cupations chosen that
they employ large numbers of women; require expert workers; training for
them is difficult to obtain; there is chance within them for rise to
better positions; the wages are good, and favorable conditions, both
physical and moral, prevail in the workrooms. Some trades employing
women were rejected, as they failed to meet necessary requirements,
while others were not chosen, as there was little chance in them to rise
on account of men's trades intervening. Slack seasons occurring in many
otherwise good employments were considered, and plans were made whereby
the worker could be enabled to shift to another allied trade when her
own was slack. If a girl gains complete control of her tool she can
adapt herself to other occupations in which it is used with less
difficulty than she can change to a trade requiring another tool.
Women's industries, to a great extent, center around the skilled use of
a few tools. These tools were selected as centers of the school
activities, and the connected trades were radiated from them. The most
skilled occupations were found to require the use of the sewing machine,
foot and electric power, the paint brush, the paste brush, and the
needle. Statistics show that teaching the use of this last tool will
affect over one-half of the women wage-earners of New York, of whom
there are at least 370,000. In addition to the general scheme of fitting
a worker so that she may take up another allied occupation in slack
seasons, specific training for this purpose is given to those students
who choose trades where the busy season is short and of frequent
recurrence.

Trade Courses

The curriculum includes instruction in the following trades; the courses
are short and the teaching is in trade lines:

I. Use of electric power sewing machines.

1. General Operating--(cheaper variety of work--seasonal; fair
wages. Better grade of work--year round, fair and good wages,
piece or week work): Shirtwaists, children's dresses (cloth and
cotton), boys' waists, infants' wear, children's clothing,
women's underwear, fancy petticoats, kimonos and dressing
sacques.

2. Special Machines--(seasonal to year round work, depending on kind
and demand, wages good): Lace stitch, hemstitching, buttonhole,
embroidery (hand and Bonnaz), and scalloping.

3. Dressmaking Operating--(year round, wages good): Lingerie, fancy
waists and suits.