AND ON THE CONTINENT.

Ill

during 1 lie last decade there lias entered into existence an extra-ordinarily strong movement i'or technical instruction. Not onlydoes the State by its system of examination by the Science andArt Department look after the extension of technical-scientificknowledge to an extent that is probably nowhere else attained inEurope , but everywhere societies and voluntary undertakingsadvance the same thing. Thus at the present time the Corpora-tions of the City of London devote a. considerable portion of theirriches to the extension of technical knowledge (City and Guilds ofLondon Institute , People’s Palace). But especially has the move-ment its seat in the industrial North, prominently in Lancashire ,Yorkshire, and Northumberland. In the book mentioned theattendance at technical schools is denoted by maps; the centralpoints of the attendance agree with those of industry in everyinstance.

Everywhere to-day have the long-existing “ Mechanics’ Insti-tutes,” formerly without technical objects, developed into technicalschools which are to- a great extent attended by operatives. Opera-tives are mostly represented on the managing committees; forinstance, the Trades' Council of Manchester on the committee ofthe large technical school there. In a similar direction tend theobjects of the Recreative Evening School Association, founded inManchester, and extending to-day over the whole country. Itsobject is to fill the training education of the trade operativestaking place in the evening with a technical scientific spirit—toput in the place of mental work the training of the eye and hand.On the committee of this society the cotton operatives are repre-sented by the Secretary of the Amalgamated Spinners; the TradesCouncil of Manchester has as well its representatives. Just fromtheir side does technical instruction find its most eager support.

With what importance these efforts are viewed can be seen fromthe fact that Government has granted a very considerable sum(£750,000) to bo applied by the County Councils for the supportof technical instruction.

In connection with the movement for technical education standthe endeavours which stimulate in elementary instruction thetraining of hand and eye of the infant. Mr. William Mather, awell-known industrial employer and member of Parliament , hassucceeded in bringing in a law for the introduction of manual