Ii6 



NA TURE 



[May 31, i«94 



rieii out al the People's Palace with some success, and it certainly 

 seems desirable to extend them. After all, the majority of the 

 students in Polytechnics desire certilicates which cuarantee that 

 the holder, when applying for work, is a thoroughly competent 

 workman. liy enlisting employers of labour, and representatives 

 of various trades, as examiners, the work doneistruly tested from 

 a practical point of view, and the ceititicates awaided by them 

 is of use in obtaining employment. In all probability there 

 will be a difficulty in arranging a joint examinaiicm board on 

 the lines suggested by the People's Palace committee, but 

 however this may be, it seems desirable that some provision 

 should be made for determining the amount of directly useful 

 knowledge obtained in the Polytechnic workshops. 



Before passing to another Polytechnic, a few words must be 

 said with regard lo the extent of the work carried on at the 

 People's Palace. The number of class tickets issued for the cur- 

 rent session is 7408. Such su' jects as light, sound, physiology, 

 botany, and physiography attract comparatively fe* students, the 

 reason evidently being that they do not directly bear upon indus- 

 tries. Though we cannot but regret thisl.ick ofiniere-t in subjects 



be raised to ^^2500 when the sum of /"6o,ooo has been collected. 

 .\s only;if220oisnow wanted to complete this figure, the Institute 

 will probably soon be in possession of the further endowment. 

 The London County Council will also eventually contribute to 

 the Institute an annual sum estimated to amount to about £ 1 50a 

 The Institute contains workshops for various trades, physiail 

 and chemical laboratories, and numerous rooms for classes and 

 lectures. Instruction is provided in technological subjects, in 

 general science ; art, including'wood-carving and metal chasing ; 

 music ; and in commercial and general education. The prin- 

 cipal is Mr. Sidney H. Wells, and Dr. W. E. Sumpner is the 

 head of the electrical engineering department. Mr. S. H. 

 Davies has charge of the chemistry department, and Mr. W, 

 E. Walker carries on the engineering work in conjunction with 

 Mr. Wells. 



For the first time in the history of London Polytechnics, the 

 Governors appointed a Principal, and by selecting for the post a 

 man in whom theoretical and practical knowledge are happily 

 combined, they did their best to secure a well-balanced scheme 

 of insiiuciion. Wiibout expressing an opinion upon the advisa 



mo«t of which arc necessary lor a proper scientific education, it 

 n not .strange that in the East End, whrre the battle of life is so 

 keen, people should only be interested in matters which they 

 think may astist them to earn a living. Engineering subjects 

 are greatly favoured, as many as 300 students attending the 

 cla»» in machine construction and drawing. The average 

 attendance each evening at classes in all subjects is about nine 

 hundred. 



Dr. Macnair, who until recently was the head of the che- 

 mistry department, made that branch ol .science very popular 

 amoni; itudcntt, and Dr. lleuilt, who has succeeded him, will 

 HoubllcM su»t.iin the character of the work. The research 

 laboratory, which it is proposed to arrange, will help to this 

 end. 



We come now to the Ballcrsea Polytechnic Institute, formally 

 opened la^t February. The Instiinie has been built and 

 equipped at a cost of nearly /^53,ooo, the gcealcr part of which 

 wan raised by voluntary suliscriplions. It is at |ite»ent in 

 possession ofa fixed endowment of ;^i5oo per year, but this will 



biliiy of putting each Polytechnic under the control of a Prin- 

 cipal, we would point out that an educational head who teaches 

 is bound to be prejudiced in the direction of his special branch 

 of study to the detiinienl of other branches. By placing at the 

 head of aflaiis a man who is not a specialist, and properly 

 arranging each department of the educational work under a 

 competent head, e.nch branch is sure of its right share of atten- 

 tion. At the (ioldsniiths' In titute there ate ten departuients, 

 each under a head who, with Mr. Kidmayne, arranges (be 

 details of woik. The system has been proved to work well, 

 and there is no friction between the depailmental heads and the 

 bead of the Institute, owing doubtless t.) the fa:t lh.it they feel 

 that he is not unduly prejudiced in favour of any one depart- 

 mcnt. The system of putting the whole Inslilulc under a Prin- 

 cipal is being tried at lialtersca. Tiiiic will show whether this 

 manner of control, or that adopted at New Cross, best furthen 

 the interests of all branches ol an Institute's work. 



A few remarks with regard to the lines adopted al llattcrsea 

 should be of interest. The Uattcrsca Institute is open lo persont 



NO. 1283, VOL. 50] 



