450 TECHNICAL EDUCATION xvri 



as the Utopian dreams of a student. If tlicre bo 

 such, let nie tell you that there are, to my 

 knowledge, manufacturing towns in this country, 

 not one-tenth the size, or boasting one-hundredth 

 part of the wealth, of Manchester, in which I do 

 not say that the programme that I have put before 

 you is completely carried out, but in which, at any 

 rate, a wise and intelligent effort had been made 

 to realise it, and in which the main parts of the 

 programme are in course of being worked out. 

 This is not the first time that I have had the 

 privilege and pleasure of addressing a Manchester 

 audience. I have often enough, before now, thrown 

 myself with entire confidence upon the hard- 

 headed intelligence and the very soft-hearted 

 kindness of Manchester people, when I have had 

 a difficult and complicated scientific argument to 

 put before them. If, after the considerations which 

 I have put before you — and which, pray be it 

 understood, I by no means claim particularly for 

 myself, for I presume they must be in the minds 

 of a large number of people who have thought 

 about this matter — if it be that these ideas com- 

 mend themselves to your mature reflection, then 

 I am perfectly certain that my appeal to you to 

 carry them into practice, witli that abundant 

 energy and will which have led you to take a fore- 

 most part in the great social movements of our 

 country many a time beforehand, will not be made 

 in vain. I therefore confidently appeal to you to 



