i.n9.2 



THE C'.VIL EXUINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



347 



PAUPER INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS. 



"It is an ill wind that Mows no one good:" so the melancholy 

 event that took place in the late Mr. Dronet's estahlishnient, 

 Lower Tootin"-, at the early part of the present year, is likely to 

 Mow good to the rising generation of panper children, Iiy having 

 atti-acted the attention of the pulilic, in an extraordinary degree, 

 to the manner in which those estahlishments were conducted, and 

 excited a very general and just prejudice against the whole system 

 of what has heen termed tlie "farming-out" of pauper children; 

 and in consequence, an act of parliament was passed to euahle 

 boards of guardians to form district unions, for the erection of 

 schools, away from workhouses, for the education of pauper chil- 

 dren. 



Although prejudice may exist against the congregating a large 

 numher of children together, still, unless this is done to a certain 

 extent, projjor masters cannot be obtained and paid to educate the 

 children. Hy education is meant, not only what is known as ordi- 

 nary school tuition, but also such industrial tuition as will make 

 valuable servants, and induce respectable masters to take the chil- 

 dren when of projier age, or to fit them for emigration. 



Tlie educatiiui in most pauper schools is not at all of an industrial 

 or agricultural character, as it should he with reference to the pro- 

 bable destination of the children in after-life, to whom the utility 

 of garden or lield-labour is obvious, as the greater pro])ortion of 

 pauper children have to gain a livelihood as agricultural labourers; 

 and even when they are engaged in other occupations, the now 

 general practice of annexing allotments to cottages, renders a 

 knowledge of gardtn culti\ation of importance to tliem. Also, 

 from a want of this knowledge, farmers are very unwilling to en- 

 gage hoys from workhouses; and, in consequence, the children 

 remain a burthen to their parishes long after they ought to be 

 supporting themselves by independent work. 



There can be no doubt of the fact that, so long as the present 

 system of education in workhouses ])revai!s, responsible people 

 will not take into their service either boys or girls who have been 

 brought up therein, from their want of industrial knowledge, or 

 dread of contaminated morals (the result of contact with adult 

 paupers); and until the whole system is thoroughly reformed, chil- 

 dren so bronglit up will be taken, as now, by people who are little 

 better than paupers themselves, and so become perpetual paupers 

 and burthens to the parishes to which they respectively belong, 

 with perhaps the addition of wives and families; and, therefore, 

 the conviction is forced upon us, that pauper children must have 

 industrial education, and be removed from workhouses into district 

 schools, as early as possible, to avoid contamination. 



It is now generally admitted by all persons whose opinions are 

 entitled to any consideration, that no money returns so good an 

 interest as that which is expended in improving the morals of the 

 labouring classes. This is making it a matter of pocket; but of 

 course higher and better considerations should influence our 

 actions. 



The guardians of the Wandsworth and Clapham, Croydon, 

 Kingston, Richmond, and Lewisham Unions, are the first to set a 

 good example to the rest of the country, by the formation of a 

 district school, under the said act (for which they deserve great 

 commendation); and for efficiently carrying out their object, they 

 have purchased 50 acres of land by the Annerley Station of the 

 Croydon Railway, at Penge, in the county of Surrey, and they 

 have had prepared by their architect, Mr. Charles Lee, of Golden- 

 square, designs for the proper accommodation of 600 children — 

 viz., 250 boys, 210 girls, and 140 infants; and a contract has been 

 entered into for a portion of the buildings, which are now com- 

 menced. 



This establishment is to be strictly industrial, and no pauper 

 officers or servants will be allowed on the premises; it will have 

 three large school and class rooms, with apartments for school- 

 masters, school-mistresses, and trade-masters; for steward, matron, 

 other officers, and domestics; with dining-room, chapel, chaplain's 

 room for examining and instructing the children; board-room; 

 wardrobes, cutting-out, work, and store-rooms; two receiving 

 wards, with clothes-rooms and baths attached; three kitchens, scul- 

 lery, servants' hall and private rooms; bakery, larders, dairy, lava- 

 tories; plunging and other baths; a separate laundry-building, with 

 drying, ironing, mangling, and mending rooms; likewise a detached 

 Infirmary-building, containing eight distinct boys' and girls' wards, 

 nurses' day and night rooms, surgery, kitchen, wash-house, and 

 laundry. There are to be also bailitl's house and offices; dairy, 

 cow-houses, and other farm buildings; likewise large gardens, so 

 that the boys will be instructed, not only in trades, but in farming 

 and gardening; and the girls in dairy-work. The buildings are to 



be heated throughout by warm water, applied in a new manner, 

 and thorouglily ventilated by flues and shafts. 



The boys', girls', and infants' departments are quite distinct; 

 and all the servants in the bakery, kitchens, and offices are to be 

 women, so that the girls will be taught baking, cooking, house- 

 hold and needlework; and the whole, when finished, will be a 

 model for the guidance of other districts. 



THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION OF ARTS. 



Since we last wrote, the scheme for a National Exhibition of 

 Arts and Manufactures has made further progress. A private 

 meeting of friends of the Lord Mayor has been held at the 

 Mansion-house, at which a deputation from the Society of Arts 

 attended, and before which the plan was laid, under the name of 

 Prince Albert's Plan. Mr. Cole a])peared as the representative of 

 Prince All)ert on the occasion, but we could not ascertain from his 

 statements that H.R.II. has any plan at all, the only one put for- 

 ward being that long since propounded by Mr. Carter Hall, in the 

 Art-Union; by ourselves in this JoiirnnI; and by Mr. Francis 

 AVhishaw before the Society of Arts; and by others whose names 

 we do not now remember. 



If an object which is desirable should be carried out, there need 

 be no squabbling as to who was the originator, or as to who was 

 the first in the field; but we ai'e sorry for the miserable sycophancy 

 which can attribute to the Prince a projection to which he has no 

 claim, and fearful of the spirit of intrigue and jobbery which can 

 use the Prince's name to cover its own iqjerations. 



This is a blemish on the beginning of the undertaking which, 

 it is to he wished, "ill be got rid of; and there is every hope that 

 it will, for the plan lias now attalne<l great publicity, and is likely 

 to receive the support of many leading men. Prince Albert will 

 be fully satisfied with the share of merit which really belongs to 

 him, of having given his powerful Influence and patronage for the 

 advancement of this enterprise; and it will be a title to public 

 respect and esteem, of which it is to be hoped he will earn many 

 more in tlie course of his abode in our country. If the Prince 

 has not hitherto been able to do much, he has nevertheless shown 

 the disposition to be useful; and by presiding at the meetings of 

 the Society of Arts, the Fine Arts Commission, and Agricultural 

 meetings, and many chai-itable societies, he has greatly contributed 

 to the cause of progress. It is because the Prince is so well 

 worthy of esteem, we should be sorry to see his fame tarnished: it 

 is because the object to which he has devoted himself is truly 

 worthy, we should be sorry it should fall or fall short in its results. 



It has been remarked with truth in the Times lately, and in our 

 Journal of last month, that one reason why such an exhibition has 

 not lieretof(n-e been established in this country is, because we feel 

 the need of it much less than our continental neighbours; for to 

 walk from the East India House to Regent's Circus, is to walk 

 through a grand exhibition of national arts and manufactures. 

 There are the windows full of glass, porcelain, and earthenware; 

 the artistically-arranged shows of silks, cottons, woollens, ribbons, 

 shawls, and laces, of England and Paris, the scarce-born novelty 

 of yesterday; the art manufactures, wood-carvings, bookbinding, 

 papier-mache ornaments, picture-frames, plate-glass; fowling- 

 pieces; musical instruments; cutlery from the first workshops of 

 the world; choice tools; saddlery unsurpassed; a rich display of 

 gold, silver, and jewellery; watchwork; optical, philosophical, and 

 surgical instruments; also many new manufactures — cocoa nut fibre, 

 gutta percha, caoutchouc, parianware; the last process in machine- 

 carving, daguerreotyplng, electro-plating; the newest application 

 of science or art. Here, too, we see many historical establish- 

 ments — those of the Arnolds, Dollonds, and Troughtons, 



The wide footways, the careful cleansing, the good police, the 

 plate-glass, the gas at night, no less than the walking habits of tlie 

 population, tend to promote the display in the shop windows, in the 

 arrangement of which practised hands are emjiloyed, and in which 

 the glass-worker, the gas-fitter, and the ticket-writer find well- 

 paid occupation. Thus, not even in the covered galleries of Paris, 

 or bazaars of the East, is there a more open exhibition. Everything 

 is made to minister to this show, and Instead of the upper floors 

 of the houses, as in other great cities, being occupied by large es- 

 tablishments, all the ground-floors in the trade streets are thrown 

 into the long line of glass-cases — the walls of the grand museum. 



It is precisely this state of aft'airs which makes the influence 

 of Prince Albert more valuable in giving any impulse to the exhi- 

 bition, for there is a vis inertia; to be overcome. Thus, even our 

 provincial capitals have had shows before ourselves; and the 



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