SCIENTIFIC TRAINING. 403 



Mr. Hooper, continuing his report, says : " It is 

 true that technical classes are carried on in England, 

 but the energy and forethought are not so apparent on 

 the English side of the Channel as on the French in 

 this matter ; routine and experience in England taking 

 the place of scientific training. While the Company 

 of Coach-makers of London has been pondering how 

 to do it, the employers, foremen, and workmen in 

 France, wiser in their generation, have been working 

 out a very clever and complete course of teaching and 

 training for the rising generation of coach-makers ; 

 if other trades in France have made as much 

 progress, the French may well be proud of the 

 intelligence, industry, energy, and patriotism of her 

 people. It is to a certain extent a proof that she has 

 recovered from the effects of the Franco-Prussian war. 



"In the French department are also shown samples 

 of wheels, springs, axles, ironmongery, wood-carving, 

 metal-chasing, lamps, internal fittings, cloth, lace, silk, 

 etc., mostly in ample variety, and of good quality. 



"A product in w^hich the French are in arrear is 

 varnish. For many years the English had almost 

 a monopoly of the varnish trade of the world. 



"In comparing the brilliancy of the varnish of the 



English and French carriages, various points have 



to be taken into consideration. In London the soil 



is mostly clay, the climate moist, and the coal-smoke 



ever present in the air ; the combined effect is to 



render all surfaces dull and dirty. Whereas the soil 



of Paris being rock and porous earth, the climate dry, 



and the smoke mostly that from wood or charcoal 



fires, the air is purer and cleaner, and the carriage 



panels retain their brilliancy longer than in London. 



"In leather the English are still pre-eminent, 



2 D 2 



