vin TECHNICAL EDUCATION 193 



attached by the Swiss to educational efficiency. 

 The Federal Polytechnic school at Zurich, one of 

 the largest and most important of these institutions 

 on the Continent, needed a new chemical laboratory, 

 and the Swiss Minister of Education proposed to the 

 Chamber a vote of ,50,000 for this purpose. Objec- 

 tion was raised, but the Minister was able to prove 

 that the new industries created on Swiss soil, especially 

 at Basle, by the young men, chemists and engineers, 

 who had been trained at the Polytechnic, had already 

 amounted to many times the sum asked for, and the 

 amount was at once voted, and a splendidly equipped 

 laboratory now stands as a monument to the foresight 

 of Swiss educationists. In Germany remarks to the 

 same effect were made to us by manufacturers 

 respecting the large sums spent in that country on 

 technical education. " We are a poor nation," they 

 said ; " we cannot afford to throw away our money ; 

 but we are quite convinced that not only is the money 

 well spent on technical instruction and education, 

 but that it repays the country tenfold." 



As an example of the influence which German 

 schools have exerted on German industries the case of 

 Crefeld stands out conspicuously. There we found 

 it must be remembered I speak of more than twenty 

 years ago the most complete textile school in the 

 world. On all hands the testimony was forthcoming 

 that this school was the mainspring of the wonderful 

 development of the local silk industry. Whilst this 

 manufacture had almost sickened unto death in the old 

 centres in England, especially in Spitalfields and 

 Coventry, and had languished in France at Lyons and 

 St. Etienne, it had established itself and flourished 

 most vigorously at Crefeld, to such an extent, indeed, 

 that the exports of silk manufactures from this town 



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