THE PLACE OE RESEARCH IN EDUCATION. 357 



effrontery, one may say, prints on the programme under 

 ''Tanning School" the words with special research laboratory v 

 and not content with this informs us on the next page that 

 "the special research laboratory is fitted up and supported 

 by the Worshipful Company of Leathersellers " — all hail to 

 the Leathersellers, let us say ! An industry which makes 

 such a new start — very late though it be — and recognises 

 the fact that research can help it out of its difficulties, is 

 phenomenal in this country, but on the high road to retain 

 its position if not to improve it. 



I was much struck at the opening of the school by a 

 statement made by the chairman, Mr. Lafone, M.P., who 

 told us of an American customer who was in the habit ot 

 buying large quantities of a particular kind of leather here, 

 of then taking it to America and manufacturing it, returning 

 the goods here for sale. This man had remarked to him, 

 he said, "that he had seen all our works and did not care a 

 fig for our competition — for we had not even begun to 

 know how to make the best ". The introduction of the 

 research spirit is sorely needed to cure such an old-world 

 state of affairs as this. 



Of course, whenever I advocate research in this way, 

 and urge that the research spirit must be infused into all 

 our teaching as well as into our national life, I am told it 

 can't be done — that children can't solve problems. But 

 there is a saying that an ounce of practice is worth a pound 

 of theory — it is only a half truth, and a saying which is 

 often misapplied, but it consoles me somewhat on such 

 occasions. I have done it during the past fifteen years, 

 since the opening of the Finsbury Technical College. No 

 one has the right to say that it cannot be done until they 

 have tried— all who really try, will succeed ; those who do 

 not, should not attempt to teach. 



H. E. Armstrong. 



