introduction of the farm mechanic on every farm of sufficient size.

Adjoining farms might in some cases advantageously combine in employing a farm mechanic. A person with a desire to farm and an inclination toward mechanics may make one help the other by getting a farm so located that he can do general repair work for near neighbors, this work to be undertaken with the understanding that repairing and sharpening of tools will be done when farming is at a standstill because of weather or for other reasons, and that his own farming operations must not be sacrificed. Those desiring his services will gladly bring their machines to him to be overhauled before the season for use and while other work is not pressing. The farm mechanic must be ingenious in utilizing the equipment at hand. He can often adapt available equipment to do work that, without his ingenious help, would be accomplished with much difficulty. The cut shows a small gasoline engine mounted on a binder to drive the cutting and binding machinery. With this arrangement the team has only to draw the binder. This is particularly advantageous on soft ground. Where the bull wheel does not have to drive the machinery it is not so liable to mire in wet places. This plan, taking much of the load from the team, enables more and better work to be done. If a tractor is available that can draw a grain drill and a harrow at the same time, it is poor economy not to do both operations at once. Efficient hitches are very important and the mechanic must arrange these so that he can do the maximum work with a minimum power in the shortest time. It has been found that the power required by some methods of hitching may be 15 to 25 per cent greater than by others. As a rule, proper hitches not only take less power but the tools do better work. This illustrates one of the benefits to be derived from having an expert in charge of the machinery. The farm mechanic will be able to supervise the use of machines and tools on the farm and thus greatly increase the efficiency of the equipment in the hands of others, as well as of that operated by himself. By supervising machines when in use and by keeping equipment in the best working condition, the farm mechanic can make himself the most valued man on the place. In some sections of the country drainage and irrigation are very important. The intelligent farm mechanic with a little training can be of great service in the simple farm surveying necessary. The erection of and additions to farm buildings is another line of work that naturally falls to the farm mechanic, as does also the installation of farm equipment. Many convenient devices are possible if some one is available who can use tools and has ability to plan and construct such improvements. How many farmers, for example, have a dumb-waiter connecting with the cellar, or water in the kitchen to save steps for the farmer’s wife? Most farms have a gas engine for pumping water. It would be an easy matter to arrange this engine so that it could be fitted to a short shaft provided with pulleys to drive various machines, such as feed grinder, feed cutter, grindstone, fanning mill, etc. A 1¹⁄₂ or 2 horse-power engine on a small truck would be very convenient for moving from place to place for odd jobs. Many farms are supplied with small electric-light plants, which by a little ingenuity could be made more convenient and also save work in the home. Electric lights, running water, bathroom, vacuum cleaner, cream separator, electric washer, electric iron, furnace, and many other conveniences are all possibilities, although many farmers do not realize that these are available for the country home. However, with the assistance of the farm mechanic, the farmer will feel that he, too, may enjoy city conveniences. Farmers are not unwilling to have things made convenient for themselves, but hesitate because of the difficulty of getting a competent person to operate and maintain the plant. Lights, feed cutters, milkers, and other conveniences are needed at the barn. Probably no farm would have all these improvements, but any farm may have some, and, if a farm mechanic of originality is available, many of these will be possible. The farm mechanic should be provided with a shop equipped with well selected tools. This shop, for convenience, should be located as closely as possible to the machine sheds. It should have good light, a tight floor, and some means of heating in cold weather, for most of the work in the shop will be done during weather which is unsuited for outside operations. The equipment should consist of a forge and anvil, a bench and vise for metal work, a bench and vise for woodwork, good, suitable tools, and a small stock of supplies--such as nails, screws, nuts, and bolts. Farm machinery is built on the interchangeable plan, and a few of the extras most liable to be needed should be kept on hand to avoid delay. For example, a careful inspection of the binder before harvest will show what parts are likely to give trouble and which, if immediately replaced by extras on hand, will eliminate unnecessary delay at a time when every hour counts in saving a crop. It is well to know months before harvest that when you hitch to the binder it will be in shape for work; also, that when the silo is to be filled the knives will be sharp and the blower in good working order. With a reasonable outfit of tools a trained mechanic can repair almost any ordinary break that may occur in the busy season which, otherwise, would cause the work to stop and the crew to be idle while a part, or perhaps the whole machine, is taken to the local shop for repair, only to find the shop crowded with similar rush jobs which must take their turn. The farm mechanic should know how to do simple forge work; sharpen plows; dress and temper ordinary chisels, punches, and other steel tools; make good welds in iron and steel; do a fair job of woodwork, such as will be required in repairing around the house and barns, and erect such small buildings as may be needed. He should know how to babbitt a bearing; fit new piston rings in a gas-engine cylinder; grind in the valves; clean out the carbon from the cylinders of the gas engine, auto, or tractor; overhaul the binder, mower, hay loader, or other machinery; and replace such parts as are broken or worn. Practically, all repair work should be done on the farm and most of it may be done when the machines are not in use, or when the weather prevents other work. While a machine is in use, or immediately after it is brought in from the field, any repairs or replacements that are needed should be noted by the operator on a tag to be attached to the machine before it is put away for the season. This will serve as a reminder when the machine is overhauled to prepare it for the next season. During the late fall and winter the entire equipment of machinery should be overhauled and put in shape for use. This will give ample time to secure extra parts. The “one-hoss shay” had no weakest part, but most machinery has. If the weak parts can be repaired, or replaced, before they give way the life and efficient service of the machine will be prolonged. A point often overlooked is that poor results are secured by using tools that are not sharp, or not in good repair, and, also, the additional fact that much time is lost. Men will do more work, and do it better, if the tools they use are in first class condition. A man who is swearing mad at a dull, rusty plow that will not scour, will be liable to mistreat his team and he will be unprofitable in many ways all on account of a neglected plow. In consequence of poor tools, or tools in poor condition, inefficient plowing, cultivating and other operations follow with their resultant losses in crop returns. To illustrate, the average yield of wheat in the United States is about 15 bushels per acre, but the efficient farmer produces 25 to 40 bushels, and thereby greatly reduces his cost per bushel. Likewise with corn or other crops, the larger the yield the less the cost to produce, and hence the greater the net profit. Even if the local repair shop happens to be convenient, and the farmer inclined to use it to the best advantage and as often as would be profitable, it would frequently be impossible to get efficient service, since the local shop is often congested with work, poorly equipped, and the shop mechanic may not be familiar with the machinery to be repaired. To make the farm investment as a whole most profitable a considerable and judicious investment in modern farm machinery is absolutely necessary. The farm equipment will usually include a tractor, sometimes a truck, depending on the size of the farm and farm implements suited to the lines of work being carried. It must be realized, however, that the best results from the farm depend on the efficient equipment of the farm home. The farmer’s home is more than a shelter, it is the most important tool in his business. The farm equipment chart, shows the result of a study of all the farm homes in a township in Iowa. Half of all the farm homes in this township had furnaces, while the proportion having water, bath, and electric or gas lights was somewhat less. Nearly half had vacuum cleaners, power washers, and electric irons. Nearly all these homes had telephones. Over half had pianos, and about half had automobiles. This is not a picture of average conditions obtaining at present in farm homes throughout the United States, but it is a picture of conditions, somewhat exceptional at present, to which we are, however, rapidly approaching. In many instances an automobile is included in the farm equipment. Farmers have in fact more need for a car than have any other class, since it serves the double purpose of business and pleasure and makes possible the greater enjoyment of church, town, and neighbors. Statistics show that nearly 2,000,000 autos are owned by farmers. COST OF FARM EQUIPMENT The machinery on a 200-acre farm will vary from $3,000 to $4,000 or more. No business man would put such expensive equipment in the hands of a crew of untrained men without some one in charge to see that it is properly used, kept in repair, and cared for when not in use. With a farm mechanic assured, farmers will realize that it is good business to supplement their farm investment by the purchase of such machinery as will result in improved farming and increased production. The necessity for proper mechanical equipment of the farm was appreciated by the Federal Farm Loan Board when it provided that part of the Federal loan funds might be used for mechanical equipment. The board realized that a farm can not be profitably operated without suitable machinery and that without modern farm tools the farmer is severely handicapped, even though he has a good farm and sufficient buildings. Thorough preparation of the soil and cultivation and harvesting of the crop all depend upon proper equipment of the farm. The economic importance of modern labor saving tools, implements, and machinery for the farm, orchard and garden was not fully appreciated until four years of a world-disturbing war had created havoc with the farmer’s labor supply, already short from losses to other industries. This supply was further curtailed by the demand for workers in the manufacture of war supplies and by enlistments. Even in the face of this tremendous depletion in his labor supply, labor-saving machinery, available from abundant prewar manufacture, enabled the farmer, nevertheless, to expand the area under cultivation by hundreds of thousands of acres, and thus to meet war emergency needs. The satisfaction and profit of having an outfit of tools and a competent man to keep the equipment in good working condition, will be realized more fully as the mechanic demonstrates his ability and ingenuity. The average farmer has not had the experience of having his machines and tools in condition without considerable trouble and outlay of time and expense. The change will be such a relief, and the increased efficiency so noticeable that the farm mechanic will have little difficulty in making such services appreciated, securing acknowledgment of his ability and therefore establishing his rank among the men on the farm. He should, of course, be considered a permanent man and be provided with all the perquisites that other permanent men enjoy, including a house and a garden in addition to adequate compensation. FUTURE PROSPECTS The demand for farm mechanics may be expected to grow somewhat in proportion to the increase in the use of tractors. The introduction of a tractor on a farm necessitates many changes in methods of work which call for the exercise of mechanical ingenuity to get maximum results. The advantage of having a trained man to help plan and start the work under the new conditions is evident. The Curtis Publishing Co. has made a study of tractor production and has plotted a curve (Fig. 18) which shows the probable future of the industry. If the demand for farm mechanics increases in proportion as does the utilization of tractors, the future looks bright for well-trained men. You may have had mechanical experience and possibly experience with farm machinery, but you will, nevertheless, need a short intensive course in the care and repair of farm machinery. Such a course will fill you with new ideas for greater efficiency in the employment and adaptation of numerous tools not generally used on the farm. If you have had little mechanical training, but have had some experience with farm machinery, you will need a course in shopwork to enable you to do a good workmanlike job instead of the usual makeshift work to which many farmers have been accustomed. HANDICAPS Some of you may be saying, “But I can’t hope to make good on the farm because of my handicap. I have lost a foot or an arm or am otherwise crippled.” It is true that these may seem hard to overcome, but the mechanic’s work on a farm is such that few of these losses will be prohibitive or constitute serious handicaps. Ordinarily the loss of a leg would prevent a man from doing the necessary walking in soft ground, but even this will not be found such a serious loss after you have been supplied with the “extras” to which you are entitled. Uncle Sam has had his “physical mechanics” at work for some time getting these “extras” ready, and after you have gotten them adjusted and properly “broken in” you will find considerable pleasure in your ability to use them. Your work as a mechanic will be with machinery and you will almost invariably ride while operating it. In the shopwork and repairs, if you can stand at a bench and move around your machine, you will find little difficulty on account of loss of a leg. As for arms, the candidate should have one good hand, but the mechanical substitutes that have been developed will enable you to get along very comfortably with one good hand and a workable substitute for the other. After you are accustomed to your store hand its use will become second nature to you and you will not often be conscious of the change. Even store teeth require a certain amount of education before they work well. Increase in the use of artificial limbs at this time has led to material improvements being made in appliances to overcome various handicaps. The illustrations you have undoubtedly seen in print or on the screen are not “make up” pictures but actual cases of what training in the use of these appliances will enable a person to do. What others can do, you can do. Physical disabilities, such as shell shock, nervous troubles, and lung troubles will be greatly benefited by the free outdoor life of the farm. There are side lines that would be very profitable and interesting which would sandwich in with the work of the farm mechanic in a very satisfactory way, such as beekeeping, poultry, and sheep. There is a fascination about farm life to many persons that more than compensates for any loss of the enjoyments peculiar to city life. The farmer has been looked on as not quite the equal of the manufacturer or merchant, but opinion is rapidly changing. The farmer is the original producer on which others depend. This war has caused the world to realize his importance, and now he is beginning to receive his dues and be recognized for his real worth. When you have had the special training as a farm mechanic you will find that the demand for your services is from well-equipped and experienced farmers. While you are rendering valuable service to your employer in your line of work you will be getting a good salary and securing useful experience which will prepare you for a better position as a farm mechanic or for successful management, eventually, of a farm of your own. The Surgeon General is instructed to fit you out with the best appliances possible for your future work, and the Federal Board for Vocational Education is ordered to provide the training that will fit you for the work which you decide is best and most nearly meets your needs. The Federal board’s training courses have been arranged for in every State, and information in regard to them can be secured from your nearest district vocational officer. See list on the last page of this monograph. PLAN No. 1236. SHOW-CARD WRITING This monograph was prepared by May H. Pope, under direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board of Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Dr. John Cummings, of the Research Division, for editorial assistance. THE PURPOSE OF THE SHOW CARD A man’s attention is attracted through his sense of sight more readily than in any other way. A word, a phrase, a pithy sentence will catch his eye and focus his interest, where something requiring more concentration would fail. For this reason window dressing has grown into an important feature of every merchant’s business, and cards pointing out the quality and prices of the goods displayed are universally used. These show cards were formerly made by sign painters, until some, more farseeing than others, realized the opportunity to specialize in this line of work, which has now developed into a distinctive trade. DIFFERENT TYPES OF CARDS There is a great variety of types in show cards. Some are large, others are small; some are ornamented with designs suitable for the occasion, or season, or goods to be featured in the advertisement; others are plain numerals or letters giving the bare detail of cost. As these cards are shown in the street cars, on moving picture announcements, on billboards at theatre entrances, as well as in the stores, they must be so varied as to be appropriate to their surroundings. A practical feature in writing show cards is the selection of some special design or slogan with which the article or firm may always be associated in the mind of the public. In this field a show-card writer with originality is able to realize materially upon his ideas. FUTURE OF THE TRADE Because the merchant believes that seeing is very likely to mean buying he finds the show-card writer indispensable to his business. Whether large or small, every store needs these display cards with their catchy announcements to aid in promoting business. Present-day competition makes it necessary that every known means at attracting attention shall be utilized by the merchant who would keep up in his line. Progressiveness in store management has occasioned rapid growth in the trade of card writing within the last few years, and the constantly increasing demand for advertising indicates that the trade of show-card writing has an assured future. EQUIPMENT For the man possessing limited capital the small cost of the necessary equipment is an alluring inducement to enter the trade. A few dollars will cover the entire cost. Brushes, pens, penholder, with ink retainer, ruler, art gum or sponge rubber, thumb tacks, combination compass, a pair of large shears, a T-square, a box of charcoal, soft lead pencils, and cardboard make up the list of necessary material for the show-card writer. A good-sized drawing board completes the list. “The better the workman the fewer the tools” has been said. An expert card writer works efficiently with a board, a T-square, and a half dozen thumb tacks. WHAT MEN IN THE TRADE SHOULD KNOW A good general education is essential for a show-card writer who expects to be more than merely a mechanical maker of words and letters. Those who become expert in the art need a knowledge of designing and an originality in composing effective phrases, such as can not be resisted even by those who read the cards casually. A practical knowledge of the geometric construction of letters is fundamental, for though simple lettering may be largely mechanical work, skill must not be confined to the utilization of mechanical means alone. A knowledge of color is an advantage to those who make sign cards. Color combinations and contrasts play an important part in producing attractive cards. As card writers are confronted by all sorts of combinations of words in inscriptions, it is necessary for them to know letter forms; to understand novelty in designing, arrangement, and artistic embellishment; and to exercise taste in harmonizing colors, so as to produce cards that will be not only neat and attractive but at the same time legible. WHAT MEN IN THE TRADE DO Show-card writers make price tickets and all types of trade cards used in windows, on special sale sections, on the announcement boards of theatres, on automobiles, in cafeterias, in street cars, and wherever else the card may serve as a proper medium of advertising. The trade is carried on in different ways. Cards are sometimes made by salesmen who give only part of their time to this work. Other writers give all of their time to one firm requiring a large number of cards for its own use. Some card writers work for show-card firms and others have their own offices and fill special orders. OPPORTUNITIES The demand for show-card writers is far greater than the supply. Every small town offers an opening for one or more, who would make a good living at the trade in that locality. HOW MEN ARE TRAINED Many card writers are trained in the shop. Correspondence courses afford fair advantages to the man who must save time and money, but personal supervision is of great advantage, and personal criticism is essential if a correspondence course is taken. Courses in card writing are now offered in technical schools and Y. M. C. A. classes and vocational schools all over the country. Among the schools now offering courses in show-card writing are the following: Federal School of Commercial Art, Minneapolis, Minn. Idaho Technical Institute. Los Angeles Y. M. C. A. schools. St. Louis Y. M. C. A. schools. Lowry Sign and Advertising Service, Chicago. Link’s Business College, Boise, Idaho. State Trade School. Danbury, Conn. Appleton, Wis., Industrial School. Kenosha, Wis., Vocational School. Neenah, Wis., Industrial School. New York High School. New York Vocational Schools. Detroit, Mich., School of Letters. Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill. College of Commerce, De Paul University, Chicago. School of Industrial Arts, Trenton, N. J. Koester School, Chicago. Semby School, Minneapolis, Minn. The length of time required for the completion of courses depends upon the student; one very good course covers eight weeks. Some students after the fifth or sixth lesson have done work sufficiently creditable to bring a money return. Proper and methodical training is very necessary. Care and exactness must first be acquired and speed will naturally follow. Courses given in show-card writing cover such subjects as how to mix and when to use water colors, inks, and oils; the care of brushes and pens; the proper kind and color of cardboards to use; and how to apply bronze and diamond dust. The formation of pen and brush letters is, of course, fundamental, and the principles of lettering must be taught in a simple, thorough, and correct way. Proper instruction, with application, is bound to bring success. _Lesson plates Nos. 1 to 6._--Improved method for teaching, correct formation and relative proportions of letters and numerals.--Brush method. _General instructions._--Proper material, student’s worktable, light, how to care for brushes, show-card paint, how to practice, kind of practice that counts, lesson plates explained, how to fill the brush, how to bring the brush to working point, how to hold the brush, position at table, position of paper. _Lesson plates Nos. 7 to 10--Single stroke rapid Roman lettering._--How to begin the practice, time-saving methods, how to hold the brush, various positions of the brush explained, how to manipulate the brush to produce clean-cut strokes, purpose of single-stroke vertical and italic roman lettering. _Lesson plates Nos. 11 and 12--How to shade letters._--Various styles of shading, proper colors for shading, shading as an embellishment, shading to give emphasis. _Lesson plates Nos. 13 to 16--Single stroke Egyptian lettering._--Brushes to use, how to hold the brush, how to manipulate the brush to produce the proper stroke, how to practice the elementary lines and curves. _Lesson plates Nos. 17 and 18_--Single and double stroke alphabet and numerals.--Purpose of this style of letter, brushes to use, method explained, different methods of finishing the letters. _Lesson plate No. 19--Single-stroke old English alphabet._--Purpose of old English lettering, how to hold the brush, retouching the principal strokes. _Lesson plate No. 20--Single-stroke modified Roman pen lettering._--Advantages of pen lettering for text or descriptive matter, inks to use, how to practice pen lettering, how to hold the pen, how to manipulate the pen to procure clean-cut strokes, how to use an ink reservoir to facilitate rapid work. _Fifteen practical show-card layouts._--In the foregoing lessons the student acquires sufficient ability to enable him to make practical use of his knowledge. The alphabets covered are sufficient for general show-card use. Therefore, at this point, the course presents 15 practical layouts showing how the text should be separated into display lines and descriptive groups, also various styles of letters that may be used in harmony for display and descriptive matter. An appropriate show-card phrase is used for each layout. Display lines and descriptive groups are indicated in the exact size and styles of letters to be used in lettering each layout. Specific directions as to color, combinations, and embellishments are given for each layout. _A study in design and layout._--The principles of spacing, importance of show-card designing, best rules for spacing, lessons in spacing, how to center a word or line. _Condensing and extending letters._--How to plan lettering to fit a given space, rules for condensing, rules for extending, appropriate uses of condensed and extended letters, practice exercises. _Principles of the balanced layout._--Balanced layout defined, how to plan the balanced layout, important points to observe, examples of balanced layout, practice exercises in balanced layouts. _Border lines, underscore, space fillers, and panels._--Brush ruling, how to draw an ellipse, initial panel, initial letters, a few card kinks. _The group layout._--How to plan the group layout, examples of group layout, practice exercises in group layout. _Combination layout._--Purpose of the combination layout, how to divide the phrase into display lines and groups for the combination layout, examples of combination layouts, exercises in combination layouts. _Price tickets._--Normal style price tickets, bold style price tickets, small price tickets, fancy price tickets, illustrative price tickets, practice exercises. _Illustrated show cards._--Sources of ideas, tracing from clipped illustrations, how to use the pantograph for enlarging illustrations, the mirrorscope, examples of appropriate designs for various purposes, exercises in illustrated show cards. _Principles of colors--Color contrasts._--How to mix water-color paint, color effects; color combination; mixing standard colors to produce shades, tints, and unusual colors; lessons in color combinations. _Show card embellishment._--Dry-color blending; spatter work; relief lettering; applying metallics, diamond dust, flock, etc.; phrase and picture tiling; seasonable embellishments; floral decorations; poster cut-outs; silhouettes; how to paint muslin signs. _Instruction in the use of the air brush._--Principles of the air brush; sectional view of an air brush; illustrating and describing all important parts; air pressure; how to put a gas outfit together; colors for air-brush use; how to use the air brush; care of the air brush; how to cut stencils; practice exercises to gain control of brush; color blending; exercises in the use of stencil designs. _Lesson plate No. 21._--Single-stroke alphabet and numerals for modern speed ball pen lettering. _Lesson plate No. 22._--Uniform single-stroke alphabet and numerals for Payzant pen lettering. _Lesson plate No. 23._--Single-stroke Payzant or speed ball pen alphabet with retouched spurs. _Lesson plate No. 24._--Speed ball pen initial capitals, retouched and embellished. _Lesson plate No. 25._--Outline Roman initial, embellished capitals, plain lower-case letters. _Lesson plate No. 26._--Modern Roman and fancy alphabets for music pen lettering. _Lesson plate No. 27._--Old English text pen, and small speed ball pen alphabets. _Lesson plate No. 28._--Speed ball pen alphabets. _Lesson plate No. 29._--Rapid single-stroke antique Roman brush alphabet. _Lesson plate No. 30._--Rapid single-stroke modified Roman brush alphabet. _Lesson plate No. 31._-Single-stroke antique alphabet and numerals. QUALIFICATIONS Anyone who can learn to write can learn to draw or paint letters for show cards. It is not essential to have artistic ability, although this would be an asset in the trade; a steady hand and a correct eye are the only requirements, and it is well to remember that “the sight that insures correct drawing is not that of the eye only, but of the mind.” HANDICAPS Good eyesight is essential, but almost no handicap other than blindness, or the loss of both arms, is prohibitive. It is an advantage to have both hands, but the fact that one-armed men have so clearly demonstrated their ability to write as legibly as others with both hands indicates that the difficulty for a man with one hand becoming a show-card writer be overcome. DESIRABILITY FOR THE DISABLED MAN The work is not heavy, the hours may be adjusted to the strength of the worker, the prospects for work in the trade are favorable, and the pay is good--all of which characterizes the trade as one suitable for disabled men. A chief attraction which show-card writing holds out for the handicapped man is the freedom allowed in the choice of a working place. He may be independent, not only in the place of his work, but in selecting his own hours for work. This liberty means much for a man who is physically below normal. The conditions under which a writer of show cards works are favorable, both as to time and place. REMUNERATION Show-card writing is a fascinating art and brings good profits. For this reason its appeal will be strong to the wounded soldier. An exact standard of prices has never been possible for card writing, as so much depends upon the quality of the work and the time required to make the cards. The cost of the material is negligible; but show cards have an intrinsic value to the merchant, who is usually willing to pay for them. Card writers make from $25 to $75 a week. Advertising cards, being of a temporary nature, must be inexpensive. Rapidity is necessary, in order to make it profitable, as the writers are usually paid by piece-work. The example may be cited of a hunchback who began show-card writing at $3 a week and by his energy and application rose to a salary of $40 in a short while. A lack of application or giving way to discouragement over first attempts may cause failure, but for no other reason should a disabled man who desires to become a writer of trade cards feel the slightest fear of the undertaking. Begin the course with a determination to succeed, and remember that lack of confidence is not conducive to success in any trade. Learn the principle strokes with great care, practice diligently until dexterity is acquired, work without hesitation, boldly and with enthusiasm, and in a short time there will be acquired expertness in a trade which is interesting, agreeable, and lucrative. PLAN No. 1237. THE PRINTING TRADES This monograph was prepared by T. G. McGrew, Superintendent of the United Typothetæ of America, School of Printing, Indianapolis, Ind., under the direction of Charles H. Winslow, Chief of the Research Division of the Federal Board for Vocational Education. Acknowledgment is due to Marden Scott, President of the International Typographical Union, Dr. Frederick W. Hamilton, and Henry P. Porter, for valuable suggestions and advice in the preparation of this monograph and to Dr. John Cummings of the Research Division for editorial assistance. PRINTING AS AN OCCUPATION The printing industry is both a profession and a trade. It is essentially an occupation of intelligence, the mechanical processes of which require a high degree of specialized skill and training. Printing in the United States employs nearly half a million people. The trade is not confined to any particular locality, but is practiced in all parts of the country. The number of printing establishments in any city is a comparatively accurate index to its size and commercial importance; therefore, the competent man in the printing business is not restricted to certain localities or conditions. The printing trade develops intellectually, as a printer must be well read in the very nature of his occupation. His work is skillful, but not extremely arduous, and the eight-hour day is practically standard. Wages in the various branches average from $15 to $40 per week, with special and executive positions commanding higher salaries. FUTURE OF THE BUSINESS This is an age of rapid industrial changes, and new inventions may render certain occupations almost obsolete in a night. It is unwise to enter some lines of industry because the demand is lessening, the business decreasing, and the future uncertain. This is not the case, however, in regard to printing, which is a growing business. The use of printing is increasing in every field of industry. In so far as human judgment can determine, it will continue as an essential industry, and twenty years from now there will be unmeasurably more product than there is today. PRODUCTS OF PRINTING Printing has been aptly designated “the art preservative of all arts.” The product of the printer’s trade is so well known as to require little comment. Books, periodicals, newspapers, commercial forms, advertising literature, and other products of the press form a competent part of the business and social structure of all civilized nations, and are integral parts of the daily life of practically every individual. Hardly any other field of human activity has a product so universally used. ORGANIZATION OF THE INDUSTRY Of all the trades, printing is one of the best organized, both on the part of employers and of employees. There are few strikes, as arbitration agreements are in effect, and work is seldom interrupted. The various organizations use their dues to much better advantage than in financing internecine struggles. The employers’ associations maintain many activities for improving conditions in the business, including installation of cost systems, maintenance of trade schools, advertising service, and provision of educational courses. The unions pay old-age pensions, death benefits, and sick benefits. They provide homes for the aged and indigent, sanatoriums for the sick, and instruction for apprentices. All these organizations aid morally and financially in promoting education for the craft. ENVIRONMENT OF WORKERS The printing business is entirely shop and office work. There is no exposure, nor is the trade affected materially by weather conditions. The work is more uniform in volume than in many other trades. Only a few of the processes have special hazards, and the health of printers compares favorably with that of other indoor trades. ENTERING THE TRADE The printing trade embraces several distinct branches, chief among which are composition, including hand and machine, presswork, and bindery. Each of these is subdivided into a number of processes. The regular apprenticeship is 5 years for each branch of the trade. Very few men are proficient in more than one branch, the nature of the business being such that specialization is necessary for both the trade and the individual. Within the last few years, technical schools have been established which aid in training for the industry. It must be clearly understood that the schools are interconnected with the trade, and are for the purpose of adding to shop training and not superseding it. An indispensable requisite of the printing industry is thorough intensive training and experience. In common with other worth while things, it can not be hurriedly or superficially mastered. Time and work both are necessary. PRINTING COURSES FOR THE DISABLED Men disabled in the war who may be interested in printing will naturally fall into two classes: those formerly employed in the trade, and those without trade experience. If you belong to the first class and have worked at the trade, we would unhesitatingly urge you to continue in it in some capacity. Special efforts will be made by all trade organizations to enable you to do so. Your previous training and experience should not be thrown away, but should on the contrary be used as the foundation for specialization, either in your own particular branch of work or in some allied branch. The Government is offering you the opportunity to greatly improve your ability by technical training. You can return to the trade more expert by adding to your previous experience the training of one or more of the courses offered. This will give you a better position than you held before entering upon military service. It will enable you to earn more money, and to be more valuable to the trade and to the Nation. If you are interested in the trade but have never worked at it, there is only one right way to begin--through thorough preparation. We should consider ourselves delinquent in our duty if we did not impress on you that competency is the result of sufficient time, proper prerequisites, and practical trade experience. Printing requires a high degree of skill, speed, and accuracy. These essentials can not be acquired superficially. The Government, the schools, and the trade are prepared to furnish you this preparation, asking from you only the time and effort necessary to do it right. The accompanying chart affords detailed information regarding the various positions for which training is provided. _Chart showing character of occupation, qualifications, requirements, and training for various positions in the printing industry._ ===============+=================+=================+=================+ Occupation. | Character | Work requires. | Qualifications. | | of occupation. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ---------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+