8 4 4 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



also claimed to be in the interest of 

 peace, when, in reality, if carried into 

 effect, their immediate result will be an 

 enormous expenditure of public money, 

 and afterward their presence will be 

 more likely to provoke than to avert a 

 collision. The nation equipped for war 

 is like the bully with his revolver — al- 

 ways ready for a row, and not likely to 

 miss the chance when an opportunity 

 occurs. 



Unfortunately, there seems to be 

 enough of this belligerent and barba- 

 rous spirit left, especially in the Old 

 World, to keep up a constant turmoil, 

 or at least to maintain a state of per- 

 petual apprehension, which tends to 

 exert a paralyzing effect upon all forms 

 of industrial effort. But, bad as the 

 outlook at present appears, there is 

 much cause for satisfaction on the part 

 of the friends of industrialism in the 

 growth and extension, under the favor- 

 ing influence of science, of the arts 

 w T hich make for peace and right living ; 

 and it is not a little encouraging that 

 there is already apparent a decided tend- 

 ency to abandon the strifes of war, and 

 adopt in their stead the more generous 

 rivalries incident to a process of indus- 

 trial development. 



During the last quarter of a centuuy 

 a great impulse has been given in many 

 states to manufacturing interests, the 

 improvement and perfection of work- 

 ing methods, and the competition for 

 excellence in industrial products ; and, 

 even in some of the nations whose war- 

 like attitude has given alarm, the ear- 

 nestness of the people in this direction 

 is already comparable with and prom- 

 ises ultimately to suppress the belliger- 

 ent disposition of their rulers. Thus it 

 happens that the merchants of Germany 

 are crowding the English out of the 

 markets which they thought their per- 

 manent possession, by being able to 

 offer to buyers more desirable bargains. 

 The reason of this is that, while those 

 who supposed they held a monopoly of 

 these markets have been content to rest 



at a certain point of excellence in manu- 

 facture, or have even been careless about 

 the matter, their rivals have persistent- 

 ly sought to improve the quality and 

 the methods of production, and to adapt 

 their goods to the exact taste of their 

 customers; and, apace with this, have 

 developed systems of thorough train- 

 ing, in general and special schools, of 

 their artisan classes in all branches of 

 manufacture, and in the numerous ap- 

 plications of science to the arts. 



It is thus becoming recognized that 

 excellence in technical industries and 

 the special training of artisan youth are 

 quite as important for the prosperity 

 and security of the nation as a firm 

 military position; and earnest efforts 

 are making in this country and in Eng- 

 land to put in operation means by 

 which these may be attained. It has 

 been proposed in England to honor the 

 jubilee of the Queen's reign by found- 

 ing an Imperial Institute, the purpose 

 of which shall be to advance the knowl- 

 edge and practical skill of the produc- 

 tive classes of the empire. The exact 

 shape which the scheme shall assume 

 has not yet been determined, and has 

 hardly been conceived. Professor Hux- 

 ley, who warmly commended it at a 

 public meeting, w r ould have in the In- 

 stitute, as he has said in a note sub- 

 sequently written, "something which 

 should play the same part in regard to 

 the advancement of industrial knowl- 

 edge as has been played in regard to 

 science and learning in general, in 

 these realms, by the Royal Society and 

 the universities." In his conception of 

 the scheme as he commended it, he pict- 

 ured the Imperial Institute to himself, 

 he says — 



As a house of call for all those who are con- 

 cerned in the advancement of industry ; as a 

 place in which the home-keeping indoBtrial 



could find out all he wants to know about 

 colonial industry and the colonist about home 

 industry ; as a sort of neutral ground in which 

 the capitalist and the artisan would be equally 

 welcome ; as a center of intercommunication 

 in which they might enter into friendly dis- 



