198 LIFE AND EXPERIENCES CHAP. 



weaving, by the factory system, has been greatly to 

 the advantage of the population. I well remember in 

 visiting Lyons, where the greater part of the silk- 

 weaving is done in the dwelling-rooms of the workers, 

 that the hours of labour are excessive, and that the 

 conditions under which the work is carried out are far 

 more injurious to the health of the people than factory 

 work where the hours are fixed and the hygienic 

 conditions are much more favourable. 



In the apprenticeship and trade schools in Germany, 

 Belgium, Switzerland, Holland, and France, we found 

 that drawing was made the basis of all the technical 

 teaching, and is regarded as the universal language. 

 The lessons follow a graduated course, from chalk 

 drawing on the blackboard to the study of projection 

 and ornament, industrial and machine drawing for 

 special trades, and original designing. 



Among many interesting interviews which we had 

 with teachers and manufacturers I may quote the 

 following. It has often been said that the success of 

 the German arms in the Franco-German War depended 

 upon the German schoolmasters. That this was the 

 opinion in France was illustrated when, on visiting the 

 Ecole Professionnelle of Rouen, the headmaster asked 

 me to inspect the school museum. Among the usual 

 objects I noticed with surprise a Prussian soldier's 

 helmet. On being asked why he placed it there, the 

 schoolmaster stated that it was picked up in the streets 

 of Rouen during the German invasion. And he added 

 that it was of great service to him, for when the 

 scholars did not attend to their work he used to bring 

 this down and put it on his desk, and pointing to it 

 say : " Now, if you do not make progress and learn pro- 

 perly, this will happen to you again. The surest way 

 to bring it upon you is to neglect your studies and grow 



