Half of the boys were either errand-messengers, clerks, or office boys. There were 213 in the errand-messenger service, 107 clerks, and 55 office boys. Another 100 were either stock boys, wagon boys, or packers and wrappers. The largest trade group was made up of 14 boys who were classed as machinists' apprentices, and the second largest trade group, that of electricians, had but 5 boys.
The departments in which these 750 boys were working indicate the nature of the employment. There were 265 in offices, 134 in the shop departments of factories, 165 in shipping and delivery departments, 92 in salesrooms, 35 in stock rooms, 31 in other departments, and 28 cases where the investigator had failed to secure this information.
A careful study of the work done by each of the 750 boys resulted in the selection of 32 who seemed to be doing work that might give them the specific training indicated as essential. The result of this study can be summarized under the headings of the trades the boys were learning.
_Blacksmith._ The one boy apprenticed to this trade had been working in the shop for seventeen months, was earning $13 a week, and was perfectly satisfied with his work. So he was likely to continue until he learned the trade.
_Brass worker._ Of the two boys of this group, one had served twelve months and the other twenty-four months at the trade. They earned respectively $5 and $6.50 a week and both intended to remain at the trade until it was learned.
_Carpenter._ There were two boys serving as carpenter's helpers. With one it was simply a temporary position. The other had been working at the trade for a year, and although he was receiving but $4 a week, he intended to remain at the trade.
_Electrician._ Three of the five boys working at this trade had been employed for over eighteen months as electricians' helpers. The other two had had four months and two months respectively of such experience. The five all expressed a determination to remain long enough to learn the trade.
_Ship fitter._ The one boy in this group, although out of school over a year, had been working at the navy yard but two months.
_Locksmith._ With only ten days' experience this boy was ready to quit.
_Machinist._ The average time spent by the 14 boys classified as machinists was less than three and one-half months, and not one of the group had worked as long as a year. Three were running drill presses, 1 was cleaning the wheels and pipes of a feather-bone machine, 2 were not employed. Most of these were dissatisfied and looking for other work. A boy who had been working eleven months on a screwing machine, 1 who had worked nine months repairing autos, and 1 who had worked eight months as a machinist's helper--3 out of the 14--had worked long enough at the trade to know that they liked it, and expressed the intention of learning the trade.