Weekly Chemawa American., December 18, 1903, Image 1

bentawa JUmeticati
VOL. VII.
CHEMAWA, ORE., DECEMBER 18, 1903.
NO. 4
f potential Iuestmept.
James M. Dodge, the President of
the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers, in a speech at the com
mencement of the Willamette Trade
School in Philadelphia, which is
printed in St. Nicholas, took the novel
view of a boy that he represents a
"potential investment," q,nd urged
his ambitious hearers , to "invest in
themselves.
According to Mr. Dodge the average
boy at 16 is worth $3,000 that is, he
usually earns 5 per cent interest up
on that sum, $3 a week. Anyone can
calculate his own "capitalized" value
by this rule: As many thousands in
vested as his salary per week amounts
to for 50 weeks, allowing two ' weeks
for vacation or illness.
The boy who goes direct into a ma
chine shop, according to Mr. Dodge's
figures, increases his capitalized value
to $7,400 at 19, when he finishes his
three years; to $13,200 at 21 when he
becomes a full-fledged workman, and
to $15,000 at 24, beyond which time
his value and his earnings ido not
vary much.
Making a plea for the trade school,
Mr. Dodge traces the value of the lacl
who enters it, and by learning princi
ples instead of set tasks which do not
vary, increases his capitalization much
more rapidly. He enters the shop at
19 at $12 per week, of capitalized at
$12,000. At 24 he is getting $20 per
week and at 27 he is getting $25 per
week, representing a value of $25,000
and is still mounting. In his Case
there is no limit to the possibilities.
Perhaps the 5 per cent basis is
rather too high for capitalization, be
cause there is always the risk of sud
den death and the certainty of death
eventually. - But so is there" in these
days danger to the man who has $25
000 invested at a rate as high as 5 per
cent. Safe investments rule lower.
V 11 V PUV)LIHI i VUUIIU IIIOU ICOillJ HJO
trade better in a trade guild than , as
an apprentice in a shop? asks Mr.
Dodge.
"It has been said that a three years'
course in a trade school, in which an
average of but a few hours a day de
voted to actual manual work," can in
no wav comnare with three vears'
time spent in actual work in a shop.
I feel that this is a popular error.
"In shop work a man may spend
months in repetition of the same task,
to no ultimate advantage to the
worker. Instead of his skill being
quickened it is dulled! He very
quickly acquires the skill which is
unconscious in its operation, and, like
the old lady with her knitting needle,
he cjin talk to a fellow-workman ox
think and dream about far distant
places arid matters without in any way