Giving no consideration
to the remaining boys (56 in various stages of preparedness) and estimating
the total cost as the price paid to place fourteen boys in the shop as skilled
workmen, the cost is shown to be $800 per boy.
The expenditure of $800 per boy had raised the capitalization of his economic
value from $6,000 to $15,000, or $18,000: a 13 percent investment in two and
one-half years had increased the capital 150 to 200 per cent. We had left
an active "stock in process" (56 boys in various stages of preparedness
for the trade) and the prospects of a very much larger capitalization as years
go by and the graduates become more skilled. During the two and one-half years
the community had been profiting by over $10,000 in wages earned by members
of the school.
In the world of finance an investment of this kind would be considered very
favorably. I submit it as a very interesting' problem in deferred dividends.
The work of the coming year will be that of working out in detail the academic
course of study as it should present the school side of the work in parts,
each one of which functions definitely in the making of machinists and men.
Your Board has not confined its efforts to the established school. Recognizing
the scope of its usefulness as larger than the measure of this school an attempt
has been made to find the status of boys and girls leaving school to enter
the industries of our city. A report of an investigation carried on through
the co-operation of the representatives of the Woman's Educational and Industrial
Union of Boston has been made.
This report has been based entirely upon information secured from the pupils'
standpoint and will be printed later.
An investigation of the employers' side should be prosecuted next year, and
from the two investigations some definite program for part time, continuation,
or other industrial school activities should be presented.
A chronicle of important actions taken by the Board of Trustees includes:
January 9, 1912.
Investigation of the possibilities of establishing an Agricultural Course
authorized.
April 29.
Report of that investigation made as follows:
An investigation regarding the demand for agricultural education was conducted
by: (1) a letter of inquiry sent to parents of about 250 boys who had left
school during the last two and one-half years; (2) a canvass of all of the
boys now in the High School; (3) a canvass of all of the boys now attending
Grade 8.
Three responses were received from the above inquiries claiming an interest
in the establishment of an independent school in connection with the Industrial
School. I advise that it is inexpedient to establish such a course.
In the conduct of this examination at the High School, considerable interest
was manifested in such a course as a part of the High School work. An inquiry
along this line resulted in sixteen bona fide applications for work in Agriculture.
Consultation with Dr. Stimson, Agent of the State Board of Education, confirmed
my own conviction that this warranted the establishing of an Agricultural
Course in connection with the High School.
I advise that it is inexpedient to establish such a course at this time, and
recommend that steps be taken to make such a course operative commencing January,
1913.