"The objection most often urged against industrial training in the schools is the large outlay involved. But the object to be gained is worthy of its cost. No other work committed to us is so important as the training of the youth, and every outlay demanded for its right accomplishment is means well spent. Ed 218.3"
"For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?"
Both passages discuss the importance of considering the cost of a project or endeavor. EGW applies this principle to industrial training, while Luke applies it to building a tower. The connection is thematic and relevant.
"Even from the viewpoint of financial results, the outlay required for manual training would prove the truest economy. Multitudes of our boys would thus be kept from the street corner and the groggery; the expenditure for gardens, workshops, and baths would be more than met by the saving on hospitals and reformatories. And the youth themselves, trained to habits of industry, and skilled in lines of useful and productive labor—who can estimate their value to society and to the nation? Ed 218.4"
"Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people."
Both passages connect positive societal outcomes with righteous behavior or, in EGW's case, practical training and industry. Proverbs links righteousness to national exaltation, while EGW links industrial training to societal benefits and reduced costs for negative consequences. The connection is thematic and meaningful.