was nearly ruined; the old manufactories were unable to strug- 

 gle any longer against French, English and Swiss firms. A 

 few Crefeld manufacturers, dejected ])ut not discouraged, 

 founded in this city a weaving school, and this very soon 

 changed the situation. Now the Crefeld factories contest with 

 even Lyons for the supply of the markets." United States 

 Consular Agent Neuer, in his description of the Gera weaving 

 school, says: " I commend the German system of technical 

 education as well worthy the serious consideration of our man- 

 ufacturers, as trained and skilled operatives must be of vast 

 service to us. It is an important factor, and closely connected 

 with the highest interest of our laboring classes. The advance- 

 ment of German commerce in all parts of the world is generally 

 admitted, and while government aid may partly account for 

 the fact, it is no less the superior schooling of the people which 

 opens new markets for the Germans." In fact, so rapid has 

 been Germany's rise as a manufacturing country, and so excel- 

 lent has l)een the quality of the goods exported, that she has 

 successfully challenged England in her own home m^irket 



Manual training and technical schools have been established 

 in every European country, and in Japan likewise. Statesmen 

 believe that it is wise, economical and patriotic to insist upon 

 such academical studies as will make the student both a better 

 man and a more efficient producing machine. The mechanic 

 of the future will need something more than the rudiments of 

 mechanics; he will require general culture as well, and a broad 

 knowledge of the requirements of humanity, to make a man of 

 him; he must be taught something of the constitution of his 

 country, and something of social science, so that he shall know 

 the record of human progress, understand the feeling of patri- 

 otism, and estimate the value of liberty. His training must 

 fit him to vote intelligently. He can learn all this, together 

 with the practical rules of his calling, at a technical school, 

 if it l)e intelligently conducted. 



Mr. Felix Adler, the Director of the Workingmens' School of 

 New York, explained the purpose of such schools in terse 

 phrase: — " The worker in the factory of to-day too often moves 

 like a machine among machines. He does not comprehend the 



