These three years of stringent discipline none are exempt from, and very glad our young men are to pass from this severe school into the comparative liberty of the trades.

If a man were so stupid as to have no choice as to occupation, he would simply remain a common laborer; but such cases, as you may suppose, are not common." "Having once elected and entered on a trade or occupation," I remarked, "I suppose he has to stick to it the rest of his life." "Not necessarily," replied Dr.Leete; "while frequent and merely capricious changes of occupation are not encouraged or even permitted, every worker is allowed, of course, under certain regulations and in accordance with the exigencies of the service, to volunteer for another industry which he thinks would suit him better than his first choice.
In this case his application is received just as if he were volunteering for the first time, and on the same terms.

Not only this, but a worker may likewise, under suitable regulations and not too frequently, obtain a transfer to an establishment of the same industry in another part of the country which for any reason he may prefer.
Under your system a discontented man could indeed leave his work at will, but he left his means of support at the same time, and took his chances as to future livelihood.

We find that the number of men who wish to abandon an accustomed occupation for a new one, and old friends and associations for strange ones, is small.

It is only the poorer sort of workmen who desire to change even as frequently as our regulations permit.