124 NOTES ON THE CONFERENCE OF DELEOATES OF THE 



library. The London County Council had a proposal to aid a 

 certain museum under consideration, and in Dorset the museums at 

 Poole, Dorchester, and Sherborne had all received aid. From some 

 counties no information had yet been received, but enough had been 

 stated to show that there was no insuperable obstacle to the applica- 

 tion of money intended for Technical Education to the development 

 of museums. Mr. Peek concluded by remarking that any grants 

 made to local museums and free libraries would tend more than 

 anything else to increase local activity. 



The discussion on Mr. Peek's paper turned largely on the 

 relations between local museums and County Councils. Sir John 

 Evans doubted whether grants to museums would be permitted to 

 pass by the (lOvernment auditors, though a grant of technical books 

 to a local museum might be allowed. The Rev. O. P. Cambridge 

 (Dorset) believed that in some cases County Councils had made 

 grants which they were not altogether legally entitled to make, but 

 which, from the good work done, were not likely to be called into 

 question. And Mr. T. W. Shore said that it was at least clear 

 that grants could be made by County Councils to defray the expense 

 of lectures and demonstrations in museums. 



For my own part, I remarked that I held in my hands a letter 

 from Mr. W. Cole, Secretary to the Essex Field Club, who was 

 intimately acquainted with the system of Technical Education as it 

 was carried out in Essex. Mr. Cole lamented that nothing had 

 been granted by the County Council to aid museums, but thought 

 that to do so was probably beyond their legal powers, and hoped 

 for an amendment of the Technical Instruction Acts. He would 

 doubtless be cheered by Mr. Peek's remarks on that point, which 

 showed, at least, that grants to museums were by no means un 

 questionably illegal. Mr. Cole doubted the efficiency of mere 

 lecturing, especially in rural districts. When a lecturer departed he 

 took away the specimens he had brought with him as illustrations tO| 

 his remarks, and but little real and abiding interest in his subject! 

 was aroused. What was really wanted was a permanent central 

 museum which was constantly sending forth loan collections to the 

 remoter districts, and allowed them to remain there for a certain 

 time after the lectures illustrated by the collections had been given. 

 Mr. Cole, however, did not think that museums should be entirely 

 worked by County Councils, as that would greatly weaken the 

 interest taken in museums by the naturalists and Field Clubs who had 



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