XVI TECHNICAL EDUCATION 413 



if you were an intelligent master, and your trade 

 involved the application of scientific principles, as 

 so many trades do, you would like him to know 

 enough of the elementary principles of science to 

 understand what was going on. I suppose that, 

 in nine trades out of ten, it would be useful if he 

 could draw ; and many of you must have lamented 

 your inability to find out for yourselves what 

 foreigners are doing or have done. So that some 

 knowledge of French and German might, in many 

 cases, be very desirable. 



So it appears to me that what you want is pretty 

 much what I want ; and the practical question is, 

 How you are to get what you need, under the actual 

 limitations and conditions of life of handicraftsmen 

 in this country ? 



I think I shall have the assent both of the em- 

 ployers of labour and of the employed as to one of 

 these limitations ; which is, that no scheme of 

 technical education is likely to be seriously enter- 

 tained which will delay the entrance of boys into 

 working life, or prevent them from contributing to- 

 wards their own support, as early as they do at 

 present. Not only do I believe that any such 

 scheme could not be carried out, but I doubt its 

 desirableness, even if it were practicable. 



The period between childhood and manhood is 

 full of difficulties and dangers, under the most 

 favourable circumstances; and, even among the 

 well-to-do, who can afford to surround their children 



