lish in 1901 the so-called "School for Apprentices and Artisans" at the University of Wisconsin. There was available during the summer months the idle equipment of the laboratories, and instructors for the work could readily be had; and it was his belief that if the State could render a service in this way it should do so. As stated in the first prospectus the school was planned to aid machinists, carpenters, sheet-metal workers; stationary, marine or locomotive engineers; shop-foremen and superintendents; superintendents of water-works, electric light plants, power stations and factories; and young men who wish to qualify themselves for such positions.

In the first session, courses were provided in engine and boiler practice, applied electricity, machine design, materials of construction and shop work. In the first year the attendance was forty-five and work in all of these lines was called for, the bulk of it being in the dynamo laboratory, the steam laboratory and the macine shop. In general, the same plan as at first adopted has been followed at each subsequent session. The attendance has grown steadily, being ninety-one last year and about one hundred the present year. It has not been found necessary to alter the original plan of instruction to any considerable extent, but some expansion has taken place in the courses offered and necessarily in the instructional force employed. As outlined for the present session the work offered is as follows:

I. Engines and Boilers.-Lecture Courses: (1) Theory of heat, steam engines and boilers, (2) valves and valve gears, (3) gas engines, (4) refrigerating machines, (5) compressed air, (6) boiler and engine testing.

Laboratory courses: (7) Calibration of instruments, (8) testing steam engines and boilers, (9) setting valves, (10) testing gas, gasoline and hot air engines, (11) testing refrigerating machines.

II. Applied Electricity.-(1) Dynamos and motors, (2) electric wiring, (3) meters, (4) transformers, (5) lighting, (6) telephone service, (7) electric batteries, (8) electric station records, (9) elementary theory of alternating currents and their applications, (10) electroplating and electrotyping.

III. Machine Design.-(1) Use of elementary formulas, (2) mechanical drawing for artisans, (3) machine design, (4) transmission of power.

IV. Materials of Construction.-(1) Lectures on the properties of materials, (2) tests of the strength of materials.

V. Fuels and Lubricants.- (1) Lectures on fuels and lubricants, (2) tests of fuels and lubricants.

VI. Shop Work.-(1) Bench and machine work in wood, (2) foundry work, (3) bench work in iron, (4) production of flat surfaces and straight edges, (5) machine work in iron, (6) practice with the planing and milling machines, (7) forge work, (8) tool making, (9) practice with the lathe and milling machines, (10) machine construction and pattern work, (11) pattern making, (12) carpentry.

VII. Manual Training.—(1) Manual training for teachers in the grades, (2) mechanical drawing, (3) free-hand drawing, (4) descriptive geometry, (5) shop work, (6) seminary.

The most important addition to the work this year is the special course in manual training, for which the

demand has developed by reason of the opportunities afforded for taking shop work. A special instructor has been engaged this year for this department.

All of the courses offered, with the exception of some of those in drawing and in the shop, are intended only for the artisan class, although a few students of higher grade, including three or four college instructors, have been permitted to carry on work in the laboratories by special arrangement. The force of teachers engaged this year is as follows: Four in steam engineering and materials of construction, four in applied electricity, three in machie design and mechanical drawing, four in shop work, and one in manual training. Two are full professors, five assistant professors and the remainder are of the grade of instructor. Three of the number are from other schools.

As would naturally be expected, the work of instruction is rather difficult. The students are organized into classes as far as possible, but for the most part the work is individual, as the preparation of the students and their requirements vary greatly. However, the preparation is on the whole satisfactory for the work and is better now than at the first session. The artisan student is greatly aided by his practical knowledge, and compared to an inexperienced student with the same amount of schooling, his capacity for work and absorbing instruction is much superior. Nearly all have had some highschool or correspondence instruction and have some knowledge of algebra. Enough have not this knowledge, however, to make it desirable to give some instruction in the use of formulas. Considerable care has to be exercised in the selection of instructors, since

many of the students have had much practical experience and a green graduate would make a poor showing.

The success of the school must of course be measured by the results accomplished and of these it is not easy to form a conclusive judgment. In spite of the shortness of the term much is undoubtedly done with the typical artisan student in giving him a better insight into the theoretical basis of the matters with which he is already familiar in a practical way. He usually shows the most intense enthusiasm and works for the six weeks at a tremendous pace. No urging is ever required, but often he must be restrained from attempting too much. At the rate at which the work is done and the long hours devoted to it (about eight hours a day actually in the class and laboratory or drafting room) and with the practical preparation of the majority of the students a considerable amount of really valuable work is accomplished. Compared to night-school study it would certainly be equal to a good year's work. The students are invariably highly pleased with what they get but a better indication of the value of the work is the fact that it has, in a number of instances, led the men into better positions, and also that in several cases men have come back for a second year.

The proportion of students belonging to the class for which the work is planned has been about constant, and roughly about two thirds of the total, the balance being made up of engineering students, instructors of other schools doing special work, and a few others. Last summer the occupations represented were: Steam engineer, normal training teacher, pattern maker, electrician, machinist, armature winder, blacksmith, gas

works employe, chemist, draftsman, erecting machinist, refrigeration engineer, apprentice, superintendent of power plant, carpenter, machinist apprentice, manager of electric plant, farmer, instructor in engineering. According to the replies to the question put to them, thirtynine were aiming to fit themselves better for the following work:

A few of the better prepared students have decided to take an engineering course after getting a taste of the work.

At first it was thought that perhaps the area tributary to this school would in two or three years be somewhat exhausted of students who were interested in just this kind of work, but our experience has shown that in spite of our unfavorable location for the purpose, the attendance is likely to increase so long as the school is continued. The cost of the six weeks term is in the neighborhood of fifty dollars including a general fee of fifteen dollars.

On the whole, the experiment in this field of technical education may be considered a fair success, and good evidence that such an opportunity for securing instruction will be availed of at a considerable inconvenience and cost to the student.