailor discharged from the service since October 6, 1917, with a disability for which the Bureau of War-Risk Insurance will grant you compensation, and if a course in medicine is approved for you by the Federal Board, your education will be furnished free by the Government. The Bureau of War-Risk Insurance, through its compensation, will meet a part of the expense, and the Federal Board for Vocational Education will add to that amount to a minimum of $65 a month with the purpose of meeting all of your expenses for living, clothing, transportation, tuition, and incidentals.

PLAN No. 916. SAFETY AND FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEERING

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This monograph was prepared by J. Albert Robinson, Special Agent for Safety and Hygiene. Acknowledgment is due Mr. Jos. B. Finnegan, Professor of Fire Protection Engineering, Armour Institute of Technology; to Mr. R. M. Little, Director of the American Museum of Safety; and to Mr. F. M. Griswold for excerpts from his address entitled “The Inspector and the Insured.” For editorial assistance acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division of the Federal Board.

You who have been under fire at the front and have come back disabled have had an insight into life that of necessity affects your outlook on the future. Things which once assumed importance in your mind have lost their appeal. Positions which you held before going over may now seem ineffectual after the vision of war which you have beheld. In the months of facing death and later of adjustment to a new condition, your outlook has broadened beyond a mere material view. You have been in the fight for world peace and safety, and the impetus gained in helping the other fellow still carries you on. This feeling is not a weak sentiment, but an appreciation of the fact that life has more windows than the one which looks out on material welfare.

Perhaps no form of work offers more opportunity for a combination of success in material and altruistic lines than safety and fire protection engineering. Especially in safety engineering, a man himself disabled carries to everyone with whom he comes in contact a warning and an encouragement. There is nothing more inspirational than a man who has ignored or made use of his handicap in his own forging ahead. Handicapped himself, he may prevent others becoming so. The safety engineer is a guardian of the people’s happiness and future. The work offers to those who have the insight an opportunity to join in the general drive for world safety from an industrial point of view and for conserving human power.

This same inner purpose holds also in the case of the fire protection engineer. To him falls in large part the work of saving the created and natural resources of the nation. While it is true that men disabled by amputation can not so easily take up this profession as that of safety engineering, the war’s statistics show a larger percentage of the returned men to be disabled by disease and internal wounds which have undermined their strength than by dismemberments. For these men, the vocation of fire protection engineer is particularly suitable.

No work which is done for the material gain alone can satisfy a man’s ambition, and these two important professions are doors which open to service as well as to material welfare.

PLAN No. 917. SAFETY ENGINEERING

Safety engineering in a broad sense of the term is a new profession in industry which offers good opportunities for well-qualified men. It undoubtedly offers a broader field than fire protection engineering, yet in many ways these two professions are analogous and they are frequently combined. A soldier or sailor disabled in service who wishes to be trained for this vocation may be given the opportunity. In order to benefit by the training and be assured of a good position in an industrial plant, certain qualifications are necessary.

EDUCATION

A high-school education or its equivalent is practically essential, and if this education has been secured in a technical high school it will have especial value. Men who have had more advanced training in technical schools, colleges, or universities stands a better chance than others of becoming leaders in the profession. A knowledge of the fundamentals of any of the other leading engineering professions is helpful in safety engineering as in fire protection engineering.

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS

To become a good safety engineer one needs to have a clear mind, capable of analysis and of constructive thinking; a pleasing personality, and the qualities of leadership. Safety engineering has quite as much to do with the human element as it has with mechanics. In general, it is divided into two parts; Structural engineering and engineering revision; and mechanical safeguarding, coupled with safety organization in industrial plants and educational methods aiming to reach managers, superintendents, foremen, and workmen. It is apparent, therefore, that mechanical and engineering technique, coupled with educational ability and leadership, are necessary qualifications in safety engineers. As he must respond to humanitarian as well as to business interests, the safety engineer must be a man of sterling character, or moral enthusiasm, and of broad human sympathies.

NATURE OF WORK

Safety work proper is divided into two essential branches--safeguarding and education, both conducted under a well-planned scheme of organization.

In the company and rating organization field the safety engineer will make careful inspections, reporting upon many details from which the risk is determined and the rate made.

A careful study of working conditions, a painstaking analysis of accidents occurring under them, a searching inquiry into potential causes of accidents that may not have occurred is made to determine truly the hazards to which workmen are exposed. The correct means of overcoming them are determined upon and put into effect. In order to overcome the unfortunate lack of safety precautions when machines are built or plants designed, it is an essential duty of the safety engineer to check plans and specifications for new machinery, new equipment, new construction, and for alterations, repairs and rearrangements, in order to see that every safety requirement is covered so far as is possible. Safety engineers must have the personality to get the sympathetic interest and co-operation of men and bosses, and to get them interested in his safety propaganda; to organize committees and campaigns; to make men get the safety habit and think safety unconsciously. Safety engineering is related to problems of industrial management, employment and labor turnover. It has to do with welfare work, first aid treatment, hospital service, etc. It is really human engineering, embracing all the broad features that are implied thereby.

OPPORTUNITIES

The opportunities for well qualified men are many and constantly increasing. There is undoubtedly a future in safety engineering for those who are well trained for the work.

The nature of the casualty insurance business is such that men with the technical training and skill of safety engineers are in more demand, in the actual details of the business, than perhaps are the fire insurance inspectors in the fire insurance field.

There is a close connection between workmen’s compensation insurance and safety engineering due primarily to the fact that the insurance rate is made to depend on safety conditions. This necessitates the employment of a large number of inspectors and safety engineers. Up to the present time there has been a demand for safety engineers and competent inspectors far exceeding the supply, and it is believed that these conditions will continue to exist, as industrial plants are now absorbing a large number of these men.

The State compensation laws are awakening all of our industries to the necessity of prevention of accidents to wage-earners. Large industrial corporations have safety departments, with a chief safety engineer and many assistants.

Capable safety engineers receive good salaries, and those especially well qualified and experienced are often advanced to executive positions in the larger industries.

State factory inspectors and casualty insurance inspectors receive from $1,200 to $2,000 per year. Capable safety engineers in industry receive from $1,500 to $5,000 per year.

The following excerpts from letters received from prominent men in the casualty insurance and engineering field show the opportunities in this profession:

“In the field of safety engineering there is an exceptionally good opportunity for men who are adapted to this work. Even in normal times employers in this field of endeavor have found difficulty in securing men with proper educational foundations and ability. There is always a demand for men in this field and the opportunities for advancement are exceptionally good.”

“The field of safety engineering is a rapidly extending one. As the people awake to the tremendous economic drain of the waste of life through accidents, more and more attention will be given to these matters, and the demand for men who understand them will strengthen.”

“The opportunities for safety engineering are as large, or larger than the opportunities presented in other branches of engineering work. The field has hardly been scratched on the surface.”

“There is without question an unusual opportunity for trained men in the field of safety engineering. The rapid spread of the safety idea, and the recognition of the importance of human relations in general, are leading many manufacturing organizations to install safety departments, and properly qualified men are not available for these positions.”

“Up to the present time there has been a great demand for safety engineers and competent inspectors that was far beyond the supply, and these conditions will continue to exist, as industrial plants are now absorbing a large number of these men.”

PHYSICAL QUALIFICATIONS

A man with one eye, one arm, or one leg can be a good safety engineer. Likewise, a man with a weak heart or lungs may be a good safety engineer. Disabilities which disqualify men for many industrial pursuits do not disqualify but may partially qualify them for safety engineers. In other words, one does not need to be 100 per cent physically fit. In fact, men who have suffered the loss of members may precisely, on that account be more effective in teaching the principles, habits, and practices of safety to men in our industries.

It will be noted that the physical requirements for a safety engineer have not been made as rigid as those for a fire protection engineer. This is because the great field of activity for a safety engineer is employment at a manufacturing plant and the work can become more one of the head and less one of physical perfection.

TRAINING

Men who have been disabled in the military or naval service of the Government and wish to be trained for safety engineers will be trained by the Federal Board for Vocational Education. The Board will make arrangements with the safety organizations of the country to give special courses for them. The teachers will be experienced safety engineers. Part of the work will be classroom lectures and assigned readings. The study of mechanical safeguards and hazards will be given in a well-equipped institution, with visits to industries for personal instruction in the methods of active operations. When the course in the institution is completed, the men will be placed in the industries themselves, under the direction of the head safety engineer, there to be given the benefits of a further practical instruction, in order that when the course has been completed the students may all be assured of positions.

The National Safety Council, through its local councils, is establishing courses in safety engineering in various centers as fast as a suitable demand warrants, and classes are already under way in St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Rochester, N. Y.

The American Museum of Safety in New York City has a similar class under consideration.

PLAN No. 918. FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEERING

Fire protection engineering, or fire insurance engineering, is a well-established line of effort which has been raised to the dignity of a profession during the past 20 years of its development. The fire insurance inspector belongs to this profession, as do inspectors in municipal fire prevention bureaus such as the large cities are organizing as an auxiliary to their fire departments. There are certain institutions in which instruction is given, and ways whereby a disabled man discharged from the military and naval forces of the United States may be trained for this vocation. In order to benefit by the training and be assured of good opportunities, certain facts should be considered.

EDUCATION

Primarily it may be conceded that the man who has had a technical education can generally get on in the profession more rapidly than one who has not. When technical knowledge and scientific attainments are secured in the hard school of experience the graduate has paid dearly for his lack of earlier training.

A distinction may be made between the requirements for fire protection engineering proper and those for routine inspection work.

A well-equipped fire protection engineer should have the equivalent of a sound engineering course, with a knowledge of the fundamentals or basic principles involved in civil, architectural, mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, and chemical engineering. These principles can be utilized in the problems of plan drafting, proper building construction, occupancy equipment, public and private fire protection, and common and manufacturing hazards. Experience has demonstrated, however, that such foundation is not absolutely essential, and that many possessing the requisite personal qualifications have succeeded without it. For instance, many industrial occupations provide valuable experience as a foundation for development of the necessary technical ability. Men who have had experience as building inspectors, construction or factory engineers, piping foremen, estimators for automatic sprinkler concerns, and men who have been employed in municipal fire departments or in fire-alarm and signal work have been successful in routine inspection work and have risen to places of eminence in the world of fire protection engineering.

Graduates of engineering departments other than fire protection engineering have repeatedly shown themselves to be readily adaptable to work in this field, after a period of readjustment to enable them to acquire the point of view necessary to a man to whom the causes and prevention of fire, rather than other phases of engineering problems are significant.

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Whether technical qualifications be founded on training in a technical school or be the result of later effort the aspirant for success as an insurance inspector should be familiar with insurance practice, and should be endowed with a broad complement of common sense. He should have an inquisitive and observant mind, coupled with a desire to investigate the “why and how” of every problem, a constantly receptive brain, a retentive memory, and should be competent as a teacher of those less thoughtful or less well informed than he.

Above all a successful fire protection engineer must not minimize the importance of accurate observation and faithful reporting of small details which may have most vital import in determining the conditions of a plant.

Finally he should be resourceful and capable in planning and carrying out to a successful issue the details of technical propositions.

Tact and judgment must be exercised when dealing with men who may not always appreciate the viewpoint of the inspector, and courtesy is always a prime essential.

NATURE OF WORK

It is the work of the inspector to scrutinize closely all conditions and materials which may in any manner create or increase the fire hazard, including the character and nature of raw stock or material used, all the processes of manipulation, from its reception at the plant, its handling and storage, to the completion of the operations necessary to produce the finished goods or article. The inspector must carefully note and define the hazards incident to each state of progress where physical or other changes affecting the conditions may take place. In addition to these purely technical investigations and conclusions, he should closely observe and study “shop practice” or management, including supervision and discipline of employees, as related to the cleanliness and care of hazards, which form the basis of “good housekeeping” and are important essentials in securing safety from fire in all classes of property.

The apparatus and appliances for fire protection or fire defense need to be very critically examined and described. This often necessitates going into dark basements or low pits to locate automatic sprinkler valves, etc. Water-supply tanks for automatic sprinkler systems have to be climbed to examine their condition and to ascertain water levels, and when the assent and co-operation of the insured can be secured, tests for efficiency of such devices as fire pumps should be undertaken. The nature and condition of the structure forming the plant or risk require careful consideration and full description, and finally, the information gained is generally embodied in a written report of such lucidity as to convey a mental photograph of the hazards and conditions to the minds of those who have to decide upon the acceptability of the risk from an underwriting viewpoint.

OPPORTUNITIES

Fire protection engineers are employed at the present time largely by insurance companies, either individually as company field engineers or collectively in the inspection and rating organizations. Every important geographical section in the country has somewhere within it an insurance organization consisting either of an insurance exchange or rating board for making insurance rates and specifying requirements for improvements, and an engineering or inspection bureau for making surveys, inspections, and reports to its members. Large municipalities are cared for by local rating boards. Many large corporations are employing engineers, often with the title of “Fire marshal,” and others combine their fire insurance affairs, both business and engineering, in the office of a “Superintendent of insurance.”

Insurance engineers are frequently called to a company home office, after having had a good field experience, to take charge of the underwriting or passing upon the business offered in special departments, for the business requiring a technical or engineering knowledge. These are variously known as “Improved risk departments,” “Sprinklered risk departments,” etc., because the use of automatic sprinklers is fundamental in fire protection and required in risks accepted by such departments. One of the best avenues of approach to good home office positions is through the field experience of a fire protection engineer, employed by an inspection bureau or by an individual company.

There is a marked tendency among the larger insurance agencies and brokerage offices, in striving to render service to their customers, to employ fire protection engineers as a means of obtaining and holding business by reason of their superior technical knowledge.

Training obtained as an insurance or fire protection engineer is one of the best means of acquiring the technical knowledge requisite for success as a broker, by one who would become an expert buyer of insurance, able to study the needs of his clients, advise with regard to the kind of insurance to purchase, work out satisfactory contracts, and negotiate with the rating authorities to secure the lowest cost.

The agency end of the business offers the greatest financial inducements, since one may develop a clientele of his own, receiving commission on the amount of business he can bring into the office, and may perhaps become a partner in the business.

Trained inspectors are rarely employed for less than $1,200, and salaries run up to $2,400 for field men. Chief engineers of organizations, engineers in agencies, and company executives obtain much more.

The following excerpts from letters received from prominent men in the fire insurance and engineering field show the opportunities in this profession:

“The opportunities in the field of fire protection engineering were never greater that at the present time, as the public now seems to be in a receptive mood as regards conservation of all resources.”

“There is a constant demand among fire insurance companies for practical fire protection engineers. The number employed by any one company is not great but the number is growing now that insurance companies as a whole are getting to appreciate the constant dangers of conflagration areas, poor water supply, poor fire equipment, and other kindred effects.”

“There is a splendid opportunity in what is called the inspection or rating bureau service, as even prior to our country entering the war there was always a shortage of competent help.”

“In the inspection and engineering branch of fire insurance a wide field can be readily opened to disabled soldiers and sailors as well as to other discharged service men.”

“Several months ago one inspection bureau formulated tentatively its own employment plan, which in brief was, ‘first, to re-employ its former men now with the colors, and to thereafter give preference to disabled soldiers and sailors.’”

“In the field of fire protection there are comparatively so few trained men in this vocation to-day that the opportunity is unlimited. Where yesterday the idea was the protection of property by fire departments, water supply, etc., to-day it is one of fire prevention, i. e., checking the cause of fire before it may have an opportunity to do any damage. Fire prevention to-day is confined mainly to organizations covering wide fields. There is no question but what in the future each industrial plant of any size will have their own fire protection or fire prevention engineer, and probably the same will be extended to each city of any considerable size.”

“Graduates of the Armour Institute of Technology and former students who have not graduated have been in demand. In most cases the employment entered into immediately after graduation has been moderately remunerative, but advancement has been much more rapid than in the case of untrained men. A few graduates have been employed by companies manufacturing and installing automatic sprinkler equipments. The typical case is that of a man who enters an inspection bureau, and after three or four years assumes work of responsibility with a fire insurance company. Recently several companies have shown a tendency to depart from the traditional plan of looking to the bureaus as training schools, and have engaged men with the Institute’s degree, but without field experience. A large proportion of the classes of 1917 and 1918, who entered military or naval service upon leaving school, will probably be employed by insurance companies immediately after discharge from the service. There are now, as at all times, in the history of the department, applications for more graduates than are available.”

PHYSICAL QUALIFICATIONS

Disfigurements or physical incapacities which are not too serious need not be a handicap for pursuing the profession of fire protection engineering. These can be more than offset by good education, technical training, a pleasing personality, and enthusiasm for the work.

It must be remembered, however, that this work involves a great deal of traveling, either about the country or locally in large centers, carrying usually two grips. While making an inspection, an engineer is constantly called upon to climb around in unfinished buildings, and through manholes to roofs, which ordinarily requires the use of both hands and legs. Measurements are made, notes taken, plans drawn, and reports written up.

Minor handicaps, such as loss of an eye, pieces of bone removed, claw hand, stiff knee joint, or slight limp, etc., need not debar men from the profession. Those having tubercular tendencies to a degree necessitating an active outdoor life, should be materially benefited, and should recover both health and strength by this line of activity. This would apply to other cases where fresh air and activity are desirable but it must also be borne in mind that a certain amount of physical stamina is necessary, and that exposure to weather, walking and climbing about for many hours at a stretch, might affect some forms of disability adversely.

It is obvious that loss of a leg or an arm, except in unusual cases, would be a serious handicap. Field experience is important as a means of training for inside consulting, or executive work in this profession. However, men who have become used to artificial limbs can best judge if they are qualified to undertake these activities.

TRAINING

The Federal Board for Vocational Education will make arrangements with certain institutions and insurance organizations of the country to give special courses for men who have been disabled in the military or naval service of the Government who wish to be trained as fire protection engineers.

We believe that at present the only regular four-year college course in fire protection engineering is that offered by Armour Institute of Technology. Special courses and facilities for amplification are offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Worcester Polytechnical Institute, Columbia University, Cornell University, Stevens Institute, Washington University, and perhaps by other institutions.

Experienced engineers believe that men who have started college courses, especially in engineering branches, should continue them, keeping in mind the line of work they contemplate pursuing, and should then supplement their college work by entering the employ of an inspection bureau.

A course of fire protection engineering is offered by the American School of Correspondence. The Insurance Institute of America, through its several branches in local insurance or insurance library associations throughout the country, has offered night school lecture courses. Plans are being considered, if there is a warrantable demand in any given locality, to offer a more intensive bureau. In some cases these inspection bureaus may cooperate to the extent of giving a well-rounded training to a man who has had sufficient general technical education or experience to justify such action.

PLAN No. 919. THE METAL TRADES

ACKNOWLEDGMENT.

This monograph was prepared by Eugene C. Graham, Special Agent for the Federal Board, under direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings of the Research Division for editorial assistance.

A METAL-WORKING AGE.

Nearly every industry depends to some extent, and most industries depend to a very great extent, upon metal working, either by employing metal workers directly in some processes, or by using metal products as raw materials in the manufacture of other products, or at least by using tools, implements, machines, and engines, which are products of metal-working trades and industries. And, in addition, these trades and industries produce a great variety of finished utensils and furniture ready for consumption in households. More than any other ours is a metal-working age.

MACHINE WORK AND HANDWORK.

Metals must be worked largely by machine processes, but they must be worked also in many instances by hand processes. All-round machinists and other metal workers must know how to operate machines, but they must also be skilled artisans capable of using a variety of hand tools. Bench hands, assemblers, and specialists in many lines are hand workers and only incidentally if at all machine operators.

If you like machinery and tools, and working with durable materials--working with steel and other less difficult metals as the carpenter works with wood, you can almost certainly find some line of metal working in which you can succeed, whatever your disability.

In the metal-working trades there is every variety of handwork and footwork and headwork to be done, light work and heavy work, work in shop or factory and work in the open, bench work and machine work, highly skilled as well as simple routine work.

TRADE TRAINING FOR PROMOTION.

Promotion comes to trained men who acquire dexterity in handling tools, in operating machines, in manipulating various metals. It comes easily to men trained broadly, who are able to deal intelligently with any problems that may arise in their line of work.

If you decide to enter one of the metal-working trades, you should take training for the trade, rather than for some job in the trade. Learn the trade rather than simply how to operate some one machine, or how to do one simple task, and you can then accept promotion in the trade, and make good at any job in it.

WHAT METAL WORKERS PRODUCE.

Everything in metal from a minute screw to a locomotive engine--from a tin can to a great gun casting. They produce machines to produce machines, and with tools and machines which they themselves produce, they produce every sort of metal product or metal part of a product, including machinery and equipment for the farm, the factory, and the home.

Nearly every article of common use, whether made of metal or of other material, is more or less a machine product, and practically the whole machinery for producing nonmetal as well as metal products is originally the product of the metal trades.

Specifically the product of a machine shop may be a complete machine, a rebuilt or repaired machine or machine part sold to other firms. For such a product raw material of cast iron, sheet iron, steel of varying degrees of hardness, wrought iron, brass, or bronze, comes from the foundry or from a stock department in which are kept sheets, steel bars, castings and forgings. Much of the labor in some shops must be employed in producing shop equipment, including formed cutters, reamers, drills, and various metal working tools made in the shop.

PROCESSES.

Molding, which is a basic operation in the metal industries, is a comparatively simple process especially when standardized parts are being cast, and it is not necessarily heavy work since castings in various metals, may be of any size and weight. Molten metal, pure or alloyed, is poured into a mold formed by a pattern in sand or loam. In many instances castings must be finished by machinery.

When a part is to be subjected to hard usage or to severe strains and stresses, forging or hammering rather than casting may be the process employed in shaping it. Drop forgings are made by means of automatic power hammers and dies. With few exceptions forgings, also, must be finished by machining.

Sheet-metal workers lay out work on sheet metal, cut it, shape or bend it, and solder, rivet or weld it into various forms, such as are required in building up ornamental cornices for buildings, or in constructing hot-air heating apparatus, or in manufacturing filing cases, various sorts of containers, and many other articles. Some of the work is outside work, but an increasing number of processes are being performed in the shop with the use of machinery. Metal stamping and electric welding machines are used to form and weld together parts of, for example, automobile bodies, doors, and fenders.

Of all the metal-working trades, that of the machinist is the most varied in its hand and machinery processes, although many workmen never learn more in the trade than how to operate some one automatic machine, or how to do some one simple task. In general the machinist should know how to operate all of the machinery of his trade, and in addition he must acquire skill of hand in metal working, and especially in the processes of building, repairing, assembling, and erecting every sort of engine and machine.

PLAN No. 920. MOLDERS

VARIETY OF EMPLOYMENTS.

Foundry employments generally will not be found to be suitable for men who have suffered serious physical injuries, or for men whose physical strength has been seriously impaired by exposure or illness, and they are not generally employments for which any extended course of training is required. These employments are, however, more varied in character than they are commonly supposed to be, and some lines of molding and casting may very well be undertaken by men who have been disabled, especially in cases where previous experience and training in foundry work will prove helpful.

Practically all floor molding is heavy work. Shovels and various hand tools are used in building molds around patterns or templates which determine shape and size of castings. Bench molding and machine molding, on the other hand, may involve no considerable physical strains, and many operations in machine molding can be done with one hand. Some lines of bench molding may be done sitting at the bench and do not require the molder to move about in the foundry.

PROMOTION.

In welding as in other trades, advancement comes to specialists, and to those who acquire such technical knowledge as is practically useful in the various lines. Some training in metallurgy, for example, will have value where alloys of vanadium, chromium, tungsten, nickel, and manganese are used, and the expert molder who can calculate quickly and accurately, and can handle men may expect promotion to foremanship.

HOURS AND WAGES.

Working hours in foundries vary from 8 to 9 a day, and wages of molders in private concerns range from 50 to 75 cents an hour, the Government rate in railroad shops being 88 cents. Pieceworkers in stove foundries and in other shops where machines are used earn highest wages.

CORE MAKING.

Core making is lighter work than molding, since cores are generally smaller and lighter than molds or castings. The core maker often works at a bench, with a mixture of core sand and binder, which he rams tightly into molds. Comparatively little training is required and such disabilities as partial loss of sight or hearing, loss of fingers or thumbs, stiffness of knee, ankle or hip joint, and weakness of heart or lungs, need not be serious handicaps.

MACHINE MOLDING.

In well equipped plants machines do most of the ramming, turn over the mold, draw the pattern, and do away with much heavy lifting. Machine molders usually work by the piece, and must be active and quick to earn good wages.

TRAINING.

Foundry work is taught in many schools, but only a few schools have been able to keep up with the industry in providing machinery.

PLAN No. 921. SHEET-METAL WORKERS

DEMAND FOR WORKERS.

The sheet-metal worker is the survival in modern industry of the village tinner or tinsmith, and the demand for these workers is large and increasing.

In the building trades, in ship building, in automobile and airplane construction, and in the manufacture of furniture, kitchen ware, heating and ventilating apparatus men of skill and experience in sheet-metal working are required.

WHAT THE WORKER DOES.

Workmen at the trade are mainly occupied in cutting out shapes or patterns, bending and forming these shapes on machines or with hand tools, and assembling the parts by hand. Edges are fastened together by riveting, soldering, or by lock seams. For example, a shaving-exhaust system consists of suction pipes, an exhaust fan, and a large pipe leading to the outlet, at which point is a dust separator called a cyclone. Practically all of the system is built of galvanized iron in sections, which are first constructed in the shop, then erected and supported in place in the factory where it is to be used. All of this work, including the erecting, is done by sheet-metal workers.

It is the work of the journeyman in a job shop to use the common machines for cutting and forming the sheets of metal, to rivet or solder the parts together, and to fasten them in place on buildings or in any location where the product is used.

This job-shop worker is, therefore, commonly both an outside and an inside worker. He must know how to place on buildings all the roofing, skylights, gutters, down spouts, cornices, metal ceilings, etc., needed in the construction. He installs air ducts for hot-air furnaces and for ventilating systems. He may be called on for a variety of repairs on sheet metal--to line tanks with lead, copper, or zinc, and to make and attach guards for machinery. The material for this work is bought in the form of sheets of various sizes, and the workman spends a large part of his time in the shop cutting up his material and working it into the required form.

Extreme accuracy of measurement is seldom necessary, and not much attention is paid to finish since much of the work is immediately painted.

In the building of ships there is a great variety of sheet-metal work done. Heavier gauge metal is used than on most architectural work and the joints are more often required to be oil and water tight.

In the automobile and motor truck industry many men are employed in the making and assembling of bodies, fenders, tanks, and radiators. Much of the formed work is drawn to shape in large presses, the finished shapes being assembled by hand.

Large factories now produce most of the kitchen utensils and stamped sheet-metal ware. This ware is coated with enamel or japan, or plated with nickel. Tin plate is still used, but sheet aluminum and enameled steel ware are fast taking its place. The manufacture of metal containers for canned fruits, meats and fish, oils, and sirups is an important industry. Very few machines for any purpose could dispense with sheet-metal parts without increasing the weight or the cost. In building construction the use of sheet metal is increasing, and when properly protected with paint it is both durable and inexpensive. Sheet metal is taking the place of wood for lath, sash, and trim for fireproof construction in large office buildings. It is used, also, in the manufacture of metal furniture for schools and offices.

TOOLS AND MACHINES.

Tools and machines used by sheet metal workers include the following:

Hand tools.--Hammers, punches, chisels, hand snips or shears, rivet sets, rule, soldering outfit, and a variety of stakes of different shapes and sizes.

Hand and power machines.--Turning, burring, forming, setting, grooving, double seaming, beading, wiring, and folding machines, circular, rotary and squaring shears, cornice brake, and presses for drawing hollow ware.

REQUIREMENTS.

Shopwork in sheet metal does not require men of great strength or quickness of movement. The machines are operated with the right hand and the stock supported with the left. To be of value to the shop a man should know something about pattern drafting, but many workmen are unable to lay out new work, and must work from old patterns or depend on the foreman for help. A sheet-metal worker needs fairly good eyesight, two hands with strong fingers, and on construction work a clear head and good use of his limbs. Requirements for outside work are quite different from those for inside work in the shop.

HOURS AND WAGES.

Hours of labor average about nine a day, but in Government work the standard is eight hours.

Wages range from 45 to 85 cents per hour, but will average about 65 cents, with 68 cents as the union scale on Government work.

FUTURE OF THE EMPLOYMENT.

There seems to be no reason for doubting that this occupation will remain a very stable one. After the war it may be difficult to absorb into industry all the men who have been trained as sheet-metal workers for shipbuilding, but it is certain that the normal requirements of the building trades, the automobile industry, and airplane construction will take many men.

REEDUCATION.

No single course of instruction will fit all cases. If a man can shift from general outside and inside work to inside work exclusively, it will be possible for him to learn the drafting of patterns to great advantage to himself and to the shop. Skill in soldering may also be acquired by practice and will increase the man’s earning capacity. Competent foremen are very much in demand, and they should be trained in drafting and in estimating the cost of construction.

This ability to estimate costs on job work can be attained by special training and would make a disabled man more independent of his handicap.

For the disabled man any course which provides only the theory will fail absolutely in making a man useful to the average employer. It will be necessary to locate the man in a selected situation where his handicap will count for the least and then train him to overcome entirely the handicap. If the school can help with this training the man should go to school, but in a majority of cases it will be necessary for the shop to provide the training, supplemented by evening courses or correspondence-school work. The latter would be quite satisfactory in pattern-drafting and cost-estimating courses.

PLAN No. 922. FACTORY WORKERS

Factory production of articles made of sheetmetal implies that machines will be used where possible. Parts will be stamped out with dies and hollow ware drawn to shape in large presses. The hand operations, as a rule, will be confined to riveting, soldering, and assembling parts.

Where disabled men can qualify it will not be difficult to place them on machines or at hand operations. While the pay will be lower than in the outdoor branch of the trade, work will be steadier and less dependent on weather conditions. Men with a variety of disabilities can find places. Training will be given on the job by foremen. Previous experience in any branch of sheet-metal work will be of value, and since the machines are largely automatic, only a short period of training will be required.

The position of foreman of a department is worth striving for, and the qualities which will help a man to overcome handicaps will also help him to get a foreman’s position, in which he will be largely independent of physical disabilities.

PLAN No. 923. MACHINISTS AND MACHINE OPERATORS

Previous training and experience in some of these metal-working employments will greatly help you if you elect to take up some related line of work. With a little training to overcome your handicap, you may be able to resume your old employment or one in which your previous training and experience will count.

MACHINES OPERATED

Machinists work with the following machines:

Metal turning.--Speed lathes; screw-cutting lathes; engine lathes; turret lathes; shaft and wheel lathes; automatic lathes.

Planing.--Planers; slotters; shapers; gear planers.

Milling.--Hand-feed millers; plain and universal milling machines; planer type millers; special milling and hobbing machines.

Drilling and boring.--Sensitive drills; vertical drilling machines; radial drills; multiple drills; horizontal and vertical boring machines, and boring mills.

Grinding.--Rough, wet, and dry grinders; tool grinders; cylindrical and special shaping grinders; planer type grinders; disk grinders.

Machines for special operations.--Bolt and nut machines; automatic screw machines; broaching machines; cutting-off saws; profiling machines; chasing and engraving machines; rifling machines.

SHOP CONDITIONS

The machinist and machine operator work sometimes in a room crowded with machines, and frequently under artificial light, but usually in a room with plenty of air properly heated. Most of the machines are safeguarded, but there is always danger of accident from moving trucks, flying particles of metal, and sometimes from unprotected belts, gears, and shafting. State laws and inspection may be counted on to reduce this danger materially. Most well-organized shops have announced safety rules to promote the health of the men and to reduce the number of accidents.

Hours of labor average from eight to nine a day. There is a tendency toward a standard eight-hour day, which is already established in Government work. There is usually an increase in the hourly rate for overtime work. Many shops pay according to a piecework rate or premium plan. The trade is fairly well organized, especially in job and railroad shops.

EQUIPMENT OF THE WORKER

It is common practice for a machinist to provide himself with a kit of tools useful in his work. This outfit usually includes steel scales, inside and outside calipers, hammer, surface gauge, punches, and an indefinite collection of other tools of less importance. All classes of workmen, in fact, depend more or less on the shop tool room, and men beginning their employment often have nothing but a steel scale.

OPPORTUNITY FOR PROMOTION

A highly skilled general machinist who can handle men has an excellent opportunity to become a foreman, and workers who understand the technique of their trade may fairly expect to advance rapidly in wages and position. Men who can figure costs and devise economies in production especially are in demand.

FUTURE OF THE TRADE

The war has very greatly increased production in machine shops. The manufacture of guns and munitions and the demands of the shipbuilding industry for tools and machinery for ships have multiplied the demand for men many times. While there must be a readjustment after the war, it is certain that the manufacture of standard products will be very greatly in arrears, and since all industry, including agriculture, transportation, and the arts, depend on the machine shops for their product, there will be a continued demand for trained men.

Wages

Where machinists or machine operators receive wages at an hourly rate this rate approximates the Government scale in railroad shops, which is 68 cents an hour. In shops where the piecework or premium plan prevails, the amount earned by employees varies. It is safe to say that most men employed at any branch of the trade get more than $4 a day in wages.

MUSCULAR STRAIN

A machinist is commonly expected to do some lifting, varying from very light weights to more than 100 pounds. Operators of large machines doing heavy work are often provided with air hoists or jib cranes or with chain hoists to help serve their machines. Probably the operator of a machine working on medium weight parts on lathes or grinding machines may have the maximum of physical strain, due to the quality production expected of him.

YOUR DISABILITY

It would be foolish to make many general statements as to the effect of the loss of various members on the future of a man who desires to be a machinist or a machine operator. So much depends on the will power of the man and on the exercise of wisdom and foresight in selecting a line of work. Talk it over with the placement officer.

A study of the rehabilitation in industry of those injured in industrial accidents shows that most men have been taken back to work after such injuries as the loss of fingers, thumbs, one eye, or similar accidents. Others with more serious injuries have often been taken on again and provided with jobs, perhaps as watchmen or gate tenders, without any reeducation. They accepted their job, lived up their industrial insurance, and were down and out industrially. This should not happen to the man injured in industry, and must not happen to you, because there is a better way which will keep you in a good wage-earning occupation and make you independent.

It will be necessary, of course, for you to take account, not only of your physical condition and of the requirements of the trade, but also of your previous experience, your resources, and your aptitudes.

PLAN No. 924. BENCH HANDS

KIND OF WORK DONE

In the construction of machinery, including the repair of worn and broken parts, there are many operations which can not conveniently be done on machines. This work is done by hand at a bench, fitted with a vise for holding the work. The work done consists of chipping and filling to remove metal, the laying out of centers, circular arcs, lines and limits for the operator, and a variety of operations which require the use of hand tools.

Examples of this work are:

Fitting piston rings to grooves and to standard test gauges.

Filing machined parts to provide smooth surfaces, and to remove burrs.

Laying out and marking parts for drilling and other operations. Much of this work is necessary in making special jigs and fixtures to increase quantity production.

TOOLS

The bench hand uses a variety of files, marking punches, light and heavy hammers, cold chisels, measuring tools and gauges, and often uses hand or power machines, such as bench drills, hand taps and dies.

HOURS, WAGES, AND CONDITIONS OF WORK

The hours of labor are as a minimum forty-eight a week, and will average between fifty-one and fifty-four. Wages are generally according to the scale paid to machinists and are subject to overtime, piecework, and premium rate changes. For instance, the wage scale in railroad shops is now 68 cents per hour and in shipyards 72 cents. Other shops seldom pay as much, but the union scale is from 50 cents to 75 cents an hour in sections where large shops predominate.

The health of the worker is not apt to be impaired by his work, as the muscular strain is not severe, and the sanitary conditions of shops are not generally unfavorable.

The importance of the bench worker in the metal-working industry is decreasing with the increased use of automatic machines, jigs, and fixtures which do away with laying out, and with improvements in molding and casting. All repair work in railroad, automobile, and other shops, however, require much handwork at the bench.

HANDICAPS

Filing, chipping, hammering, etc., may be done by men provided with an artificial hand or arm. The training required before a man can become accustomed to this substitute will take some time, since the bench worker is required to use a variety of tools, and the output of work will depend on the skill of the worker in handling these tools.

Previous experience in the employment will go a long way toward starting a man in the trade again. The use of hand tools is relatively less complicated than that of machine tools, and previous experience should provide the man with the essential knowledge of processes.

Reeducation for any line of bench work should take all possible advantage of previous experience. Many of the things done by the bench hand can be taught in a school in short courses, but experience at the bench on productive work may be obtained at the same time. If the school is provided with satisfactory benches of the proper height and with standard vises, the course may require no longer than from three to six months, allowing for instruction in the reading of blue prints, the use of tools, and for getting accustomed to the work again.

PLAN No. 925. ASSEMBLERS AND ERECTORS

The parts which go to make up the finished machines come from the shop and after inspection are ready to be put together. Men who work at a bench in the assembling room or on the erecting floor fasten these parts together.

ASSEMBLING WORK

Examples of heavy work are found in the assembling of locomotives, stationary and marine engines, mining and pumping machinery, printing presses, rolling mills, and sugar machinery; of medium work in the assembling of gas and gasoline engines, farm machinery, automobiles, and trucks; of light work in the assembling of sewing machines, shoe machinery, cream separators, and typewriters.

Machinists who assemble medium and light machinery receive the parts from the stock room after they have been inspected for accuracy and finish, and bolt them together. Frequently mechanical means are used to carry the parts to the assembler, who bolts them in place on the frame of the machine. This is common in automobile factories.

From the assembling room the machines go to be tested or to be painted and prepared for shipment.

In contract work in job shops the routine described is not usually followed, and the work is performed by all-around men who take the place of the assemblers.

ERECTING WORK

Machinists who work as erectors usually fit the parts together, bolt them solidly, then test the machine for alignment. Shafting is fitted to bearings and sliding surfaces brought into contact by scraping with steel scrapers. Oil grooves are cut in bearing surfaces and all accessory parts fitted. Then in most cases the machine is taken down for shipment, and after reaching its destination is erected again on permanent foundations. Traveling machinists are frequently sent out from the shop to do this work in the field.

TOOLS

Assemblers and erectors use a variety of wrenches, hammers, and other tools. They are often provided with cranes and hoists for all heavy lifting. In the field they may have to devise special means of moving heavy machinery.

HOURS, WAGES, AND CONDITIONS OF WORK

The hours and wages of labor are the same as for the machine operators and bench men, the hours ranging from forty-eight to fifty-four a week.

The position of the assembler or erector is very important. There is no possibility of his being displaced by the introduction of machinery. The increase of production will demand more men, but it is fair to say that there are very many men who are qualified to fill the lower grades of work in this occupation. Only through experience and training on the job can men learn to be competent machinist erectors. These men hold responsible positions in industry and there is a constant demand for competent men.

HANDICAPS

The workman in this branch of the trade must be active and have physical strength, good eyesight, and considerable skill in the use of hand tools. He should know something about machine-tool processes, and may find it necessary to operate machines on occasion. Any handicap must be considered from the point of view of the man and the job he expects to take. If the man has had experience in the given line of work and wants to reenter it, he will be a very good judge of his own ability.

Nearly every disabled man who has previous experience in a machine shop will find it possible to use this experience to advantage.

Handicapped men who are preparing to enter this occupation may be trained in special classes in the factory where the work is done. A group of ten or twelve such men may be taken to a large factory and trained for special jobs under the instruction of a practical teacher.

PLAN No. 926. THE PRACTICE OF OPTOMETRY AND THE TRAINING IT REQUIRES

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The material of this monograph was compiled by S. Reid Warren, editor of The Keystone Magazine of Optometry, assisted by several successful practicing optometrists, to whom acknowledgment is gratefully accorded. The monograph has been prepared under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance.

It is an indisputable fact that the efficiency of the American troops during the late war was greater than that of any other army. One factor which contributed largely to their success is apt to be overlooked by the casual observer, but excited comment wherever our troops were thickest in the fray: _Our men were properly glassed_.

You, for whom this monograph is written, well know how thoroughly and systematically your eyes were examined. Perhaps you do not know that the actual testing of your eyes and the adoption of proper glasses whenever necessary to bring vision up to normal was done in a number of camps by optometrists.

What an important part glasses played in the success of our Army and Navy is a chapter yet to be written.

Now that the conflict is over it is fitting to call attention to the opportunity of entering a profession which has contributed so much to the winning of the war. And as optometry is a comparatively strange word to those not personally concerned with the profession, an explanation of its meaning had best preface this monograph.

WHAT IS AN OPTOMETRIST?

An optometrist examines eyes for the detection and correction of _visual_ or _muscular_ defects not requiring medical attention. He uses no drugs; he does not treat _diseases_ of the eye, nor does he practice surgery. To one not familiar with optical sciences it may be difficult to comprehend, then, what the work of the optometrist includes. Comparison of his work with two better known and somewhat related vocations--that of the oculist and that of the optician--will perhaps be the quickest method of explaining the practice of optometry.

First, let it be understood that the human eye may be considered as a refracting and focusing mechanism, similar to a camera, as well as an organ subject to diseases like any other part of our body.

An _oculist_ (a physician who specializes on the eye) deals both with refraction and muscular deficiencies, and with pathological or diseased conditions.

An _optometrist_, on the other hand, specializes on the functions of the eye as a refracting and focusing apparatus.

An _optician_ grinds the lenses and puts together the necessary fittings to form the eyeglasses prescribed by the oculist or the optometrist.

TYPE OF MAN REQUIRED

The serious nature of the optometrist’s work--the care of human vision--makes it imperative that only men of good moral character and high ideals be admitted to the practice of optometry. An optometrist should be more interested in helping his patient than in making money; he should be tactful, and not only professionally competent, but of the type of personality that inspires confidence. He should realize that the completion of his course of technical instruction and the receipt of a license to practice merely mark matriculation in a postgraduate course stretching out to the end of his days of practice. He should not enter the profession of optometry unless willing to continue the study of never-ending developments in this science and practice.

LENGTH OF PREPARATORY TRAINING

As the optometrist takes up little in medical studies, his technical training requires a briefer time than that of the physician or oculist. The optometrist, of course, must be able to recognize the symptoms of eye diseases, but does not attempt to remedy them; he refers such cases to a physician.

In view of the lesser scope of the work of the optometrist his course of technical training covers only two to four years, as against four to seven years for medical education.

The practice of optometry is regulated by law in 41 States, and in Hawaii, Philippine Islands, Porto Rico, and Alaska. These laws usually require a general education equivalent to two years of high school instruction and (before admission to examination for a license) completion of a course in a school of optometry having an approved two-year course, in addition to one year of practical service in an optometrist’s office.

The laws of the different States vary considerably as to these requirements, and the prospective optometrist should inform himself as to the provisions of the law in the State in which he expects to practice. A few optometry laws have reciprocity clauses, making it permissible for licensees of one State to practice in another.

Most of the schools have two-year courses--some longer. One of the universities--Ohio State--has an optometry course laid out over a period of four years. The course at Columbia University is planned to cover two years. In a number of instances it has been covered in one year by students who were exceptionally well prepared. The studies in optical subjects can be counted toward a B. S. degree, for which four years are required, as is usual. Besides these universities, a number of schools of optometry in various parts of the country have two to three year courses. A list of such schools and their addresses may be obtained from the Federal Board for Vocational Education.

THE OPTOMETRIST’S WORK

The word “optometry” is made up of two Greek words: optos, visible and metron, a measure, meaning the measurement of the visual powers. Examination for detection of visual deficiencies includes tests by the use of charts and of certain precise measuring instruments. For example: One instrument permits inspection of the interior of the eye; another, measurement of the curvature of the cornea; still another, the field of vision. With the data obtained by the intelligent use of all these instruments the optometrist can determine the nature of the lenses required to correct any refractive errors found.

Formerly glasses were given merely as an aid to vision, now they are prescribed for the relief of strain and its resultant symptoms, such as headache, etc. They are also supplied for efficiency and protection purposes to factory employees, for some workmen without glasses will exhibit as much eye fatigue in 5 hours as others will in 10; and employers are now recognizing this to their own advantage.

Thus the field of usefulness and profit for optometrists is ever enlarging.

INDOOR WORK--PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

An optometrist confines his practice to office work, there being no traveling or outdoor activity. If desired, his office may be established in his own home. As the work is all indoors, there is no great physical strain. While sound health and normal strength are always desirable, robustness is not a first requirement of this vocation; nor is possession of all the members essential. A man who has lost a hand, an arm, a leg, or even both legs could successfully practice the profession of optometry, if properly fitted with artificial equipment. It is also quite possible for a man with one eye to practice optometry. To a determined man this would not prove an insurmountable obstacle, though he might be at a disadvantage because some patients might think he could not do his work as well. This is, of course, unreasonable, but should be considered. Several instances are known to the writer of successful optometrists who have lost the sight of one eye through cataract or other cause.

A Colorado woman who has been practicing optometry for a number of years sums up some of the advantages of this profession in the following words:

“There are fewer objectionable features, and more to commend the practice of optometry than in any other profession or semiprofession. No midnight calls, as in the case of the physician, no direct contact, as in osteopathy, or chiropractic; no proximity to offensive breath, as in dentistry. Variety and fascination attach to the work, besides the joy that comes with doing something that relieves suffering and is beneficial to humanity. The time required for preparation and getting established is somewhat less than for other professions; the expense incurred more moderate.”

THE DEMAND FOR OPTOMETRISTS

No man taking up the study of optometry need fear a lack of opportunity when his course is completed. There is a scarcity of optometrists all over this broad land, and in thousands of optometrists’ offices to-day opportunities are open for assistants. As such, an optometrist can develop a following, and eventually start for himself. Moreover, the call of young men to the defence of their country cut down the number of students in this, as in all other vocations; hence the number of graduates from the optometric schools and colleges is insufficient to meet the demand.

Another advantage in following this vocation is the fact that the profession is still in the formative stage. For this reason there are unusual opportunities for progressive, studious, conscientious men of the professional type.

The hours of work, which are regular, are of course determined by the individual practitioner; the man who has established his own office can make his hours to suit his own convenience. If he is employed by another optometrist, he will find the hours are not as long as in many other callings.

SCOPE OF A COURSE IN OPTOMETRY

The curriculum of the course in applied optics in one of our leading universities will give a comprehensive survey of the branches of scientific knowledge forming the science of optometry. The following subjects are included in this course: Chemistry, anatomy, physics, physiology, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, bacteriology, optics, psychology, drawing, pathology, and English composition. Under theoretical and applied optics are of course grouped the chief subjects bearing upon the science and practice of optometry. The mathematical studies are necessary as a foundation for an understanding of the optical science.

While the university course, in its cultural as well as technical development, is desirable, still, as in other professions and callings, success and service are not dependent upon the completion of such a course. But general education, culture and personality developed therefrom are all potent factors in success in any profession, and should be acquired from one source or another before or during technical training.

POSSIBLE INCOME

As in other professions, it usually requires a few years to build up a practice, but few men who have started under proper conditions and with fair qualifications have failed to achieve success. An income of $1,500 or $2,000 yearly is common, and many optometrists earn incomes of from $5,000 to $10,000. As an employee of another optometrist, a practitioner can earn from $30 to $50 a week, and even more.

Optometry is not a means of earning a living with ease nor a haven for the indolent, but it does offer a reasonable competency without unusual sacrifice or hardship.

PLAN No. 927. THE FACTORY WOODWORKING TRADES

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This monograph was prepared by Eugene C. Graham, special agent for the Federal Board for Vocational Education, under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Division of Research. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance.

The trades of the planing-mill operator, of the cabinetmaker, and the finisher are the outgrowth of the trades of the village carpenter and painter.

Woodworking factory products are innumerable, and a choice of occupation can be made so that you will find the work interesting, if you have any liking for the trades at all.

In these trades the worker leads an active life and he is not generally exposed to severe weather conditions. The work is not usually heavy, and practically all of the men employed work indoors.

The industries are bound together by the use of common materials and machines and related operations, while their products, as noted below, cover a wide range; many of the operations are similar, whether the product is furniture, interior finish, boxes and crates, truck bodies, or musical instruments.

PLAN No. 928. CLASSES OF WORKERS AND WHAT THEY DO

Workers in these trades may be grouped as in the following tabulation:

==============================+======================================= Classes of workers. | What the men do. ------------------------------+--------------------------------------- Yardmen } Dry kiln men } Lumber inspectors }Prepare raw material and keep machines Swing-saw men }and tools in order. Planer and resaw men } Filers } Millwrights } ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Machine operators } Off-bearers }Operate machines and prepare stock for Gluers }assembling. Carvers } Turners } ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Cabinetmakers } Chair makers } Frame, sash, and door makers }Assemble prepared pieces of stock into Interior wood finishers }built-up products. Assemblers } Box, crate, and basket makers } Toy makers } ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Men who apply stain and filler} Rubbers } Varnishers }Apply finishing materials and prepare French polishers }the product for sale. Upholsterers } Packing-room employees } ------------------------------+--------------------------------------- Foremen |Direct labor. ------------------------------+---------------------------------------

Many employees in woodworking establishments are common laborers, some of whom have learned to do the simpler operations by watching other men at work. They may finally learn to run machines. Boys who are taken on as off-bearers get into positions as machine operators in this way.

Other men of a somewhat higher grade, operate machines, work at the bench assembling parts, and in the finishing room apply the finishing materials.

There are certain special occupations which require more skill, such as hand and machine carving, wood turning, and saw filing, for which men must be trained through a kind of apprenticeship, which may take several months or years.

In these occupations workmen move about easily from one factory to another, or shift from one machine to another. Many men move about constantly, and seem to have little difficulty in fitting in wherever they go.

The operator of woodworking machines is commonly required to look after the oiling of his machine, to change knives, saws, and cutter heads when they become dull or when the work requires it, and to adjust the machine properly so that it will do good work at a fast rate.

SOME PRODUCTS OF THESE TRADES

Factory woodworkers are employed in many industries in which the men carry on one or more of the lines of work specified above. Of these industries the principal products are the following:

_Products of Woodworking Industries_

========================+============================================= In planing mills. |Stair material; sash; doors; blinds, interior |finish for homes, stores, and offices; |built-in furniture parts; cabinets; cases; |mantels; bar, store, and hotel fixtures. ------------------------+--------------------------------------------- In vehicle, truck, and |Wagons; buggies; auto bodies; truck bodies; body factories. |poles and shafts; baby carriages. ------------------------+--------------------------------------------- In furniture factories. |Tables; chairs; bedroom, office, and library |furniture; kitchen cabinets; case goods; |specialty furniture; school furniture; |billiard and pool tables. ------------------------+--------------------------------------------- In box, crate, and |Boxes; crates; splint baskets; patent basket factories. |carriers; fruit and berry boxes. ------------------------+--------------------------------------------- Special products. |Airplane parts; agricultural implements; |cane, reed, and fiber goods; trunks; wooden |canoes and boats; coffins; musical |instruments; toys; games, etc. ------------------------+---------------------------------------------

PLAN No. 929. THE PLANING MILL INDUSTRY

Much of the work formerly done by carpenters in the shop is now done to order in planing mills. This branch of the woodworking industry supplies lumber and building material at retail, and builds store and office fixtures, interior woodwork for dwelling houses, and a variety of special work which requires the use of machinery.

Planing mill employees usually are able to do a variety of hand and machine work and usually receive therefrom somewhat higher wages than do factory workers. They rank with outside carpenters as mechanics, and the trade is organized as a branch of the carpenters and joiners national organization. Opportunities for advancement in this industry are greater than in other related woodworking occupations, but there is some irregularity in employment, since the prosperity of the trade depends on local building operations.

PLAN No. 930. VEHICLE MANUFACTURING

Buggies, wagons, and auto and truck bodies are built in special shops. These have separate departments for wheel making, body making, and other processes, and often buy their stock partly finished.

PLAN No. 931. OTHER MANUFACTURING

Musical instruments, such as pianos, organs, phonographs, and violins, are built in special factories, but the same processes are used here that are employed in the other woodworking occupations.

Toys, games, gymnasium equipment, special wood products are made to a large extent by machine operations. The men employed are mostly machine hands, and women and boys do much of the assembling and finishing.

Box, crate, barrel, and basket making are low-grade woodworking occupations. Much of the work done is rough and unfinished, and is turned out in large quantities. Women and boys are employed and machines are used as much as possible.

DEMAND FOR LABOR INCREASING AND STEADY

The field of the factory woodworker is growing. Much of the woodwork formerly performed on the job is now done in whole or in part in the factory. Growth of population and higher standards of living have increased the demands made upon woodworking factories for all sorts of furniture and equipment. The greater cost of metal furniture limits its use somewhat. Woodworking is less seasonal than many other lines of employment, and a disabled man may choose one of the woodworking trades in the assurance that he will be permanently employed at all seasons of the year.

SAFETY AND HYGIENE

Safety devices have reduced greatly the accident risk. Except for dust and fumes, now largely eliminated by means of exhaust fans, the working conditions are good. Fumes of paints, varnishes, and of their solvents are of course detrimental to health, if no precautions are taken to remove the fumes or to provide for adequate ventilation, and even under favorable conditions, it is only fair to say that a person who is inclined to tuberculosis should avoid the finishing trade.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Hours will average 54 a week. Wages have increased about 10 per cent in the past two years, and there has been some tendency to shorten hours.

The wages received by box makers vary from 15 cents to a maximum of 40 cents an hour. Crate and basket makers, many of whom are women and boys, receive less. Cabinetmakers get from 20 cents to 75 cents an hour, according to the skill required. As a rule in the planing mills, where the men are organized, wages are higher, but these are offset by the fact that the planing-mill operators do not have as steady employment.

Men in this occupation are employed quite regularly and do not move about much. In planing mills and to some extent in other factories, men remain year after year at the same bench, and there are many old men who have worked at the trade for 50 years. They are quite certain of steady employment at a living wage. But there is not much opportunity for advancement and independence unless the workman can become an owner of stock in the factory.

PLAN No. 932. SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISABLED MEN

In this field there are positions which will appeal to men with certain sorts of disabilities. Some of these occupations require a knowledge of materials and processes and the ability to direct men, but demand little in the way of mechanical training. Among these may be mentioned the following:

Foreman of cabinetmakers and assemblers.

Foreman of shipping room.

Yard foreman, in charge of dry kiln and yard.

Cost estimator for planing-mill.

Salesman for factory-made products.

Furniture designer and detailer.

Other occupations which require more mechanical ability and which pay better wages than straight factory work may be mentioned also. These include:

Foreman of the filing room (saw filing, knife and cutter grinding, etc.).

Factory millwright.

Foreman of the mill room or machine room.

Operator of Linderman machine or of automatic turning machines.

Practically all of the above special positions may be obtained only by men who have had previous training and experience before becoming disabled. These positions will be attractive to such men because they offer better wages and do not require so much manual labor.

PLAN No. 933. QUALIFYING AS A TEACHER

There is a demand for teachers of woodwork and drawing in the schools. If a disabled man with previous experience in the trade has had a high-school education and wants to become an instructor he may find it more profitable to do so than to go back into the trade. His injuries may not prevent the simple movements necessary in demonstrating to a boy or to another man the principles involved in the use of the tools.

But it must be understood that both teaching ability and a knowledge of the trade are necessary for success. A man who already possesses one or the other will be far on his way, the school undertaking to provide for his deficiencies in one or the other line. But rarely can the school, in the limited period at its disposal, undertake both to develop teaching ability and to give a practical knowledge of the trade.

WHAT OTHER DISABLED MEN HAVE DONE BY TRAINING

Many examples might be cited of disabled men who have retrained for some line of woodworking. For example, a common laborer who became afflicted with chronic bronchitis and emphysema, took a three months’ course in cabinetmaking and now has a good position as a cabinetmaker. A farmer, who had suffered partial loss of function of his left hand through a gunshot wound, studied cabinetmaking and is now employed in this work by a motor company. A commercial traveler, whose right leg was rendered lame by a shrapnel wound, became a teacher of manual training at a good salary, by taking a teacher’s course.

Other disabled soldiers who had a knowledge of some woodworking trade secured promotion through special courses. Their wounds brought them an opportunity of which they took advantage. A wood machinist, for example, whose hearing was seriously impaired in the service, took a course in lumber estimating and specification work in lumber yards, and now has a position in that field. A cabinetmaker, who suffered deformity of his left forearm, studied drafting and building construction, and secured a position, where his training counts, with a large sash and door company. A cabinetmaker, whose left leg was greatly weakened by a gunshot wound, obtained a position as instructor in manual training by taking a teacher’s course in this subject.

PLAN No. 934. MACHINE OPERATING

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

The machine operator needs no personal equipment of tools, and most workmen carry only a folding pocket rule and a pencil. He operates a variety of machines, of which the principal ones are listed below:

======================+=============================================== Saws. |Swing saws; single and double cut-off saws; |hand and power feed ripsaws; variety of |universal saws; band scroll saws; horizontal |and vertical band resaws; grooving saws; jig |saws. ----------------------+----------------------------------------------- Planers. |Single and double surfacers; hand and power |feed jointers; continuous power feed jointers; |Linder machines; stockers, or two and four side |molders. ----------------------+----------------------------------------------- Sanders. |Belt sanders; drum sanders; disk sanders; edge |sanders; spindle sanders. ----------------------+----------------------------------------------- Lathes. |Spindle lathes; Blanchard lathes; special |automatic forming lathes. ----------------------+----------------------------------------------- Boring and mortising |Single and multiple spindle boring machines; machines. |foot lever mortisers; hollow chisel mortisers; |chain mortisers. ----------------------+----------------------------------------------- Shapers and profilers.|Single and double spindle shapers; routing and |profiling machines; spindle carvers. ----------------------+----------------------------------------------- Special machines. |Embossing machines; bending machines; dowel |machines; dovetailing machines. ----------------------+-----------------------------------------------

PLAN No. 935. DISABILITIES FOR MACHINE OPERATING

Such disabilities as slight deafness, blindness in one eye, hernia, or minor troubles of the heart, liver, kidneys, or digestion will not bar a man who can turn out fair work. Injuries to the fingers, hands, and arms have always been common in the woodworking industry and many of the best men have been disabled more than once. Some men have to change machines on account of injuries but not many lose out entirely.

The loss of an arm or a leg would require intelligent placement on a particular machine. Some machines, including spindle carvers and some types of belt sanders, may be operated by men while sitting down. A great many machines require but little movement from a standing position, and could be operated by a man with one injured limb after some training.

There is usually considerable dust in the air of a machine room, and this dust may be injurious to men with tuberculosis. Furthermore, men who are quite deaf or whose sight is not good, and who are certain to find it hard to handle material quite rapidly with safety to themselves and others, should avoid the machine room.

OVERCOMING HANDICAPS

In order to become accustomed to disabilities men will be trained in schools or shops to use injured members and thus to overcome the natural disinclination to use such members freely. Each man in training will change from one machine to another until he finds his place. Special training on machines will be offered in schools where, under a practical instructor, a man may try himself out.

The operator will be taught in school to take care of his machine and remove dull cutters, knives, and saws. If he can be trained to set the knives and cutters in an automatic machine his future employment at good wages is assured. There is at present a strong demand for men who can operate automatic machines and set them up for a variety of work.

Employers may be willing to substitute automatic or power feed machines for other types, at least where this may be done to the great advantage of the employer himself, as in the case of wood turning. A disabled man operating a modern automatic lathe can turn out a quantity of perfect work quite as easily as any other workman.

Unlike the machinist the machine woodworker does not often work from blue prints. He needs only to learn to understand a stock bill stating the dimensions of the finished parts in plain figures, and is not concerned about the destination of these parts. All routing from machine to machine is looked after by the foreman.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AN ASSET

Previous experience and training will often provide the man who is trying to come back with certain useful information about machine processes, adjustments, and lubrication. For instance, a carpenter who is incapacitated for climbing or for outside work, or a sawmill hand who requires indoor employment because of his injury may easily fit in as a machine operator.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Machine operators work about nine hours a day. They receive in wages from 25 cents to 50 cents an hour. The man who cuts up good lumber with a swing saw may receive more than the average because he must know how to avoid wasting expensive material. His good judgment is his capital.

The machine woodworker often moves from one factory to another, but he is usually in demand and may count on steady employment without much regard to the season.

RE-EDUCATION FOR MACHINE OPERATING

No apprenticeship is usually considered necessary for machine operators. A try-out period of a few weeks will decide whether a man is likely to make good or not. A short period of training in a school where a variety of different machines is provided will help a man to get a real insight into his prospective occupation.

The training required is usually obtained in the factory, but disabled men can shorten the period of training necessary in their case considerably by taking a short course in a well-equipped school under an instructor who is a practical woodworker. The course taken will be planned to prepare the pupil for a definite occupation. An agreement may be made with a prospective employer before the course is undertaken, so as to provide opportunity for overcoming any handicap in a definite way.

The same results may be secured by short tryout courses in the factory itself and in most cases this will appeal both to the man himself and to the employer. But in order to guarantee an adequate course of training the factory must be required to make definite preparations to train disabled men under an agreement as to the instructor, the length of the course, and the subject matter of the instruction.

PLAN No. 936. CABINETMAKERS

THE OCCUPATION

The work of the cabinetmaker, and of such other allied occupations as chair makers, assemblers, and box makers, is to use hand tools, and sometimes certain machines, in putting together furniture, interior woodwork, or manufactured articles of wood. In some factories he actually builds furniture or a completed product. In others he performs a few operations and passes the work on.

Men who assemble furniture must apply glue to the joints, nail and screw parts together where necessary, and see that the finished product is clean, square, and solidly built. They use a variety of hand tools and sometimes take material to machines for certain operations. They are expected to leave surfaces well scraped and sanded. In all high class work they must show considerable skill in construction and knowledge of design. What tools are used will depend on the line of work. They are usually the property of the workman and are kept in order by him. They include the usual outfit of hammers, squares, saws, rules, shaves, chisels, bits, levels, planes, rasps, etc.

The trade of the cabinetmaker may not appeal to more than a few disabled men from each community. Men who have worked at the trade and who already know something about it will naturally wish to stay in it if they can.

Cabinetmakers are found in nearly every town or city. Planing mills and box factories are very common. Furniture factories are scattered throughout Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, New York, and North Carolina more generally than in other States.

HANDICAPS

Since the cabinetmaker must be a skillful user of hand tools, any injury which prevents him from using his hands and arms easily will interfere with his success, but, as he does not need to move about much in the factory, foot and leg injuries need not constitute serious handicaps. He may have some lifting to do, and must be active in order to turn out a sufficient quantity of work.

Partial deafness, blindness in one eye, or minor diseases of the heart, lungs, kidneys, or digestive organs need not disqualify a man if he can handle tools and work without undue fatigue.

Loss of an entire arm, or severe injuries to both hands, or blindness, or diseases which cause considerable bodily weakness would generally constitute serious handicaps.

SCHOOL AND SHOP TRAINING

Cabinetmaking is the kind of training which most manual-training schools are best equipped. Successful schools are not hard to find, and men who are trying to overcome handicaps may find it easy to get a start through this school training. The cabinetmaker should learn:

(a) How to use hand tools.

(b) How to operate a few machines.

(c) How to read a stock bill and to work to dimensions.

(d) About glue, grain of wood, cabinet hardware, finishing material, etc.

(e) How to make and read a simple drawing.

Many good schools will provide the equipment and give instruction in the subjects mentioned.

If the disabled man arranges for a combination of shop and school training in which he will have the benefit of practical instruction for half of each day, and will spend the remainder of the day in some factory, he will, after perhaps six months’ schooling and training, be able to maintain himself at the trade.

Any other division of time as seems wise may be made. For instance, the first three months of training may be full-time work in the school and the next three months half-time in the shop and factory.

PLAN No. 937. FINISHING

The men who apply stain, filler, varnish, and other finishes properly belong in a class by themselves in the woodworking trades. Many of these men can do all of the operations necessary in finishing a piece of woodwork. The same ability and skill is possessed by men in the painters’ trade, but some of the processes are different, and the occupation may be considered separately.

The finisher of wood products may use any of the following materials; Oil stains, acid stains, water stains, liquid and paste fillers, putty, linseed oil, shellac and shellac, substitutes, varnish, paint, enamel, lacquer, wax, and prepared polish.

These materials are applied by dipping, brushing on with a brush or cloth or spraying on with an air brush or spraying machine. Excess material is removed by wiping with cloths, cotton waste, or vegetable fiber. Varnish is rubbed down to an even surface with pumice stone and water, or with sandpaper and steel wool. Drying ovens or hot rooms are often used to hasten the processes.

The air brush is a spraying machine which atomizes the liquid finish and spreads it on a surface quickly and evenly. The machine consists of a tank, an air hose, and nozzles which spray the material in a fine mist. Various materials, such as varnish, shellac, and stain, may be applied with this machine.

Men who apply filler, stain, and putty need very little training. Their skill consists in doing the work rapidly without waste of material. The same may be said of men who use rubbing machines or hand blocks in rubbing down varnish.

A somewhat higher degree of skill must be possessed by the varnisher, whether he works with a common brush or an air brush. The brush hand must have considerable experience and know how to avoid brush marks, bubbles, and other evidences of poor work. The operator of the air brush acquires his skill by practice; experience with the common varnish brush is valuable but not altogether necessary. The same processes are used in finishing metal surfaces, and there is a demand for men in the automobile factories for experienced finishers.

A disabled man might find an opportunity here if he could do about the same kinds of work as the common laborer. If his previous training and experience had given him a knowledge of the use of different finishes, he could adapt himself to the use of the air brush quite easily even if he had only one working arm and hand. A good eye to judge the condition of surfaces is essential.

While training in a school is possible it is less necessary than in some skilled occupations where more tools are used and where a greater knowledge of processes is required. The handicaps which would interfere with success would be poor eyesight and the loss of both hands or arms. Experience in the employment itself would provide the best sort of training for a man who wants to re-enter the trade. A painter who is disqualified for outdoor work and for climbing could qualify for this work.

Men who have had one arm fitted with a working hook could handle furniture in the process of dipping, and could apply and remove the excess of stain and filler. With factory training they could advance to brush hands and varnishers without great difficulty, if the opportunity offered.

To handle a common brush or an air brush and to operate a rubbing machine requires one good hand, but disabilities of the feet and lower limbs can be overcome.

Men receive from 25 cents to 60 cents or more an hour, according to the work done and the skill required. The hours are usually the 54 hours a week of most factory trades.

There is some danger to health in handling wood alcohol, turpentine, or lead paints, but the use of any one of these materials is not constant enough to make the whole occupation dangerous. Those suffering from chest complaints should, however, avoid this trade.

The trade is quite stable and the demand for men fairly constant. Employment in this trade is fairly certain and apparently will continue to be so in the future. The demand for experienced men for air brush work will increase with the more general utilization of machines, which is almost inevitable. The use of the air brush and the drying room or kiln has greatly increased the output of the finishing room per man employed, but increase in the quantity of the articles finished has offset this increased efficiency so that unemployment has not resulted. Hand varnishing, however, will continue to be done and skill in this work will be a valuable asset to the workman, whether he uses a hand brush or a machine.

A short apprenticeship or try-out period in the factory will start many disabled men in this trade, but no school training is required.

PLAN No. 938. TECHNICAL AGRICULTURE AS A VOCATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This monograph was prepared by Dr. Walter J. Quick, Special Agent for the Federal Board for Vocational Education, under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Division of Research. Acknowledgment is due A. C. True, Director, States Relation Service; E. W. Allen, Chief, Office of Experiment Stations; W. H. Beal, Chief, Editorial Division, and Edwy B. Reid, Chief, Division of Publications of the United States Department of Agriculture, for suggestions and data; to the Curtis Publishing Co., for use of illustrations; also, to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance.

POSITIONS IN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES, AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS, AND IN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE

Many responded to the call to arms from the student bodies and the faculties and staffs of the State agricultural colleges, experiment stations, and extension service. These institutions have lost also to war service, at least temporarily, numerous scientific associates, lecturers, and teachers, research experts and assistants, extension workers, county agents, and others in co-operative agriculture. During the war the withdrawals from all departments and lines of work were of necessity replaced by insufficiently prepared men who in turn, now that the war emergency is passed, will be replaced by trained, efficient men as such become procurable.

It is to be noted further that agriculture in city high schools and other public-school grades is at the present time being taught largely by regular teachers not specially trained in the subject, the number teaching and demonstrating in the agricultural high schools of the country being about 2,500.

Under the Smith-Hughes Act providing for introduction into public schools of agricultural studies and projects, the demand for agricultural teachers, directors, and organizers has greatly increased, and will continue to increase in the future. In the establishment throughout the States of vocational courses, under this vocational education act, great difficulty has been experienced during the war in securing a sufficient number of men qualified to teach agriculture. From year to year, as more Federal and State funds become available, the vocational schools will broaden the scope of their work and more instructors and trained scientific men will be required.

In the higher institutions and services--the agricultural colleges, agricultural experiment stations, and agricultural extension service staffs--new appointments are constantly being made because of promotions, creation of new positions, changes for various reasons, resignations, and deaths. The agricultural colleges and experiment stations employ approximately 3,500 on their faculties and staffs, including associates, assistants, instructors, and helpers. The extension service workers number approximately 6,500, and the number would be greatly increased were trained men and funds available. Hundreds of counties have no agricultural agents. Compensation in these various lines is liberal and proportioned to service rendered, increasing with promotion from lower to higher positions.

Under these conditions numerous teaching positions are now open to men qualified to fill such positions in our agricultural colleges, in our vocational schools, and in our agricultural high schools located in every section of the country. Each year, also, even under normal conditions, as has been noted, many appointments of research experts and assistants are made to the staffs of our agricultural experiment stations, as well as of demonstrators and lecturers in extension work, and of county agricultural agents.

Those returning from overseas in fit condition will, in most cases, wisely resume their abandoned studies or scientific employment. Those disabled should, even during the period of their convalescence, begin to prepare themselves to resume former positions or others more desirable and in line of promotion. Some position is certainly awaiting you if you will but “run the course,” take the training, and prepare for it.

These positions present exceptional opportunities in every State for disabled men who can qualify for them. They cover every phase of agriculture, and will appeal to men of practical experience in farming whose disability may make it inadvisable for them to undertake hard manual labor on the farm, and to men of scientific or technical training that especially fits them for teaching, lecturing, demonstrating, or conducting scientific research.

In general, the positions most suitable for men who have been disabled, where such men have had practical agricultural experience and some agricultural education, and where they are disposed to take the necessary vocational training, will be positions as county agricultural agents, or as demonstrators in the co-operative extension service, or as organizers and directors of the club work in animal husbandry and cropping. These positions may serve most admirably to give training for promotion to some more specific line of work.

AGRICULTURAL SPECIALISTS

While the agricultural specialist has usually a thorough knowledge of some particular line of work, and is exceptionally efficient in that line, he does in many instances specialize in several different lines. For example, many have specialized successfully in “poultry, fruit, and bees,” and a specialist may easily be well informed in all three of these lines. Nearly all farmers devote themselves to some specialty in which naturally their sons also become efficient. By vocational training such young men who have been disabled in the war, especially those who have had in addition to their practical farm rearing some systematic school training in an agricultural course, may have their development rounded out until they become capable, practical specialists. Their efforts may be expected to be attended by that success which always accompanies the combination of practice and theory. A special vocational training will be necessary to fit such men for positions in agricultural colleges, experiment stations, or extension service.

PROMOTION OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD

Much of the specialist’s work can be undertaken by men with serious physical disabilities, and the opportunities for promotion along lines of expert and special service are excellent.

The following lists of positions in schools, colleges, and experiment stations, as teachers, lecturers, demonstrators, and research men, indicate the wide range of opportunity open to men of varied training, experience, and capacity. The lists have been made up from official publications showing the positions in agricultural institutions, and an attempt has been made to indicate the number and character of appointments usually made to the staffs of such institutions.

For example, the department of animal husbandry in an established agricultural college located in a State in which grain production and live-stock industries are prominent will frequently include, in addition to the head of the department of animal husbandry, four or five and sometimes as many as eight or ten associate heads of subdivisions, each subdivision employing instructors and assistants, together with a number of herdsmen and helpers for practical work.

The number of departments and subdivisions and the number employed in each department, of course, varies from institution to institution. In the following lists, when the singular form is used, as for example “associate,” it indicates that commonly one associate is employed in the subject indicated in an institution covering the subject adequately. Where the plural form is used it indicates two associates as the usual number employed, and where the name of the position is followed by a numeral or numerals, as “associate (2 to 5),” it indicates that more than two will usually be found on the staff.

PLAN No. 939. AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE POSITIONS

The Federal Board for Vocational Education has completed arrangements with the State Agricultural Colleges for special technical and for regular courses, giving such training for the positions indicated below as seems most suitable, taking account of age and experience in each case. You should consult the nearest vocational officer, remembering that Uncle Sam is ready to train you free in a technical course and pay you while you are taking it, also to help you secure a permanent position after your training is completed.

If you were pursuing a course in one of the State Agricultural Colleges or in an agricultural high school when called to arms, resumption and completion of that course is generally to be recommended. You can not as a general rule afford to abandon a course once begun in which you have made any considerable progress.

Many minor positions are available to ambitious students requiring financial assistance promptly after or even during preparation. Many of the less important college positions immediately available for men who have taken training provide opportunities for further study and training leading to higher positions in the agricultural colleges, as indicated in the positions here listed. The same is true of positions listed herein under Experiment Stations and Extension Service.

PLAN No. 940. LIST OF POSITIONS IN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES

_Faculty:_ Dean. Assistant to dean. Office employees. Heads of departments. Associates. Instructors. Assistants.

_Agriculture_, head of department. Rural schools, supervisor. Junior school, superintendent. High schools, agricultural, supervisor. College: Librarian. Assistant librarian. Curator. Assistant curator. Photographer. Assistant. Farm management: Associate. Instructors. Assistants (2 to 4). Farm manager. Farm foremen. Farm laborers (3 to 15). Journalism: Editor. Assistant editor. Assistants. Education, scientific: Associates. Assistant. Economics: Associate. Instructor. Assistant. Pedagogy: Associates. Instructors. Assistants (2 to 5).

_Agricultural engineering_, head of dept. Rural engineering: Associates (2 to 4). Instructors (2 to 6). Assistants (2 to 4). Highway engineering, associate. Irrigation engineering: Associate. Assistants. Drainage engineering: Associate. Assistants.

_Agronomy:_ Head of department. Associates (2 to 5). Instructors (2 to 4). Assistants (2 to 4). Seed, analysts. Farm crops-- Products-- Associate. Instructors. Plant breeding-- Associates. Instructors. Assistants. Soil investigations-- Biology-- Associates. Assistants. Physics-- Associate. Instructors. Assistants. Soil, analyst. Bacteriology, associate. Fertilizers-- Instructor. Assistant.

_Animal husbandry:_ Head of department. Associates (2 to 5). Instructors (2 to 4). Assistants (2 to 4). Cattle-- Associates (4 to 10). Instructors (4 to 6). Assistants (2 to 4). Horse-- Associates (4 to 10). Instructors (4 to 6). Assistants (2 to 4). Swine-- Associates (4 to 10). Instructors (4 to 6). Assistants (2 to 4). Sheep-- Associates (4 to 10). Instructors (4 to 6). Assistants (2 to 4). Pathology-- Associate. Assistant. Nutrition-- Associate. Instructor. Assistant. Meats, assistant. Genetics-- Associate. Instructor. Assistant.

_Bacteriology:_ Head of department. Instructors (1 to 4), Hygiene, associate.

_Beekeeping:_ Associate. Apiarist. Instructor.

_Botany:_ Head of department. Associates. Instructors (1 to 3). Assistants. Plant pathology-- Associate. Instructors (2 to 4).

_Canning:_ Associate. Instructors. Assistants. Helpers.

_Chemistry, agricultural_, head of dept. Soil, crops: Associates (2 to 5). Instructors (2 to 5). Assistants (2 to 8). Soil physics: Associates. Assistants. Fertilizer control: Manager. Analysts (2 to 10). Recorders (2 to 4). Markers (2 to 5).

_Chemistry, general_, head of dept. Inorganic: Associates. Instructors (2 to 4). Assistants. Organic: Associates. Instructors (2 to 4). Assistants (2 to 4). Physiology: Associate. Assistant.

_Daily husbandry:_ Head of department. Associate. Instructor. Assistants.

_Dairy industry:_ Associate. Instructors (1 to 3). Assistant.

_Dairy bacteriology_, associate.

_Entomology:_ Head of department. Associates. Instructors (2 to 4). Agriculture, instructor. Insecticides-- Instructor. Assistant. Limonology-- Associate. Instructor. Assistant.

_Floriculture:_ Head of department. Associate. Instructor. Assistant.

_Forestry:_ Head of department. Instructor. Management-- Foresters. Rangers. Guards. Pursuits-- Associates. Assistants. Silviculture, associate. Arboriculture-- Associates. Assistants.

_Gardening, market:_ Head of department. Assistant. Vegetable, associate. Small fruits, associate. Truck-- Associate. Instructor.

_Geology:_ Associate. Assistant. Meteorology, associate.

_Horticulture:_ Head of department. Associates (2 to 4). Instructors. Assistant. Pomology-- Associate. Instructor. Assistant. Citriculture-- Associate. Instructor. Assistant. Zymology-- Associate. Assistant.

_Landscape architecture:_ Head of department. Associates. Assistants.

_Microbiology:_ Head of department. Instructor. Assistant.

_Parasitology:_ Associate. Assistant.

_Poultry husbandry:_ Head of department. Associate. Instructors. Assistant.

_Rural sociology:_ Head of department. Assistant. Instructor.

_Veterinary:_ Head of department. Associate. Assistants. Diagnosis, associate. Medicine-- Instructor. Assistants. Histology, instructor. Laboratory-- Supervisor. Assistant. Physical therapeutics, instructor. Anatomy-- Associate. Instructor. Pathology, associate. Surgery, associate. Bacteriology, associate.

_Viticulture:_ Head of department. Instructor. Assistant.

_Zoology:_ Associate. Instructors (1 to 3). Assistants. Limonology-- Associate. Instructors. Ornithology-- Associate. Instructor. Assistant. Morphology, associate.

PLAN No. 941. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION POSITIONS

Technical books have been in such exceptional demand by the wounded in the hospitals that the American Library Association could hardly fill the orders, it is noted, and that vocational education has received a big stimulus from the soldiers having acquired the vocational study idea which argues well for efficiency in their future undertakings. It is difficult to adequately comprehend the value of the soldier’s experience educationally. He has learned discipline and devotion to a cause and that simple reading is not study. Study has been required and he knows how, with concentration of his supple mind, to acquire definite knowledge and employ it.

It should be emphasized that eligibility for positions in experiment stations, except as assistants and helpers, presupposes definite college preparation. The college course pursued should include training in experiment work in some technical line in agricultural experimentation or demonstration as a vocation. Experiment station work differs radically from educational work in agricultural colleges and high schools, and it may be well suited to those properly qualified for it who are disinclined to undertake teaching.

Experiment work is exceedingly interesting and preparation for it can to greater advantage be undertaken by those who have had some agricultural college training, or even agricultural high school training, combined with practical experience in agriculture. Half the battle is won when one has determined to achieve efficiency in some line of work, and to take such training as is required to prepare one to enter into agricultural service as an expert.

PLAN No. 942. LIST OF POSITIONS IN AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS

_Station Staff:_ Director. Vice director. Assistant to director. Editor. Photographer. Chiefs of divisions. Associates. Assistants.

_Agricultural engineering_, chief: Irrigation-- Associate chief. Assistants (2 to 7). Mechanical-- Associate chief. Assistants (2 to 5). Electrical-- Associate chief. Assistants (2 to 4). Landscape-- Associate chief. Assistant.

_Agricultural extension_, chief: Co-operation, assistant chief. Farm projects-- Associate chief. Assistant.

_Agronomy:_ Chief of division. Assistants. Soil physics-- Associate chief. Assistant chief. Associates (2 to 3). First assistants (2 to 6). Assistant. Plant breeding-- Associate chief. First assistant. Soil fertility-- Associate chief. Associates (2 to 4). First assistants (2 to 3). Assistants (2 to 3). Crop specialties-- Associate chief. Assistants. Crop production-- Associate chief. First assistant. Assistants (2 to 3). Co-operative experiments, superintendent. Soils laboratory, assistant chief. Soil biology-- Assistant chief. First assistants. Soil analysis-- Associates. First assistants. Assistants. Rust work, assistant. Dry farming, assistant. Seeds control, associate. Laboratory, analyst. Testing, assistants.

_Animal husbandry:_ Chief. Associates (2 to 3). First assistants (2 to 3). Assistants (2 to 3). Animal nutrition-- Associate chief. Associates. Assistants (2 to 3). Swine husbandry-- Assistant chief. Assistants. Sheep husbandry-- Assistant chief. Assistants. Horse husbandry-- Assistant chief. Assistants. Cattle husbandry-- Assistant chief. Assistants. Genetics-- Assistant chief. First assistant. Animal pathology-- Chief. Assistants.

_Botany:_ Chief of division. Assistant chief. Associates. Assistants (2 to 3). Plant pathology-- Associate chief. Assistant.

_Chemistry:_ Chief of division. Assistant chief. Assistants (2 to 3). Dairy chemistry-- Associate. Assistant. Floricultural chemistry-- Associate. Assistant. Horticultural chemistry-- Associate. Assistant. Soils chemistry-- Associate chief. Associates. Assistants (2 to 4). Crops chemistry-- Associate. First assistant. Assistants.

_Dairy husbandry:_ Chief. Associate chief. Assistants (2 to 3). Bacteriology-- Associate chief. Associates. Assistants. Breeds, experimental-- Associate chief. Assistants. Manufactures-- Associate. First assistant. Assistants. Milk production-- Associate. Assistants. Dairy production, first assistant. Economics, assistant.

_Entomology:_ Chief of division. Associate chief. Assistants (2 to 4). Beekeeping-- Apiarist. Assistant.

_Farm organization_, chief of division: Farm surveys-- Assistant chief. First assistant. Management-- Associate chief. First assistant. Assistants (2 to 7).

_Forestry_, chief of division: Surveys-- Associates. Assistants.

_Horticulture:_ Chief of division. Assistant chief. Olericulture-- Chief. Assistant chief. First assistant. Assistant. Truck crops-- Associate. Assistant. Plant breeding-- Associate chief. Assistant. Fruit breeding-- Assistant chief. First assistant. Assistants. Floriculture-- Assistant chief. Assistants (2 to 3). Pomology-- Assistant chief. Associates (2 to 3). First assistant. Assistant. Plant physiology, associate.

PLAN No. 943. AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE POSITIONS

The recent war necessity for organization of agricultural forces exhibited the co-operative extension system through county agents, farm bureaus, and local organizations, as a very effective means of greatly increasing agricultural production.

To the Agricultural Extension Service established by our Government in connection with the Department of Agriculture and the State agricultural colleges was due this agricultural co-operation enabling the American farmer in a great emergency to meet practically every demand for production promptly and effectively.

Much remains to be done to perfect co-operation of organizations in developing county communities, but a broad foundation has been laid for the service and well-trained, practical men are employed to carry the results of scientific research, demonstration work, and practical experience to the farmer.

COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AGENTS

The men holding these positions are known as county agents who direct and demonstrate farm problems, club leaders who direct extension work with young people, and specialists in different lines of agriculture.

There are 2,936 counties in the United States, of which 2,300 have county agricultural agents. The duties developing upon the county agent are numerous. In brief to introduce to the farmers in a practical manner the scientific investigations and the experience of successful farmers. Also to demonstrate so well their practicability that farmers may be induced to adopt them.

If practical and reliable, the county agent is able to reorganize and direct the agriculture of the community and be a force socially and economically in improving country life. In short, he should be able to instruct in all subjects having to do with improved agricultural practice, and from a business standpoint with buying and selling and general farm management. Many of these projects are brought home to the farmer, and he is influenced in their adoption by actual demonstrations which he is induced to undertake, with his own labor and at his own expense. These projects are conducted under supervision, and may have to do with crops, live stock, drainage, or any phase of farm work.

COUNTY AGENT IN TOUCH WITH FARMERS

The position of county agent affords an exceptional opportunity as a step to further advancement. The county agent is an organizer of farm bureaus, farm clubs, and stands back of all in demonstration work. He is practically the farmer’s business adviser as well as his educator, and need for his services is found in directing farm activities as well as in demonstrations. As has been well said: “The purpose of the agent is not to make farmers’ bulletins, but to interpret them; not to take theory to the farmer, but practice to the puzzled tillers of the soil.” In no other line of research work are young men of agricultural rearing and experience and with scientific training more successful or acceptable than in directing the farmer, though he may be old in experience, in the many up-to-date measures productive of success and profit on his farm.

Last year 500,000 farmers conducted demonstrations of various kinds in co-operation with county agents which covered an aggregate of 1,000,000 acres. County agents held 135,000 meetings attended by 7,000,000 farmers, made 1,200,000 visits to farmers, and received 1,250,000 office calls from farmers for advice.

The county agent works with all county societies, such as granges, farmers’ unions, alliances, farmers’ institutes, community clubs, and such boy and girl clubs as he may organize to support his work.

CLUB LEADERS

This club work is supervised by State and county leaders. Over 2,000,000 boys and girls were enrolled as club members the past year. For example, the members enter into competition in corn growing, for prizes on a basis of largest production at lowest cost, best collection of 10 ears, and best story of the year’s work. They receive from the extension instructors definite information regarding soil, planting, and cultivation, and are taught valuable lessons in handling soil, picking seed, improving varieties, use of fertilizers, cost accounting, etc. Similar clubs for like purposes grow home gardens, potatoes, cotton, grain, and fruits and much enthusiasm has been manifest in clubs for the raising of pigs, sheep, calves, and poultry. These clubs are all elementary to the more important work directed by the extension workers in general farm lines, farm gardening in particular, and profitable farm poultry raising.

EXTENSION SERVICE

The extension service workers have the support of many local organizations in addition to those assisting the county agents, such as local boards of agriculture, county councils, farm bureaus, clubs, and agricultural committees. There are over 1,000,000 farmers members of such organizations assisting county agents and extension workers. The agricultural projects contemplated under the vocational education act are lending great assistance to extension-service workers through co-operation by encouragement to the country boys undertaking the projects along with their club competitions.

You may well ask if there is any field of employment open to you which promises greater satisfaction in health, happiness, and service than is found in agricultural extension work. The scientific undertakings are attractive, the positions numerous, paying good salaries, and, if one desires, they can be sought where one’s life may be largely in the outdoors. It is in fact difficult to conceive of a more attractive vocation for which to select education and training. The curriculum of some agricultural colleges will give you complete preparation and will assure you success in some specific line of technical agriculture.

Positions available in extension service are shown in the following list:

PLAN No. 944. LIST OF POSITIONS IN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE

_Extension staff:_ Director. Vice director. State leader. State leader, junior, extension. Assistant State leaders.

_Agricultural extension:_ Leaders. Assistants. Agronomy, specialist. Farm crops: Associates. Assistants (3 to 8). Soils: Associates. Assistants (3 to 6).

_Animal husbandry:_ Specialist. Associates (2 to 5). Assistants (3 to 7).

_Botany, agricultural:_ Associate. Assistants.

_Club work_, assistants (2 to 4): Boys’ and girls’ clubs-- Leader. Assistants. Canning clubs-- Leader. Assistants. Pig clubs-- Leader. Assistants. Calf clubs-- Leader. Assistants. Garden clubs-- Leader. Assistants.

_Crop pests:_ Specialist. Associate. Assistants.

_Dairy husbandry:_ Specialist. Associates (3 to 10). Assistants (2 to 7).

_Farm demonstration work_, State leader: Divisional, each branch-- Specialists (5 to 12). Assistants (5 to 10). Farm, advisory-- County agents (1 each county). Assistants. Junior extension-- State leader. Assistants.

_Farmers’ institutes_, specialist.

_Farm management:_ Demonstrator. Assistants (several).

_Farm organization:_ Specialist. Associates (2 to 7). Assistants (2 to 8).

_Hog production_, assistant.

_Horticulture_, specialist: Demonstration-- Assistants (3 to 8). Spraying-- Specialist. Assistants.

_Market surveys:_ Associate. Assistant.

_Poultry husbandry:_ Specialist. Associates. Assistants. Management, associate. Farm poultry, associate.

_Publications:_ Editor. Assistants.

_Rural engineering_, assistant.

_Short courses and exhibits:_ Superintendent. Associates. Assistants.

_Veterinary extension:_ State veterinarian. Associate. Assistants.

PHOTOGRAPHY, PHOTO-ENGRAVING, AND THREE-COLOR WORK

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This monograph was prepared by Prof. David J. Cook, Demonstrator and Instructor, in the Bissell Colleges, at Effingham, Ill., under direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance.

In the field of photography, photo-engraving, and three-color work you can succeed and re-establish yourself in civil life as an independent worker, in spite of your handicap, provided you have natural aptitude for the work. You can do this even if you have lost your hearing, or lost a hand, an arm, a foot, or a leg, or both legs, or an arm and a leg.

In the best studies and shops of the country, from $25 to $75 a week may be made by competent men; or one may establish himself in business with pleasant surroundings and ideal working conditions. The photographer and photo-engraver meet people at their best, and the taking of a picture, or the making of an engraving becomes merely an incident in a pleasant business transaction. Much of the work may be done while seated, and the work as a whole requires but little strength.

Photography, photo-engraving, or three-color work may be practiced as an art, as a business, as a profession, or as a science, and one has a wide range of choice in electing just the kind of work suitable to one’s condition, preferences, and past experience.

PLAN No. 945. AIR BRUSH WORK

Air brush work pertains to the working-up of enlargements and contact prints in black and white, sepia, or color. Expert operation of the air brush is little less than magical in its delicate shading and color effects. Operators of the air brush command high salaries and are in great demand.

PLAN No. 946. BROMIDE PRINTING

This is a trade in itself, and numerous houses make a specialty of bromide enlargements for the trade.

PLAN No. 947. COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Photographing machinery, furniture, fixtures, fabrics, glassware, and manufactured products is a distinct branch of trade, and the commercial photographer often builds up an enviable business, conducted with but little overhead expense. He is moreover, much in the open, and he can choose practically his own time to do his work. Some commercial photography is commonly done also by the regular portrait photographer, and much of this work can be done in the studio under cover. But little equipment is required, and the compensation is fair.

PLAN No. 948. COPYING, COLORING PHOTOGRAPHS AND LANTERN SLIDES, SLIDE MAKING, WORKING IN BACKGROUNDS, MOUNTING, SPOTTING AND FINISHING, RETOUCHING AND ETCHING

All of these special services are embraced in regular studio practice. Good workmen in any one of the lines indicated command good pay and steady employment. The demand for experts generally exceeds the supply, especially for retouchers and etchers, who can improve negatives artistically, and correct the seeming exaggerations of the camera. Good retouchers may establish retouch studios in the larger cities and secure work from local photographers at from 30 cents to $1 per negative, depending upon the amount of work required per negative. A good retoucher can do up to 20 negatives a day, piece-work.

PLAN No. 949. LANDSCAPE AND ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY

This work takes one out into the open; is very healthful; and quite a body builder. One with a knowledge or liking for building and construction work may fairly expect to succeed well. Practically all railroads employ view photographers, and their work is exceedingly interesting on account of the travel from place to place.

PLAN No. 950. PRESS PHOTOGRAPHY

The press photographer leads an exciting life and the man with a “nose” for news items finds himself ideally located at a good salary. Many of the best men recently engaged in war photography were formerly press photographers.

PLAN No. 951. AMATEUR FINISHING

Amateur finishing offers a good field for profit, and many establishments in large cities, and even in smaller communities, provide amateur finishing in sufficient amount to keep a photographer busy long into the night in the busy season. The busy season may, in fact, be practically all the year around, as almost everyone now has a hand camera or kodak, and depends nearly altogether on the amateur finisher to develop and print films.

PLAN No. 952. MAKING HOME PORTRAITS

The home portrait worker photographs his patrons in their own home surroundings. He need have no studio. Hence his expenses are light and his profits relatively large. Home portraiture is one of the most delightful branches of photography, and the highest prices are obtained for work in this line. Equipment will cost about $200; there is no overhead; and the worker may work either during the day, or at night by the aid of artificial lighting installations, such as flashlight or electric light.

PLAN No. 953. MOTION PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY

Motion picture photography is becoming more and more popular, and appeals strongly to the man who has a liking for the stage and for things emotional. Good operators make perhaps the highest salaries paid photographers. Here again one can specialize as a camera man, a laboratory man, or a printer. The laboratory work is chiefly that of developing the negative and positive films.

PLAN No. 954. PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

The portrait photographer must maintain more of an establishment than is required for some other lines of work, and may perhaps have to invest more money, since his place of business should be in some degree an art gallery. His is a busy and interesting life, and the maker of portraiture by photography should be a real artist, comparable with the artist who works with brushes and pigments. The artist-photographer’s work is just enough varied, in artistic lighting of the subject, development of the negative, retouching, mounting and finishing of the photograph, to stimulate interest. Every portrait is just a little bit different, and presents new problems for the photographer. Many studios employ 5 to 50 workers, and the incomes of some of our best studio owners amount up into five figures. Some workers specialize in portrait operating, printing and finishing, and developing and laboratory work--all highly paid branches.

PLAN No. 955. PHOTO ENGRAVING AND THREE-COLOR WORK

Photo-engraving in halftone, line, and three-color work seems bound to take its place along with its great ally, the art of printing. All sorts of texts are being more profusely illustrated, and the demand for good photo-engravers keeps pace with the demand for good printers. The following subjects may be listed as indicating specialty branches in this field, each of which provides subject matter for a systematic course of training.

SUBJECTS TAUGHT

_Line operating._--Making the negative without the use of the screen for a literally exact reproduction of pen and ink work, etc.

_Line printing._--Printing the line negative onto the coated metal.

_Line etching._--Corroding the metal with etching solutions after it has been printed upon, thereby producing a printing surface.

_Halftone operating._--The process of making screen negatives ready in every respect for the printer.

_Halftone printing._--Printing of the stipple negative on the coated zinc or copper plate.

_Halftone etching._--Etching the metal plate with the different solutions to produce a relief printing surface that will take the ink in the proper relations.

_Finishing._--Working with tools upon the etched metal plates to improve them in various ways, remove defects, etc.

_Routing._--Removing with the routing machines undesirable surface from the etched metal plates.

_Blocking._--Mounting the metal and making it ready for the hands of the printer.

_Proofing._--Inking the finished cut and printing on paper duly prepared.

_Three-color work._--Making of color separation negatives color plates, selection of inks, order of printing, etc.

In photo-engraving, and three-color work, one may be an all around workman or a specialist. In shop practice one is usually employed at a single operation, and being highly skilled in that, one obtains correspondingly high remuneration.

Employment in these several occupations may be had in commercial workshops, studios, engraving plants, newspaper plants, printing establishments, manufacturing establishments, homes, colleges, or in the open, and employment is not restricted to any one locality, but may be secured in the small town as well as in the great city. The practice of these arts is in fact very widespread. All tools are provided by the employer, and but little capital is needed to become established in a paying profession. A camera and lens and a halftone screen are the principal essentials.

WHY TRAINING IS NECESSARY

The photographer or photo-engraver who has “picked up” his profession in the ordinary manner will generally do his work but indifferently, and in consequence his success also will be only indifferent. He may have learned to do things simply by rule of thumb. To become an expert workman he must study and practice under competent instructors, and must follow some systematic course of training under such instruction. In a short time he may expect to become fitted to enter into his life work 100 per cent proficient, and he may expect to secure a good position immediately upon completion of his course. One can hardly expect to receive explicit and accurate instruction while working as an apprentice in busy shop or studio, and moreover, one rarely finds a worker that can even, if he has leisure, impart his knowledge to others as effectively as can the professional teacher. The practice in large institutions and organizations generally now is to require some systematic training as a qualification for employment.

After training one is enabled to take a paying position or to enter into business for oneself. The opportunities are good and the field is large for really good workmen. The hours are not long, and the work is not confining. The pay is better than in many other trades or professions and employment is fairly constant, as there is really no well-defined slack period.

PLAN No. 956. GENERAL INFORMATION--QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Q. What education is required to learn photography, photo-engraving, or three-color work?--A. Anyone with natural aptitude for the work who will make an earnest effort can succeed, whatever his previous education may have been.

Q. At what age is it best to learn photography or photo-engraving?--A. Any age over 18. It is never to late to learn.

Q. Can one learn to be a first-class up-to-date photographer by working in an ordinary studio?--A. Generally a student will learn more rapidly and acquire greater proficiency by taking a systematic course of training in some school of photography--even a short course.

Q. Is retouching a strain on the eyes?--A. Not if it is properly taught.

Q. Is a previous knowledge of photography necessary for those who would learn photo-engraving?--A. Not at all. All the photographic knowledge pertaining to the work is taught in the regular engraving courses.

Q. Is photo-engraving unhealthful?--A. Not in the least.

Q. Can one by taking employment in an ordinary plant acquire facility in all the up-to-date processes of photo-engraving?--A. A student will learn more in a shorter time by taking a systematic course in the subject.

Q. Do students generally take training in all three of the branches which have been described?--A. Very seldom; usually enrollments are for one of the three--i. e., either photography, photo-engraving, or three-color work.

PLAN No. 957. OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE JEWELRY TRADE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

This monograph was prepared by Miss Eleanor Adler, under direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance.

The disabled soldier, sailor, or marine during the days of waiting in the hospital will naturally ask himself, “What is the best way for me to earn a living with my handicap?”

He may find one of the many answers to that question in some of the opportunities of the jewelry trade. If he has two good hands and good eyesight, and if he has any mechanical bent, he may become in this trade the equal of any worker in it. One artificial leg or even two constitutes no serious handicap in this line of work. If, in addition to mechanical aptitude, he has any artistic creative capacity, he can become very expert and earn an assured income permanently.

Jewelry making is an old trade with a pedigree reaching back into medieval and ancient times. In those days it was more an art than an industry. Its master craftsmen were known by name and were famous for their particular skills. In recent times the installation of machinery has made it possible to produce some standardized articles by the gross instead of by the piece, thus greatly cheapening output. Fine-grade factories working chiefly in platinum still use hand processes and make their necklaces, brooches, and other pieces from individual designs and patterns. Cheaper-grade factories work more in gold and make many of their articles, such as cuff links, bracelets, and rings, of a standard pattern, which is stamped out by machines, the articles being turned out by the gross or dozen.

PLAN No. 958. WORKING IN PLATINUM

Processes in the platinum jewelry trade--the hammering, drawing, and soldering of the precious metal--require skilled craftsmanship.

The designer first makes the original picture or pattern of the brooch, necklace, or other piece, and if the details of the design and general character are approved he then makes an accurate pen-and-ink line drawing. He is paid from $35 to $75, possibly $100 a week.

The modeler makes a model in wax in the same way that the designer makes the picture. His wages are the same as the designer’s. Designers who are also modelers are much in demand.

The sketch or wax model then goes to the engraver, who transfers the design from the picture or wax to a flat piece of metal, engraving it lightly, in order to make a permanent record of the design. Engravers have to be very skilled and are paid from $40 to $60 per week.

The metal next goes to the jeweler, who “makes the piece”--that is, takes the flat piece of metal and hammers and models it--“using a soft lead block, upon which he rests his platinum plate, face downward, and modeling from the reverse side with various-sized blunt-nosed punches and a mallet whose head is made of rawhide.”[17] He then cuts out the design by following the engraved outline with a saw about the thickness of a coarse thread. All the leaf and so-called demelle decoration and other piercings are made in this way. The work is skilled and requires a steady hand and long practice, but can be developed from any good mechanic. It is paid by the hour, 75 cents to $1.25.[18]

[17] “Jewelry,” by De Witt A. Davidson, in “An Exhibition of American Industrial Art.”

[18] Unions claim that the wage ranges from 85 cents to $2.50 per hour.

Next the piece goes to the polisher, who polishes the back and attaches it to a frame or catch. Polishers in platinum factories are usually girls and are paid from $20 to $25 per week.

The stone setter then puts the piece into a bed of shellac to hold it firmly and mounts the diamonds, working up platinum beads out of the flat metal to hold the stones in place. Setting a row of diamonds so that they seem an uninterrupted line of brilliancy is called “pave work” and requires great skill. Stone setters are paid by the piece and make $40 to $125 per week.[19]

[19] Unions claim that the wage for this work ranges from $60 to $125 per week.

The metal is then taken off the shellac, goes once more to the polisher, and then to the finisher, who is merely a jeweler doing the particularly skilled work of final inspection and adjustment.

The number of processes in a platinum factory varies. In some cases they are so combined that one man performs several different processes. One expert may even make a whole piece from beginning to end. The tendency in this line is in fact back to the old Guild conditions at a time when the value of a jewel setting lay in its uniqueness. Very beautiful work is sometimes done in the homes of workmen. The material is called for, and the article is designed, wrought, and returned completely finished.

In cheaper-grade factories, on the other hand, processes are more subdivided, machine work being substituted for handwork. For instance, the engraver may be eliminated by stamping work out by dies instead of engraving it by hand. In this way platinum jewelry can be turned out faster, and in larger quantities than when engraved in single pieces, and of course the same skill is not required. The average wage is $25 per week. Cheaper grade factories all subdivide their processes more in this way, use more machines, and turn out work by the dozen in platinum and by the gross in gold, instead of by the piece.

PLAN No. 959. WORKING IN GOLD

A factory that works with gold employs designers in the same way as does the platinum factory.

The metal itself first goes to a melter and roller, who puts it into crucibles, then into the furnace, and then rolls it into ingots. The work is heavy, and necessitates standing and the use of both arms and feet. Wages are $25 per week.

In the cheaper-grade factories the gold, instead of going to the engraver for piecework, goes directly to the press and stamping room, where it is pierced by machines, stamped and pressed into patterns by the gross. Conditions of work are the same as in the first department, except the presswork, which is fairly light, but necessitates the use of one leg. Wages range from $18 to $25 per week.

The article then goes to the jeweler, who assembles the parts, solders them in the center, and shapes them by the aid of small machines and blowpipes, according to samples shown him. Wages are from $18 to $40 per week.

The work next goes to the polisher, either a man or a girl, who does the polishing seated at a buffing wheel. The polisher earns from $18 to $35 per week.

If the article is to be dipped in a solution to change its color, it then goes to the colorer, who is often also a polisher, and earns the same wages.

When fine work is done by an engraver, his work is much the same as in a platinum factory. Very expert work is paid from $40 to $60 per week. The same statement applies to the stone setter, who is paid by the piece, and often makes from $70 to $100 per week.

The article lastly goes to the finisher, who is here again merely an ordinary jeweler who inspects the completed work.

The toolmaker has charge of making the stamping dies, at 75 cents an hour.

ADVANTAGES OF THE JEWELRY TRADE

The advantages of the jewelry trade for men with disabled legs are many. First of all the work is seated and requires little physical strength. Most of the processes are carried on at long tables near windows, with articles laid on a sort of easel in front of the men and manipulated with small instruments. The trade itself is such as to insure good working conditions--good light, sanitary workrooms, fair precautions against fire (the sprinkler system is in many factories) and space sufficient to avoid overcrowding. There are no unpleasant odors or unsanitary by-products such as are found in many industries, and there is little noise. Hours have been shortened in the past 10 years from 55 to 44 per week in New York City and Newark and to 48 throughout the rest of the country. Employment is stable, and the fairly skilled mechanic finds work all the year round. The busy season is in summer and fall; but the spring, which is light, is utilized for developing new ideas for quality production later and stock taking for the holiday season.

As an old stone setter put it, “Training in jewelry work is a good investment, and never leaves a man with a trade on his hands and no value in the market for it.”

Another important advantage of the jewelry trade is its demand for man labor. The industry is a steady, probably a developing one, with possibilities of extended export trade. It can probably absorb a large number of men. Jewelers find it hard to get apprentice boys, chiefly because the apprenticeship is long and poorly paid, but that difficulty is done away with for soldiers, who are paid by the Government while in training. Platinum factories employ on an average 70 to 80 men, gold factories from 400 to 500. There are nearly 150 factories in Newark and about 300 in New York, who assert that they need labor and will pay good prices to get it. Employees start at some such process as soldering, at $10 to $15 per week, and can work up to $20 to $30, and in the better class work later to $60 and $75, or even $125.

PLAN No. 960. AREA OF EMPLOYMENT

The area of employment in the trade is largely in the East, about 75 per cent in New York, Newark, and the cheaper-grade factories in New England. There are some jewelry factories in Chicago and other large cities in the West.

TOOLS AND MACHINES USED

The tools and machines used in the trade are chiefly the following:

Drop hammer up to 200 pounds to a large degree power lifted.

Punch and cutter presses.

Lathes, machine and speed.

Power, plate, and wire rolls.

Power drawbenches.

Welding and soldering outfits.

Polishing lathes, lapping lathes (to polish metal.)

Blowers (to supply air in connection with soldering.)

Melting furnaces of various sizes.

Annealing furnaces.

Hand tools, such as workbenches, files, saws, hammers, drills, alcohol, ammonia, emery paper, various shellacs and acids.

UNIONS

Local unions are fairly strong in New York City, but are not officially recognized by manufacturers. They have, however, enforced competitive bidding, which has driven prices up very high, and has made conditions practically those of the closed shop. They claim a membership in New York City of 3,500. In Newark they are not so strongly organized.

BONUSES

There is no recognized system of benefit funds. A few factories have individual associations for sick benefits, which are rather discouraged by the unions. Some distribute bonuses on the 1st of January.

TRAINING

There are at present no adequate courses of training for the jewelry trade. A jeweler is put at the bench and starts in with the simpler processes. He is usually broken in at so-called jewelry work, chiefly at soldering processes. If he is quick, he can be promoted in time to the more expert departments. There is a fixed system of apprenticeship in each factory, covering one, two, or even three years, with a bonus at the end of the period, and limiting the number of apprentices allowed by the unions to 1 apprentice to every 10 employees. The jewelers have for some time been considering starting training classes in New York or Newark, similar to a small professional class recently successfully started by a manufacturing jeweler in Chicago. They are also taking up the question of training classes in their own factories. According to their suggestion, courses ought to last anywhere from six months to two or three years, according to the ability of the worker “to catch on.”

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

There are no essential educational requirements, though a good school education helps and a knowledge of mechanical drawing is “a leg up,” and puts a worker immediately at the more expert and highly paid processes. Any man who has had experience at delicate work of any kind, who has perhaps liked the finer handwork in occupational therapy at the hospitals, who has two good hands and good eyesight, and is not too disabled to reach the shop, will find no handicap in this trade. If he has a mechanical bent and flexible fingers he can become an efficient jeweler. If, in addition, he has any artistic, creative capacity, he can develop into a stone setter, engraver, or designer. His work then becomes of a personal nature, commands a comfortable salary, and can bring him, despite disablement, to the top in the industry.

PLAN No. 961. TRANSPORTATION--INTRODUCTORY

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This monograph was prepared by Clarence E. Bonnett, under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Percy R. Todd, General Manager, Bangor & Aroostook Railroad, Bangor, Me., and to Dr. John Cummings of the Research Division for editorial assistance.

WHAT TRANSPORTATION INVOLVES

In transportation men are concerned with the moving of persons and goods from one place to another. Transportation requires, however, many other operations than simply loading, hauling, and unloading passengers and freight. Charges must be determined and collected, records must be kept, movements of trains, cars, boats, and other vehicles must be directed, repairs to equipment must be made, and numerous other matters must be handled. These numerous operations call for hundreds of thousands of employees in many different trades and occupations.

OCCUPATIONS VARIED BUT OF GREAT RESPONSIBILITY

Thus in transportation there are so many different sorts of occupations that nearly any individual who likes responsibility can become interested in some part of the great field. There are occupations in which responsibility rests upon the employee for insuring the safety of property, and this responsibility is not by any means inconsiderable. In other occupations employees are responsible for lives as well as property, and risk their own lives in the service. There is office work for those who like it and plenty of traveling for those who enjoy that. If a life out of doors appeals to you, transportation can give you a job of that sort. In short, if you have a liking for responsibility you can find a job in transportation service that will suit you.

DISABILITIES AND RETRAINING

If you were engaged in transportation before you were disabled, you are probably still interested in this work, and would return to it if you did not feel that your disabilities unfitted you for your old job. If you wish to go back into transportation and can not take up your old job or a new one in that field without retraining, you want to know how to get retraining and how retraining will help you. Retraining and devices may help you to get your old job again. Retraining ought to do more than simply this. It ought to get you a better job than you had before. It is to help you to analyze and see your own possibilities as they are related to the various transportation occupations that this booklet is written.

DIVISIONS OF TRANSPORTATION

In general, transportation is performed by steam railroads, by street railways, by wagons and automobiles, and by boats. Of these agencies, steam railroads employ the largest number of men in so far as regular occupations are concerned. We shall, therefore, consider first the occupations and trades connected with the operation of steam railroads.

PLAN No. 962. PART I. STEAM RAILROADS

Railroading in the United States is a gigantic enterprise. In 1916, a prewar year, our railroads possessed about 65,000 locomotives, 2,342,000 freight cars, 55,000 passenger cars, and 98,000 company service cars. There were 259,000 miles of single track and enough of double track to raise this figure to 293,000 miles of main track. In addition there were 102,000 miles of sidings. Employees of railroads numbered 1,654,000 and were paid $1,403,968,000 as their compensation for the year 1916. Obviously, among so large a number of employees operating so varied an equipment are found many different trades and occupations.

SAFETY ON RAILROADS

Railroading is attended with personal risk for many of the employees, but only in a small number of cases is a man who is disabled in the service of a railroad rendered unfit for further service. Many of the older railroad men have suffered injuries of some sort, since the use of safety devices is relatively recent. Quite a number of injured men have in the past been given office, clerical, or watchmen’s work, since there is a vast amount of such work to be done, and it involves comparatively little personal risk.

FACTORS CONTROLLING PROMOTION

For the man who lacks a technical or college education there is almost a dead line to promotion into the higher offices. For instance, the wide-awake section hand can become a section foreman, then a construction gang foreman, a supervisor, and perhaps a roadmaster. But he can hardly ever hope to become an engineer of maintenance of way unless he acquires in the meanwhile an extended knowledge of civil engineering especially as applied to railroading. The disabled soldier or sailor, if unfitted to pursue his old occupation, can secure this very desirable training through the Federal Board for Vocational Education. He can thus secure an advancement that he might not otherwise have obtained.

There have been three conflicting forces governing promotions in railroading--favoritism, seniority, and efficiency. At one time favoritism was so strong that graft and toadyism gave inexperienced men promotion over men with long experience. The seniority rule was introduced by the labor organizations to offset the old evil, and for two men of equal intelligence and native ability selection by seniority is a fair method of giving promotion. In such a case seniority coincides with efficiency. But seniority of itself does not necessarily in all cases give the higher position to the man best fitted for it, since long years in the service will not train the thoughtless, careless man as well as a few years will the alert man. Railroad employees in all branches of the service strongly contend as a group for their seniority rights. This means that an outsider usually has a long waiting period for advancement into the best positions. Efficiency is becoming more the rule, but the old influences still prevail in some departments, partly because standards of efficiency are rather indeterminate, largely because changes in a widespread system can not be wrought in a day. If favoritism could be abolished employees would not insist so strenuously upon their seniority rights.

Since the railroads have been subjected to public regulation they have appreciated the value of courteous treatment of the public. Accordingly they reward the courteous employees by promotion, and no longer tolerate a grossly uncivil one as they did in the early days.

Loyalty to the railroad organization is regarded to-day by railroad officials as the foremost requisite for those wishing promotion--a loyalty that places the railroad organization first, whether it be a question of public regulation or of labor unionization. Fairfax Harrison, president of the Southern Railway Co., has thus stated the case:

“There are three requisites for advancement in railroad service--loyalty, efficiency in your present job, and preparedness for larger responsibilities. Efficiency and preparedness for higher place go together, for that man will be most efficient in his present job who is not content with mere mechanical performance of his duties, but who has an intelligent understanding of them in their relation to the service as a whole and who has qualified to take over the duties and responsibilities of his immediate superior on a moment’s notice.”

WHY TAKE THE TRAINING?

It is however, a generally known fact among railroaders that few men in the lower positions have the chance to learn efficiently all the duties required of them in the next higher position. For example, a track workman rarely has the opportunity to make out reports and payrolls, or even to do alignment sighting, unless he is favored by his foreman. By taking the training provided by the Federal Board he can learn to do this and other highly skilled work, and thus have an unusual opportunity for advancement. He could study civil engineering and become an engineer-maintenance-of-way.

CLASSES OF RAILROAD OCCUPATIONS

There are various ways of classifying railroad employees, but we shall use here a grouping suited to our purposes, based largely on physical and mental requirements and the training involved. We are not so much concerned with the several administrative departments--accounting, operating, traffic, etc.--as with the work done in different occupations. There is obviously a marked difference between the physical requirements for an office position and those for a position as railroad brakeman. On a basis of the requirements made upon the employee, railroad occupations may be grouped as follows:

1. Office or clerical work.

2. Shop work--repairing equipment.

3. Track work--repairing track and structures.

4. Train work--operating the trains.

5. Work conducing directly to train operation.

PLAN No. 963. OFFICE AND CLERICAL WORK

In railroad office and clerical work the requirements upon the employee are mainly mental. In this group we find the general and divisional officers--financial, legal, surgical, engineering, managing--telegraphers, train dispatchers and train directors, telephone operators, station agents, passengers and freight agents, station masters, and all sorts of clerks--accountants, rate clerks, traffic clerks, etc. For these positions a man may qualify although he may have suffered from considerable physical disabilities, providing he is mentally alert and has some knowledge of railroading. The knowledge that a man should acquire or the training that he should take will, of course, depend upon the particular position he wishes to fill.

Let us consider some of the principal office and clerical occupations, so that you may be able to select the one that appeals to you. We may well begin with the telegraph operator.

PLAN No. 964. TELEGRAPHY AS AN OCCUPATION FOR THE DISABLED

Few physical disabilities will debar an intelligent man from becoming a telegraph operator. Poor hearing, the loss of both arms or of both eyes are handicaps that can not be overcome, but nearly any other disability can be overcome. The occupation rarely subjects a man to exposure to bad weather. Telegrapher’s cramp and electric shocks are the chief occupational hazards to be guarded against.

The position of the operator is stimulating, even at a small station on a through line, since much of the important news of the day goes over the wires. Of course, he is bound to keep secret all such news, and there are through wires on which he can not listen in.

TELEGRAPHIC APPARATUS

The instruments used consist of a key for sending messages and a relay or sounder for receiving messages. To install an outfit is a simple matter for anyone who is at all familiar with the action of an electric current, for the principle of operation is merely that of breaking up the flow of current into dots and dashes in various combinations.

TRAINING FOR TELEGRAPHY

However, facility in transferring letters into dots and dashes and translating dots and dashes into letters is not so easily acquired. Only after much practice does the beginner form the habit of doing this readily. He must of course memorize the Morse alphabet, but, further than that, he must become so familiar with the dots and dashes that when he hears them in combination he thinks that he is actually hearing a word, not a certain number of dots and dashes. He must form the habit of thinking words in dots and dashes without thinking of the clicks, just as one reads a page without thinking of the separate printed letters that go to make up the words.

The operator needs further to acquire a rapid legible handwriting, so that he can write down rapidly the message as he receives it and never get very far behind the sender. Since, however, it is difficult for one to write as fast as an experienced sender can send, the operator must learn to retain in mind a number of words and phrases, so that when he is receiving messages sent rapidly he can copy behind the sender and catch up at breaks for new sentences and paragraphs, or at the end. Some operators have learned to receive messages, writing them out on the typewriter as they come over the wire. This is an accomplishment worth striving to attain, especially if one can not write legibly and at the same time rapidly.

THE TELEGRAPHER MUST LEARN MORE THAN MERE TELEGRAPHY

There are a number of other things that the telegraph operator needs to learn, especially if he holds a position at a small station. He must learn a large number of abbreviations, so that he knows immediately what they mean. Some of these abbreviations are made up of the main consonants in the word, while others are simply arbitrary numbers. Sometimes these numbers refer to a printed form which he must use repeatedly. A knowledge of switchboards and cut-outs, of installation and renewal of batteries, and of care and adjustment of instruments is highly desirable and usually necessary. All operators must know the rules and regulations of the company and govern themselves accordingly, and they must be fully acquainted with signaling systems and appliances.

If the operator is located at a small station, he probably has part or all the work of the station agent to perform at some time. If he is located at a large station, there are emergencies when he may be called upon to do such work, so that he should become familiar with the work of the station agent. This, of course, means that he must become familiar with rates, both freight and passenger, must sell tickets, make out freight bills, and do railroad bookkeeping. The complaint most frequently made against schools teaching telegraphy is that the student is taught telegraphy and nothing else, so that when he takes employment he has to learn at once nearly everything connected with station work.

HOURS AND WAGES OF TELEGRAPHERS

Hours are generally eight per day, and wages are good, averaging around $1,100 or $1,200 per year for all operators, which means that the efficient employee who works regularly gets much more than $1,200. Employment is regular throughout the year. Rarely does an operator send or receive for a long period of time without a break to rest. Most messages are ten-word ones, which means the transmission of probably not over twenty words, including names, addresses, and office data.

WILL TELEGRAPHERS BE NEEDED?

As to the permanency of the occupation, there is only the telephone that in any way threatens to make the telegrapher unnecessary. The limitations of the telephone are such, however, as to make that instrument supplemental to the telegraph. The telephone is, for example, more liable to get out of order, because the apparatus is more complicated, and when out of order it can not easily be put in commission again by the average operator. The telegraph lends itself readily to codes and a written record is usually made of messages sent by telegraph, while the telephone lends itself readily to conversation. Thus each has its own proper uses. The wireless seems to be better adapted to telegraph instruments than to the telephone, especially for long distances. There has been no practical device invented for relaying messages mechanically with the telephone, as can be done with the telegraph. Although the telephone has proved to be satisfactory in the direction of trains, and is being installed on the railroads rather generally, it is hardly probable that it will entirely displace the telegraph. However, it is to be noted that there is some possibility that the service may be flooded with telegraphers only partially qualified to do their work. Radio operators trained in the war can readily become telegraph operators and during the war many women have learned telegraphy. A disabled soldier or sailor entering this occupation should take supplementary training for the position of station agent, so that he may in some measure avoid the competition of radio and women operators.

DISABLED SOLDIERS WHO HAVE LEARNED TELEGRAPHY

By way of illustration a few cases may be cited of disabled Canadian soldiers who have taken training as telegraphers and entered successfully into this work. Returned soldiers whose former occupations had been that of farmer or farm hand have taken the training courses offered them by their Government, and have thus fitted themselves for this, to them, entirely new line of work. One farm hand, for example, disabled by stiffness of the left elbow, studied telegraphy and secured a position as assistant agent on the Grand Trunk Railway. Another disabled soldier, a former farmer, suffering from leg trouble, studied telegraphy and now holds a position as a railroad telegrapher at a salary of $95 per month. (Salaries paid telegraphers in the United States are considerably higher than in Canada.) Another farmer so disabled in the army that he had but little use of his left leg took a course in telegraphy and now holds a position as an operator paying $82.50 per month, with house, light, and heat free. Still another farmer, who lost his left arm in the army, after studying telegraphy secured a position as a wireless operator at $85 per month and board. If you have not lost your mental equipment and ambition, you can do as well as or better than these disabled Canadians have done.

Other disabled soldiers have taken training for telegraphy to enable them to get into an employment paying more than their former occupation and giving more regular employment. A waiter afflicted with heart trouble, for example, a bricklayer who lost three fingers on his left hand and had wrist injured, a rubber-shoe maker afflicted with stiffness of the left elbow joint, each studied telegraphy, and each has secured a position on Canadian railways.

Old railroad men whose disabilities prevented them from returning to their former occupations have taken training for telegraphy, in which branch of railroading working conditions were better than in their old jobs. A locomotive fireman who had sustained a gunshot wound and lost the vision of his right eye and a finger from his left hand studied telegraphy and secured a position as a station agent. A lineman whose legs were too weak for his old position took both the commercial and telegraphy courses and now has a position as an operator at $88 per month. If you have had practical experience as a railroad man, the courses offered you by your Government will give you the training necessary to enable you to secure that higher position which you have often hoped you could get. Why do you not make your disability your opportunity for advancement? Now is the time to take the training and secure that promotion.

LINE OF PROMOTION FOR TELEGRAPHERS

An operator may be promoted to a position as train dispatcher, or as station agent, depending upon his interest and abilities and upon the available opportunities. Opportunities to become station agents are more frequent, because the number of station agents employed is much larger, and promotion in this line may be continued by transfer from a small to a larger station. Before passing to a consideration of the occupation of the station agent, we shall note briefly the position of the train dispatcher.

PLAN No. 965. THE TRAIN DISPATCHER

The train dispatcher must be an expert operator and must have other qualifications which he may have acquired while working as an operator. He must understand the workings of the operating department; he must know the location of sidings and telegraph offices, the distances, grades, and track conditions between sidings and offices, and something of engineers, engines, and train loads. He must have a clear head and must not get confused nor trust to memory or guess as to location of trains. He must keep a record of the progress of all trains and refer to it constantly. He must have the ability to direct men in person or at a distance, since the operators are subject to his orders. It is absolutely necessary that he know thoroughly all the operating rules and regulations of the road. The position is one of great responsibility, especially on roads with heavy traffic on a single-track system. Since he must direct all trains on his division, the mental strain at times is considerable. But the hours are usually short, and the wages paid are high--the annual average being nearly twice that for operators.

The train dispatcher may advance to the position of chief dispatcher, whose duties include supervision of train dispatchers, and general operation of all trains. In emergencies his duties and responsibilities are especially exacting.

PLAN No. 966. THE STATION AGENT

In no one other position probably are working conditions so varied as in that of the station agent. He may be located at a small village on a branch line where he meets perhaps two trains a day and performs all the work around the office from telegraphing to caring for the United States mail. Or he may be located in a large city, where his work is that of supervising a small army of employees. But whether he is in the smallest position or in the largest, he must understand the railroad’s business as it relates to his work. He must understand rates, both passenger and freight; must know how to keep records and accounts correctly; how to make out freight bills and coupon tickets, even although he himself may not have to do this work; and he must know how to handle men. It is through him that the public comes most closely in contact with the railroad, and he can make or lose traffic for the railroad by the manner in which he meets customers or would-be customers. Courtesy in station agents is being prized more and more by railroad administrators. A popular agent is an asset, an uncivil one, a liability. The agent at a small station can obtain much business for the company through a knowledge of through rates and routes, although he must allow the shipper to choose the route. All station agents must be experienced operators on lines where the telephone is not used. They must be thoroughly familiar with railroad signals and with traffic rules and regulations. Even in a small place, the agent comes more in contact with the outside world than most of the other inhabitants of the village. His position is one of financial responsibility, since he handles large sums of money. Upon him devolves largely responsibility also for the safety of travelers and freight, since he plays a part in the directing of trains. He can save the railroad from losses in claims for lost and damaged goods, by seeing that names and addresses are marked clearly on packages, that goods are packed properly for shipment, and that packages are handled carefully.

PLAN No. 967. STATION CLERKS, BAGGAGEMEN, AND OTHER WORKERS

At the larger stations, the work of the station agent is that of supervising a large number of clerks, baggagemen, and other workers.

Among these clerks are ticket sellers whose duties are to calculate rates and fill out coupon tickets with correct routings, and to sell local and excursion tickets. They must be very careful to make correct charge for the tickets sold. They make out detailed reports of the tickets sold and money received.

The head baggageman and his assistants receive and forward all baggage left with them, determine if there is any excess and collect the charges for excess. They issue duplicate checks for baggage left with them when the passenger presents his ticket and asks for the checks. They also give out baggage arriving at the station on presentation of the duplicate check issued at another office. The head baggageman must be able to handle men and direct them so as to avoid making mistakes, but he must usually be physically able himself to handle baggage.

In the freight department are rate clerks, who give information as to rates and classifications; billing clerks, who bill freight, enter weights, etc.; and other clerks, who attend to accounts, records, correspondence, and claims.

Disabled soldiers or sailors with good common-school education could, after short periods of training, fill any of these positions. Salaries average slightly less than $1,000 per year. For ticket sellers comparatively few disabilities are serious handicaps, except such as may be repellant to the traveling public, which does not usually like to be reminded of accidents. Freight clerks have not even this condition to meet, and if they are not called upon to handle freight they will not be seriously handicapped by physical disabilities which would bar them from many occupations.

At important freight centers a considerable number of employees are directly engaged in handling freight, under the supervision of a freight-house foreman. This foreman has charge of the freight house, directs the placing of cars at the warehouse and the loading and unloading of freight, and is responsible for keeping records so that freight may be readily found. He must be able to handle men, and must know how freight should be packed and stored, both in the freight house and in the cars. He must be able to classify freight and to file properly all records relating to freight. He has usually been promoted from a position as checker, warehouseman, or trucker. Any disabled man who has held such jobs, if he is intelligent and can handle men, could with some training become a freight-house foreman. Poor sight or hearing would, however, usually be serious handicaps.

The freight checker has a position that pays better than that of the trucker--who is rated as an unskilled laborer. The freight checker checks the freight into and out of the freight house, warehouse, or car. He must be able to check consignments accurately, and should know the classes of freight.

At transfer points, a transfer agent performs duties similar to those performed in the positions just considered. He sees that shipments are properly transferred. He makes the necessary notations on waybills, and keeps a complete record of the transfer and of the cost incurred. He must understand loading and unloading freight and must be able to handle laborers. Not infrequently he has been promoted from a position as agent at a small station. A disabled man with good sight and hearing, who can write, might be trained for this position.

PLAN No. 968. DIVISION SUPERVISORS

At division points on the railroads, there are a number of station and yard employees whose duties are supervisory. Among these employees are the station master with his assistant, the supervising agent, the yardmaster, with his assistant, and the train director.

PLAN No. 969. THE STATION MASTER AND HIS ASSISTANT

The station master directs the making up and dispatching of local passenger trains, receives and dispatches through passenger trains, and looks after the necessary shifting of cars in such trains. He sees that all these trains are provided with crews ready to take prompt charge of the train. He has general supervision over all employees about the station, and reports on neglect of duty by any of these.

The assistant station master has the same general duties as the station master and must have the same qualifications. The assistant works when the station master is off duty, or in the larger stations relieves the station master of part of his work.

These men must be courteous to the traveling public, and must have had experience in the operation of trains in the yards, so as to be able to direct train movements efficiently. They must have the ability to handle men and to make sound decisions quickly. The physical requirements are good health, sight, and hearing. Disabilities which would not prevent quick movement from place to place would not be serious handicaps to well qualified men.

PLAN No. 970. THE SUPERVISING AGENT

The supervising agent has general charge of passenger, baggage, freight, and scale agents. He employs and supervises the employees who take care of the station grounds and buildings. He must possess executive ability, and must have had experience in the positions he supervises, to enable him to select properly qualified men, and to direct their work intelligently.

PLAN No. 971. THE YARDMASTER AND HIS ASSISTANT

The yardmaster has immediate supervision over yard employees and yard operation. On some railroads he has also supervision over the calling of train crews and the train seniority list. He is aided in his work by assistant yardmasters and by yard clerks. The assistant yardmasters’ duties and qualifications are of the same general character as those of the yardmaster.

These men must see that cars are not unnecessarily delayed in passing through their yard. They must receive the waybills for cars arriving, and deliver these to the conductors taking charge of the cars when they depart. They must make records of all the transactions and fill out reports. They must be thoroughly familiar with the rules governing train operation and defining the duties of employees connected with train service. The yardmaster must see that all orders are properly given and executed. He must have good color eyesight and hearing, and be able to stand exposure to weather. He would not be seriously handicapped by the loss of limbs, provided he could write out reports and make records and move quickly from place to place. A disabled trainman could take training for the position of assistant yardmaster and thus be in line for promotion to the position of yardmaster, although the seniority rule might prevent him from getting this promotion quickly.

PLAN No. 972. THE TRAIN DIRECTOR

The duties of the train director are to receive and transmit train orders for the movement of trains, from the train dispatcher to the train crews. Accordingly he must be an expert telegrapher or telephoner, have good color eyesight and good hearing, and be thoroughly familiar with the rules and regulations relating to the movement and signaling of trains.

PLAN No. 973. OTHER STATION AND YARD WORKERS

Under the station masters, yardmasters, and supervisors are a number of minor clerks, attendants, and laborers. But little skill is required of the laborers, whose work is largely physical and the wages paid them are the usual wages for unskilled labor. The duties of minor clerks vary so from station to station and so overlap that any detailed account of their services would be confusing. Some of these clerical positions might be suitable for some disabled men, and the training necessary is usually short. It must in fact generally be taken in the position itself for the special duties assigned in the given case.

PLAN No. 974. TRAIN CALLERS AND TICKET EXAMINERS

A disabled man with a good voice and memory might become a train caller at a large station. A disabled passenger conductor might become a ticket examiner, since his knowledge of tickets and of the various stations would be the sort of information required for this position; but the pay would probably be lower than that of conductors.

PLAN No. 975. OFFICE WORK

In the divisional or general offices the reports, accounts, and similar matters that come in from station agents are handled. There is the accounting division concerned with receipts and expenditures, most of which are for small amounts, and all of which must be totaled in various ways--a considerable task of itself. Expenditures must frequently be analyzed according to different regulations, and reports must be compiled for State and Federal commissions. Because of these requirements the railroad accountant must learn many things about railroad systems and the public regulation of railroads that another accountant does not need to know.

In the divisional and general offices a great deal of statistical work must be done. A number of clerks are employed in preparing exhibits for the rate or wage hearings, of which there are usually one or more in progress in some part of the country. Much of this statistical work is done in the traffic department.

PLAN No. 976. THE TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT

The traffic department is the rate-making and traffic-getting department of the railroad. In this department much correspondence is carried on; many letters are received, answered, and filed, especially in obtaining traffic. The answering of inquiries of all sorts is in itself a big task. The traffic department considers the revision of old rates and classifications and the issue of new rates or special rates. Here is where individual rates, rate structures, and classifications are first formulated. The change of a rate structure is usually made only after an extended study of traffic conditions and of the probable effect of the proposed rate structure. The traffic department presents such matters to the various classification committees for action, and jointly with the traffic departments of other railroads in the territory covered it forms the traffic association and classification committees. It thus operates to affect rates on other railroads and it presents new rates and classifications to the Interstate Commerce Commission or to State commissions for approval. It must frequently prepare for hearings upon changes in rates and classifications. It draws upon the auditing and operating departments for much of the information upon which new rates are formulated.

There are two divisions to the traffic department, namely, the freight and the passenger divisions. The freight division makes studies of the commodities to be moved, of the competition the railroad has to meet, and of the charges that the traffic will bear without being diverted to other lines or routes. It adjusts claims for lost or damaged freight. It solicits business by keeping in touch with the shipping interests along its line or those who could be induced to use its line in connection with another road. For this purpose traveling freight agents are employed. These men must know rates, routes, commodities, and men. Their employment depends upon their knowledge of their business and their ability to meet and convince, for instance, the manufacturer that he should ship over their line. In other words, they are salesmen of railroad service.

WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT SERVICE

Former railroad conductors or brakemen of a high degree of intelligence, who have been disabled in the war, may in some cases wisely elect to take training for service in the traffic department. Much of the information that a conductor or brakeman has learned in his old position will be of value to him. In the traffic department both officers and clerks must know how properly to bill freight, how to calculate both local and through freight rates, and how to route through freight over connecting lines. They must know the junctions where cars can be transferred and where they can not, and where less-than-car load shipments can be transferred without drayage. They must be familiar with the seasonal movement of freight and must know what commodities come from certain districts and with what regularity, in order to anticipate heavy freight movements, and have cars at points where they are most needed. The intelligent conductor or brakeman has already acquired much of this information. Freight conductors are well qualified for training as traffic men, traveling freight agents, terminal traffic men, assistant traffic managers, or even traffic managers. Former clerks in the traffic department also could take training and qualify for better positions.

The passenger division of the traffic department attempts to obtain extensive travel over its lines. Conventions, circuses, and all such attractions for crowds are noted and excursions provided whenever they seem to promise to be profitable. Such excursions must be advertised, and this demands an advertising man in the department.

In large cities where many competing railroads center, city ticket offices are maintained from which solicitors are sent out to induce persons known to be planning a trip to travel on their respective lines. A disabled passenger conductor might qualify by training for a position in this division, and find that his past experience would be very helpful in the new position.

Those formerly in purely clerical positions, who have been disabled, may advantageously take courses in rates and rate making, and thus qualify for higher positions.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE OF VALUE FOR OTHER OFFICE AND CLERICAL WORK

In other departments of railroad service, there are a large number of positions that former train, station, or track men who have been disabled could advantageously fill, utilizing their railroading experience, and taking training for the new positions. These disabled men would have to be men of intelligence and not too old to take up a somewhat different line of work.

Such men could, for example, learn accounting and would find their knowledge of train matters, track affairs, and station duties of value in helping them to understanding certain accounts. Auditors could do their work more efficiently if they understood more of the work in the various branches of railroad service.

Again, top-heavy engines would not be placed on tracks made up largely of curves, in the hope that the high drivers would give greater speed than could be developed from lower-wheeled engines, had the responsible officials or their advisers understood more of track maintenance, especially in cuts in rainy weather. In one instance when high-wheeled engines were placed in service on a road the track men complained immediately, but it took a series of wrecks on curves to induce a change to safer engines.

The claim department could utilize men who have been “out on the road.” Actual railroad experience would be of value to a young man about to enter the legal department of a railroad. A young railroad man inclined to legal affairs could take the training provided by the Federal Board, and thus make his disability a means of advancement to one of the highest paid positions on railroads.

The purchasing agent and his assistants could undoubtedly gain in efficiency by having in their offices men who have had actual experience in handling the materials that these agents must purchase. When to insist upon strict compliance with all specifications, and when in the case of certain specifications to make concessions, are matters that may involve large sums of money and in such matters the advice of men with actual experience in using the materials would be very helpful.

PLAN No. 977. AN ESTIMATE OF A RAILROAD GENERAL MANAGER

Percy R. Todd, Assistant to District Director and General Manager, Bangor & Aroostook Railroad, Bangor, Me., says:

“There always has been, and, in my judgment, always will be a demand in excess of the supply for the following classes of employees, particularly relating to office work, viz.:

“Stenographers.

“Tariff clerks (trained in the framing and publication of freight and passenger tariffs in accordance with Interstate Commerce Commission rules).

“Freight claim clerks (trained in the handling of both overcharge and loss and damage freight claims).

“Waybill clerks (there has always been great difficulty in obtaining trained men to make waybills at stations).

“Telegraph operators.

“Expert railroad accountants.

“Clerks trained in valuation of railroads.

“In all of the above-mentioned lines, so far as my personal experience goes, there has always been a shortage and probably always will be.

“As to stenography, I consider it the very best medium through which any young man can make progress on a railroad, as it lifts him at once above the mass of clerks and gives him an individuality and a touch with executive officers which almost invariably leads to his promotion.

“In this connection I might add that the traffic manager of the New York Central Railroad, * * *, was at one time my stenographer when I was connected with the New York Central System, and rose from that position to be traffic manager of all their lines; the president of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, who died three or four years ago, started as a stenographer with the Michigan Central Railroad at Chicago.

“The general manager to-day of one of the New England railroads started as a stenographer with the same company, and I could give a great many more instances of what stenography has done for men who had the brains to back it up.”

PLAN No. 978. SHOPWORK

For the second group of employments designated, shopwork, the physical requirements are higher than for office and clerical work, since shopwork generally calls for at least ordinary strength and eyesight. Shopworkers include general foremen, gang and other foremen, machinists, boiler makers, blacksmiths, carpenters, painters, upholsterers, electricians, air brake men, car inspectors, car repairmen, mechanics helpers, and apprentices. A number of men now employed in these occupations have suffered injuries to hands or feet, or have defective hearing. Foremen can perform their duties under disabilities that would be serious handicaps for workmen, but a foreman needs good eyesight.

SKILL REQUIRED FOR SHOPWORK

Practically all of these occupations require considerable skill and general knowledge of railroad equipment. While the workmen have machines with which to perform many operations in the shop, still much handwork must be done. This is the case because repair work is varied, and the work must usually be done partly on the car or engine, sometimes out on the road. The machinist’s work is generally heavy and greasy. Some of the carpentering and paint work is rough, as is that on box cars, while some, such as the cabinet making and varnishing of passenger coaches, is highly skilled.

TRAINING

A skilled machinist or mechanic can learn to do railroad work very quickly after he gets on the job. Others must spend a period of apprenticeship to learn the trade. Quite a number of railroads have regular apprenticeship courses. Wood-working and metal-trade schools also give much of the training required for railroad shop work. We give below a description of the occupations to suggest to the disabled soldier the training he will probably need, and to enable him to decide whether the occupations are suited to his disabilities.

GREAT DEMAND FOR SHOPWORKERS

For the disabled soldier or sailor who is mechanically inclined, the railroad shop offers an opportunity for good wages and advancement. The depreciation of the great amount of mechanical equipment of a modern railroad is very large and railroads have not had in the shops for a number of years sufficient men to keep the rolling stock in good condition. The number of bad-order cars and locomotives has been large, and they have not moved out of the shops as rapidly as they should. The automobile industry has undoubtedly been a strong competitor for the mechanics who otherwise might have gone into railroad shops. Some railroads have attempted to provide themselves with sufficient machinists by training apprentices in considerable numbers.

PLAN No. 979. THE HEADS OF THE TWO DEPARTMENTS

The master mechanic has charge of the machine shop and the employees therein. Under him, are usually, shop foremen, roundhouse foremen, road foremen, and sometimes other supervisors. He may himself be under a superintendent of motive power, or directly under the division superintendent.

Usually on a par with the master mechanic is the superintendent of the car department, sometimes called a master carpenter, who has charge of car builders and painters, repairmen and inspectors, cleaners and oilers.

The work of the two departments is not clearly differentiated to-day, since the introduction of the steel car has required mechanics for its upkeep rather than carpenters. Previously, the line was drawn at the wood and metal parts. The two departments attempt to keep the railroad equipment in running order.

PLAN No. 980. CLERICAL POSITIONS

In these departments are found also clerks who keep records and help in making reports and in correspondence. The storekeeper and his assistants are usually under the supervision of the master mechanic. Since none of the positions are essentially manual ones, they could be filled by disabled men having the necessary ability, training and experience. Experience in the lower positions is required to fit for any of the higher ones. For executive positions ability to handle men as well as the other qualifications are essential. For clerical positions the qualifications are chiefly educational.

In the railroad shops we find generally the following skilled workmen: Machinists, blacksmiths, boilermakers, sheet metal mechanics, pipe fitters, electricians, molders, and inspectors.

PLAN No. 981. MACHINISTS

Railroad machinists in small shops do all sorts of repair work, but in large shops they are frequently assigned to special work. A machinist may, for instance, work only at a large lathe truing up “flat” wheels or journals. Since power cranes are now used to set the work in place in the lathe, no heavy lifting is required. A disabled man can do the work if he knows how to adjust the lathe so that the wheels or journals are machined properly. If he has good eyesight in one eye, one good hand, and can stand at the machine during working hours, his disabilities will not seriously handicap him. Another machinist may work on engine parts--for example, on cylinders, pistons, or cut-off valves. Use of power cranes for placing most of this work has reduced greatly the need for great physical strength on the part of the railroad machinist. However, those who are sent out on the road to help clear up wrecks must occasionally do heavy lifting.

PLAN No. 982. AIR-BRAKE MECHANICS

The air-brake man is a mechanic who installs and repairs the air-brake equipment of locomotives and cars. Much of his work consists in removing defective parts and replacing them with new properly fitted parts. As he must frequently work under cars and do a certain amount of rather heavy lifting, he needs both arms, good eyesight, and good hearing. He must also have good health. The loss of a leg would be a considerable handicap for installation work. A disabled air-brake man could easily train himself to become an air-brake test-room inspector. In such a position his knowledge and skill would count more than his physical condition. For this position he must be thoroughly familiar with all the parts and functions of the air brake; and be able to adjust valves and other parts quickly.

PLAN No. 983. THE BLACKSMITH

The railroad blacksmith must forge or weld light and heavy pieces for all sorts of railroad equipment. He may forge a steeple bolt for a hand car, cut and fit the parts for a crossing frog, set the steel tires on the drive wheels of a locomotive, or straighten a bent driving rod. He must be able to read blue prints, and to take old, worn, and broken pieces as a guide to construct a new piece. He must be able also to do all sorts of welding and to heat large pieces properly. He must understand how to temper steel for the use to which it is to be put. His work thus requires technical knowledge and manipulative skill. But since power hammers and cranes are used on heavy pieces his work is not so heavy as formerly. The loss of one or two fingers, or of a leg, or of the sight of one eye, would not handicap a well-trained man. Poor hearing would not ordinarily be a serious handicap.

PLAN No. 984. THE BOILERMAKER

The boilermaker keeps in repair the locomotive and stationary boilers of the railroad. He must be able to retube, patch, overhaul, and construct boilers. Ordinarily his heaviest duties are to remove old leaky tubes from boilers and place in new ones, and to patch up or even renew the fireboxes. However, wrecks frequently cause him to take boilers apart and put in new pieces, so that he almost reconstructs the boiler. He must be able to read blue prints and use templates in laying off plates and angles. He must know how to punch, shear, and rivet the parts, and calk the boilers, and how to weld or cut pieces with an oxy-acetylene torch. The work is heavy and dirty, but good hearing is not essential and the loss of an eye is not a serious handicap. The boilermaker must, however, have strength and the use of both hands, although he may have lost a finger or two from either hand.

The work and qualifications of the steel-car repairer are not radically different from those of the boiler maker. The metal-car repair man also must be able to drill or punch holes, to cut out broken parts of metal, replace them with new ones, and rivet them in, but his work is not so technical as that of the boiler-maker.

PLAN No. 985. THE ELECTRICIAN

With the installation of electric headlights and electrically lighted passenger cars the electrician’s duties in repair shops have increased greatly in recent years. He must keep in repair the dynamos on locomotives and the dynamos and storage batteries on passenger cars. The growing use of the electric locomotive means that the demand for railway electricians is sure to increase. Repair of motors for these as well as for electric cranes used in a number of shops calls for armature winders in increasing numbers. Both technical knowledge and manipulative skill are required, but ordinarily the work is not heavy. Disabled men with good eyesight in one eye, with two arms and one good hand, who are able to move about easily, could do the work.

PLAN No. 986. INSPECTORS

Inspectors of boilers and of other parts of locomotives, and of the metal parts of cars, must know thoroughly the parts to be inspected. Usually they have had considerable experience in the repair of these parts. Frequently they must help to make the repair or must supervise the work when they find a minor defect in railway equipment at a location not convenient to the shop.

PLAN No. 987. CAR REPAIRMEN

Repairing or rebuilding of wooden cars is done by car builders or repairmen and painters. It is largely carpenter work. These men must be able to remove any broken or damaged piece of a car, replace it with a new piece, and paint or varnish it. The builders or repairmen must be thoroughly skilled in the use of all hand carpentry tools and be able to use readily any of the woodworking machinery necessary to produce car parts. On passenger-car work, the repaired part must be finished nicely, and the whole painted or varnished so that the repair is not obvious. No such care is required for work on freight cars.

In addition to the men who work regularly in the shop, there are a number of men who must travel over the road and keep mechanical or electrical equipment in working order. These men must all have mechanical ability. Ordinarily, they must be physically sound, since they are exposed to weather and to danger from trains. Among these men are signal and interlocking maintainers, and signal inspectors. They must have both mechanical and electrical knowledge.

PLAN No. 988. TRACK WORK

In the third group of employments, included under the heading track work, a man needs physical strength and agility, good health, good eyesight, and good hearing. Without these, he is constantly in danger himself and may endanger the lives of others. Only the foremen may have physical disabilities, such as the loss of a hand or arm. All must have good health, since they are exposed regularly to all sorts of weather. All must have good eyesight, in order that they may do their work properly and avoid danger. Poor hearing would continually subject the man to danger from passing trains, from falling objects, or other sources of danger, since one who has poor hearing would not generally hear or would misunderstand warnings of danger. A man on the track must be agile in order to avoid danger.

WORK REQUIRES SKILL

Men in this group are frequently classed as unskilled, largely because railroads have employed for the work unskilled foreign laborers, but to do the work properly considerable skill is nevertheless required. Poorly tamped ties, “goosenecks,” maul dents on the rails, and similar defects are evidences that may be found on many roads of unskilled work. Ability to drive a spike properly, so that the rail is held securely to the ties, is not quickly acquired.

Fence work, bridge work, cement work, and similar work, often performed by special gangs, require skill to be done rapidly and well.

OCCUPATIONS

The main occupations in this group are track laborers, foremen and supervisors, bridge carpenters and foremen, fence-gang men and foremen, and other extra gang men and foremen, linemen and repairers, painters of sign posts and structures, structural iron workers and foremen, and concrete workers and foremen.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT UNSUITED TO DISABLED MEN

In track work, only the positions of foremen or supervisors pay good wages, and only these could be suitably undertaken by disabled men.

The track laborer in the eastern and northern section of the country has to compete with the immigrant from Europe, in the South with the Negro, in the West with the Mexican, and in the far West with the Oriental. Only a few workers on construction gangs do not have to meet this competition directly, because their work requires a skill that the foreigner does not acquire easily. But such work is very seasonal, being done for the most part during the summer and early fall. Wages are not high and working conditions usually are poor if not bad. Extra gang work, in this respect, is very little different. Section work, while allowing the men to have home life and thus have better living conditions, usually is seasonal and pays lower wages than is paid to other gangs upon track construction work. Bridge construction or repair work requires some skill and the wages are good, but the danger is considerable for even a physically strong and sound man. The painters of structures receive good wages, but their work requires climbing into dangerous positions. The lineman must frequently do climbing to repair wires, or to cut away limbs of trees thrown upon the wires by storms. Evidently, these positions are not suitable for the disabled soldier from three standpoints, namely, the seasonal character of the work, the danger to which it subjects him, and the relatively low wages paid on the average for the year. The position of timekeeper for large extra gangs is, of course, mainly clerical, but is undesirable since it is very seasonal. All track occupations are hazardous and accidents are frequent.

PLAN No. 989. THE TRACK FOREMAN

The duties of the track foreman are to supervise workmen, to teach green hands how to do the various sorts of work, and to make out reports on various matters ranging from the pay roll to a report of live stock killed by a train. He must be familiar with the time of all trains at various points on his section, with the signals, with the degree of curves and the needed elevation, and with the use of the various appliances and tools used on a modern railroad. The section gang uses a large number of tools, and these must be kept in proper condition. Railway appliances are numerous, and the section foreman has supervision over these. Introduction of the motor car to take the place of the old hand car, has called for more mechanical skill on the part of the foreman. A disabled man could perform the usual duties of a foreman, if his disabilities did not affect his eyesight, hearing or health, but loss of an arm or a leg might increase the accident hazard, as, for example, in case an extra train caught the gang in a cut or out on a high dump with the hand or motor car.

PLAN No. 990. THE TRACK SUPERVISOR

The track supervisor usually supervises a number of section foremen. He must be an able trackman, so that he can recognize immediately the nature of a defect in the track as he rides over it on a train. He issues orders to track foremen for changes in location or character of work, handles reports from foremen on certain subjects, and himself makes out various reports. He portions out supplies and materials for the track under his supervision, and is held responsible for the condition of this track by the engineer of the maintenance of way. A disabled section foreman could with training qualify himself for a position as supervisor, but the vacancies in this position are not numerous, and railroads usually give preference to the physically sound men.

PLAN No. 991. TRAIN WORK

The occupations in group four--train work--are engineers, firemen, baggagemen, porters, brakemen, conductors, hostlers, switchmen, and motormen. For this fourth group there are many limitations upon disabilities which a man may have suffered and undertake work without endangering himself and others. In none of these jobs can a man’s hearing or eyesight, or nerves, or heart be defective, and no one who is color blind can hold any of them. The loss of an arm would usually debar a man--even passenger conductors who have lost an arm are now infrequent. There are a few firemen and engineers successfully holding their jobs who have lost a leg, but a freight brakeman could hardly do his work if he were thus disabled. The loss of a hand generally unfits a man to be brakeman, fireman, or engineer.

THE OCCUPATIONS

There are three classes of engineers, firemen, brakemen, and conductors namely, those working in the yards, those on freight trains, and those on passenger trains. A yard engineer, fireman, or conductor may have suffered disabilities that the men in the freight and passenger service can not have without being handicapped in competition with normal men. In none of the positions do the duties permit of a large number of disabilities, or of very serious ones. All must pass rigid physical examinations--eyes are tested for color blindness as well as for other defects, and hearing must be excellent. All must pass a rigid examination in the rules and regulations, signals, schedules, and the road conditions.

PLAN No. 992. THE ENGINEER

The duties of an engineer are exacting. He drives his engine over the track where there are curves, crossings, switches, and signals that he must constantly watch. He must recognize instantly the color of the numerous signals displayed at various points along the line. He must sound the whistle as he approaches crossings and other points. He must also note the running condition of his engine--for instance, whether the bearings are becoming too hot. When the engine stops for water he usually oils certain bearings. He must learn to apply the steam and adjust the reverse lever so as to give the maximum pulling power to the engine at one time, and to attain considerable speed at another time, in either case with due regard to the load he is pulling and the track he is running upon. He must, accordingly, learn where the track is good and he can make speed and where it is bad, so that he must slow down. In emergencies he must be able to close the throttle and apply the air almost instantly, or to reverse the engine. For this he needs both hands. His eyesight must be excellent and his arms, heart, and nerves good. Wages paid to engineers are high, averaging $2,000 a year, but the position is one of great responsibility, and it is one that few disabled men would be allowed to undertake.

PLAN No. 993. THE FIREMAN

The fireman must be physically strong. He must shovel coal into the firebox so that the steam pressure will be sufficient at all times for the pulling power of the engine, and yet not be “blowing off” frequently. He must watch the water level in the boiler and see that it does not get low. He must climb back over the tender when the engine takes water. He takes on coal at the coal chutes. On occasions he has to go forward to flag to protect the train from in front. Where automatic bell ringers are not installed he usually keeps the bell ringing when the engine is doing work in yards near a crossing or where other men may be endangered by the engine. When the engine is running and he is not busy shoveling coal he is watching the track along with the engineer, but on the other side of the cab. He must especially watch when his side of the cab is on the inside of a curve. Since the fireman may in an emergency be called upon to perform the duties of an engineer, he is under the same limitations as regards disabilities as the engineer. The accident rate among firemen is high.

PLAN No. 994. THE BRAKEMAN ON PASSENGER TRAINS

The brakeman has various duties, somewhat depending upon the sort of a train on which he works. On a passenger train he calls stations, helps passengers on and off the trains, regulates the heating and lighting of cars, and sets switches. Sometimes this work is done by a porter. As a crippled brakeman would tend to give timid passengers a concrete example of what might result from a wreck or an accident upon the road, railroads have not wished to have disabled men fill this position. How they might deal with the disabled soldier is uncertain.

PLAN No. 995. THE THROUGH-FREIGHT BRAKEMAN

The through-freight brakeman sets switches when his train goes on a siding for another train, or his train picks up a car at a junction point, or sets out one. In such a case, he uncouples the train, air brakes, etc., throws the switches, and after the car has been picked up or set out, couples up the train, makes the air brake connections, and tests them. He watches the train for hot boxes, and transmits signals from the conductor to the engineer. He must climb on and over freight cars, cross bridges, tracks, and switches. He needs to be sound physically.

PLAN No. 996. THE BRAKEMAN ON LOCAL-FREIGHT TRAINS

The brakeman on a local-freight train has no end of switching to do, or loading and unloading less-than-carload freight at small stations along the entire run. The physical demands made upon him are even greater than those made upon a through-freight brakeman. Disabled men should not undertake this job.

PLAN No. 997. THE CONDUCTOR ON FREIGHT TRAINS

The duties of the freight conductor, while lighter from the physical standpoint than those of the freight brakemen, are nevertheless so heavy that a disabled man is not usually wanted by railroads. At certain times he must do the same work as the brakeman does. He must walk over trains or tracks to get orders, or confer with the engineer. He must direct the picking up and the setting out of cars. He must keep a record of the cars in his train, of the ones set out, and of those picked up. He carries the way bills for the freight in his train. He must read and sign for all orders received for his train. His duties, while requiring more mental work than those of the brakeman, are still so heavy and dangerous that any physical disability would be a handicap to him.

PLAN No. 998. THE PASSENGER CONDUCTOR

The passenger conductor collects fares and supervises the passengers and train. He is responsible for the train orders as is the freight conductor. The physical requirements made upon him are normally light, but in emergencies, he needs to be physically sound. Formerly, passenger conductors who had lost fingers or even an arm or leg were frequent, but in recent years railroads have not wanted disabled men for this service, since they remind passengers of accidents. The passenger conductor needs to have a knowledge of trains and their time at meeting or crossing points, of the various sorts of tickets and script. He must make out various reports. If the railroads would place disabled men in this position, providing they were old railroad men who had been wounded in the war, this would be the best of all the positions in train work for an intelligent disabled soldier.

PLAN No. 999. YARD OCCUPATIONS

The train work in the yards consists of switching. The work of the yard fireman or engineer is perhaps somewhat less exacting than that of a fireman or engineer out on the line, but for the brakeman it is more exacting. The hostler is usually what might well be called an apprentice fireman, and so he must be as physically sound as the fireman or engineer. Yard conditions are so dangerous that disabled men would usually find their disabilities a handicap.

PLAN No. 1000. THE BAGGAGEMAN

The baggageman on trains needs to be physically strong, since he has to handle heavy trunks. He could sustain the loss of a leg or have too poor eyesight or hearing to qualify for other train work, if in emergencies he were not called upon to do the other train work. Since he is so called upon he must be physically as sound as a brakeman. He has some clerical work to do. Sometimes he is a mail clerk, express messenger, and extra brakeman. Little knowledge or training is required to fill this position--a strong man of ordinary intelligence could learn to fill the position in a few days. He must know the stations and transfer points. Wages are about the same as for brakeman.

WORK CONDUCING TO TRAIN OPERATION

In the fifth group of employments, including those conducing directly to train operation, are found the pumpman, the men on the coal chutes, the freight handlers, the crossing guardmen, and similar workmen. In this group, the requirements are good health, a fair degree of strength, and knowledge of the occupation.

PLAN No. 1001. THE PUMPMAN

The pumpman may have defective hearing, but must then have excellent eyesight, since he should notice engine trouble quickly if he can not hear it well. If his eyesight is poor, he should have good hearing. The pumpman needs to have some knowledge of boilers and steam pumps, but ordinarily his work is not heavy, even when he has to shovel all the coal for the boiler.

PLAN No. 1002. OTHER OCCUPATIONS

For men on the coal chutes, either poor eyesight or poor hearing, one or the other singly, is not a serious handicap, but good health is necessary as well as ability to climb over the sides of cars. The freight handlers need strong backs and good eyesight to read names of boxes, etc. When motor trucks are used, the truckman ought to have some mechanical ability. The crossing guardman needs both good eyesight and hearing, but may have suffered the loss of an arm or a leg, even of both an arm and a leg. On the whole, the range of permissible disabilities for men in this group is greater than for those in groups three and four.

TRAINING REQUIRED

Of all the jobs in this field practically the only one requiring any considerable knowledge or skill is that of the pumpman, and even for this position an ordinary man can learn all that he usually needs to know in a month on the job.

PLAN No. 1003. JOBS FREQUENTLY FILLED BY DISABLED MEN

With exception of freight handling, work in these employments has been given largely to men disabled in railroad service. For instance, a disabled brakeman is offered the job of switchman or crossing watchman; a fireman, that of stationary fireman, or engine watchman; conductors, that of flagman; and so on. Crew callers and lamp-room attendants are frequently disabled men. So generally has this policy been followed that the crossing watchmen, flagmen, and engine watchmen are commonly men who have been disabled. The positions are, however, not such as will appeal to the intelligent ambitious disabled soldier or sailor.

PLAN No. 1004. PART II. URBAN TRANSPORTATION--ELECTRIC RAILWAYS

Street railway operation furnishes rather regular employment to men on the regular force. From this standpoint it is desirable for the disabled soldier or sailor. It is not seasonal to any marked degree, nor is it greatly affected by industrial depressions; and bad weather only increases the need for employees instead of lessening it as in many out-of-doors occupations. Few of the street railway employees are exposed to bad weather conditions, although the work is not so protected as in an indoor occupation. They are, however, exposed to dust from the streets and contagious diseases. All of the positions on street railways carry with them a high degree of responsibility, but the position of motorman is probably the one of greatest responsibility.

PLAN No. 1005. THE MOTORMAN

The occupation of the street car motorman is one that can be taken up by disabled soldiers and sailors. Those who have suffered merely the loss of part of the fingers on one or both hands, or of a leg, can operate a street car. A car can be operated by those who are physically unfit for heavy work, especially if the car is equipped with air brakes and the working hours are not too long. But those who have defective eyesight, poor hearing, or are subject to nervous trouble should not undertake this work. Those who have suffered from shell shock should not attempt to operate a car until they have fully recovered.

The work is light, but requires constant attention, especially under conditions of heavy traffic. The motorman must constantly watch the track to prevent collisions with automobiles or other vehicles whose drivers take hazardous chances in crossing the track. Men, women and children must likewise be watched and warned. The motorman must acquire skill in operating the controller so that he can start the car off rapidly without causing the circuit breaker to break the current. He must learn to apply the air gradually so the car will not stop with a jerk or the wheels slide on the track. He must learn to estimate distances so that he can stop his car at the proper point. He must form the habit of never starting without a signal from the conductor.

The working conditions are suitable for disabled men. Stools are usually provided for the motorman, which he can use outside the congested district. Most of the cars have closed vestibules for bad weather. The working hours are irregular, but usually not over 10 in 24. Usually there are two work periods in a day, with a rest period of two or three hours between--the work periods come with the morning and evening rush of people to and from their work.

PLAN No. 1006. THE CONDUCTOR

The conductor’s position makes fewer physical requirements upon him than that of the motorman. His position is, however, one of responsibility, and honesty is a prime essential. His duty is to collect fares, give proper change to passengers, and issue transfers. All his receipts must be turned over to the company. He must see that passengers are not endangered in any way, especially by the car starting too soon or the passenger attempting to alight before the car has stopped. Accordingly the conductor must have good eyesight and hearing. He may, however, have suffered some dismemberments, and he need not be physically strong. Courteous conductors are much in demand by street railways.

TRAINING

The training for the position either of motorman or conductor is generally conducted on the job. New men are placed on a car with an experienced motorman and operate the car under his direction until they are able to operate a car independently. The period of training is usually short--a week to two weeks. Men so learning rarely receive pay. A number of companies make charges for the training, but refund amounts paid if the employee remains with the company a certain length of time.

WAGES

Wages for motormen and conductors are approximately the same, and in 1917 ranged from 15 to 45 cents per hour, with average between 25 and 30 cents for the entire country.[20] Advances in the past year have probably raised this average to 30 cents or above.

[20] Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics No. 204.

PROMOTION

Men are usually promoted from the ranks of motormen and conductors to be inspectors or supervisors. They must have a thorough knowledge of operating conditions in the city, a knowledge that can be acquired only by considerable experience on the job as motorman or conductor making all routes in the city.

PLAN No. 1007. OTHER OCCUPATIONS

In electric street-railway operation, there are various other occupations, some of which require skilled workmen. The skilled workers include machinists, electrical workers, armature winders, carpenters, car repairers, linemen, track foremen, and inspectors. Since the other occupations are filled with men who are unskilled, or who are taught on the job, we are not concerned with them, as the training is not such as the Federal Board could easily give. With exception of inspectors, the work of these men does not differ materially from that of the shop men and track men on steam railroads. These have already been described above. In the shop work there is opportunity for the disabled soldier or sailor who has defective hearing, as well as for those who have lost a hand or leg. The work is usually lighter than on steam railroads, but wages are generally somewhat lower; the greater number of employees receive from 24 to 29 cents an hour.

PLAN No. 1008. PART III. ROAD AND STREET TRANSPORTATION

In road and street transportation the main occupations are those of chauffeurs; proprietors and managers of taxicab concerns, livery stables, and transfer companies; foremen of livery and transfer companies; draymen; teamsters and expressmen; carriage and hack drivers; hostlers; and stable hands. The automobile is rapidly supplanting the horse and to such a degree as to affect the demand for labor in these several occupations, the demand declining in those dealing with the horse and increasing in those concerned with the automobile. Work in these occupations is not markedly seasonal, but is affected adversely by industrial depressions.

EQUIPMENT

If a person is in business for himself, his outlay for equipment ranges from $500 upward, but if he is an employee the equipment is furnished by the employer.

PLAN No. 1009. CHAUFFEURS

A chauffeur may drive a taxicab, a truck, or a car for a private family. He needs good eyesight and hearing, and must not have nervous troubles. Loss of fingers or of a foot might not handicap a man for this work. It does not usually require much physical strength. Men who have suffered from chest trouble are frequently auto drivers in the Rocky Mountain States. This occupation gives them out-of-doors work that is light, and in a good climate in fair weather is highly beneficial and desirable for such persons.

TRAINING

Auto drivers should have some mechanical training and aptitude so that they may be able to make adjustments and repair minor defects in their machines. They should learn the roads and routes in their territory and allow a good margin of safety either in loads or speed. No great amount of training is required, and the work is largely manipulative. There are a number of schools in which this occupation is taught. Hours, wages, and working conditions are far from being standardized the country over. If you are interested in this work, you should find out what conditions prevail in the locality in which you wish to work.

PLAN No. 1010. MANAGERS AND PROPRIETORS

Managers of taxicab companies must know the automobile thoroughly as well as the neighborhood from which they draw their trade. Only in a small concern does the keeper or manager need to be able to drive a car. It will, however, be advantageous at times if he can drive or repair a car. The greatest qualifications for success in this undertaking are ability and skill in handling men and money. Although the rate of profit is usually large in the business, there are many “leaks” to guard against. The manager must know how to keep accounts accurately, or at least understand them and be able to see that they are properly kept. The work requires business ability rather than physical activity, and so can be done by disabled soldiers or sailors who have this ability. Courtesy is a valuable asset, since the manager must come in contact with the public. It is this contact that makes deafness a handicap, particularly where much business is done over the telephone.

Practically the same thing may be said of proprietors and managers of livery and transfer companies. The proprietors and managers must have business ability and know how to manage men. Disabled men with these qualifications can undertake this business if none of their disabilities will interfere with business dealings. The field for auto delivery is developing rapidly, and will give a permanent occupation to the man who has the necessary qualifications for success.

PLAN No. 1011. FOREMAN

Foremen of livery and transfer companies must have ability to handle men under conditions where immediate supervision is possible only a small part of the time. Accordingly, they must be able to judge what allowances should be made for loads, roads, horses, and equipment, or automobile in supervising drivers. Since the foremen must occasionally do the work of drivers, they must usually not be seriously disabled by loss of limbs, and since they must sometimes do the work of the manager they must not suffer from deafness.

Wages and hours are good on the average, but vary greatly in the different localities.

PLAN No. 1012. DRAYMEN

Draymen or expressmen may be either teamsters or auto drivers. In either case, ordinarily they have a considerable amount of heavy lifting to do. The loss of an eye, or of fingers, or of a foot need not prevent anyone from doing this work if he is otherwise physically strong. Very little training is required for the teamster. He must learn the streets and business houses, and how to manage horses that are usually well broken. All of this is best learned on the job. Wages are a little above those of unskilled labor. For the auto driver training may be acquired largely in a school. Wages are higher than those paid to teamsters.

Carriage and hack drivers must have good eyesight and hearing. The work is rather unskilled, although the handling of spirited horses does require some special skill. Courtesy is a distinct asset. It should be noted that the demand for carriage and hack drivers is declining rapidly, and accordingly the disabled soldier should not elect this occupation unless he has the assurance of permanent employment from some responsible employer.

Hostlers and stable hands are usually classed and paid as unskilled laborers, and for most disabled men the work is unsuitable. A disabled man should not work around vicious horses, and in large stables there are always some vicious horses.