22 Industrial Training and Technical Education. 



child of the honest working man shall be given as advantageous 

 a start in life as the son of the felon, not by leveUing the 

 education of the latter down but by raising the other. Be it 

 remembered that when the man without a special trade or 

 calling has deteriorated in his personal appearance from sickness 

 or misfortune, the difficulty in raising himself again is almost 

 insuperable ; whilst the dissolute tinker, who is only sober 

 for three or four days in the week, can always earn a livelihood, 

 and does not become chargeable to the ratepayer, at all events 

 not as a pauper. 



Now, gentlemen, let us consider the objections to be met in 

 face of the conclusions I have indicated. 



Firstly — Industrial, like technical, training involves money 

 and expense to the ratepayers or to the Government. 



Secondly — Such training, if extended, would be violently 

 opposed by Trades Unions. 



Thirdly — No opportunist Government would encounter the 

 opposition of these interests unless pressed by the electorate. 



Fourthly — Such a reform would be opposed by those 

 educationalists, who, whilst the poor are crying for bread, offer 

 them the stone of higher education. 



As regards the first, the increased outlay would be more 

 than repaid by the reduction in the expense of poor relief and 

 punishment of criminals. The cost of every unemployed man 

 by the state, is estimated at an average of ;^400 for his life. 

 As regards the second, the time must come, if the country is 

 to remain prosperous, when the tyrannical excesses of Trades 

 Unionism will have to be restrained. At the present moment 

 terrorism is used to prevent free labour and freedom of contract 

 between employers and employed ; and regulations are made 

 in order to limit the numbers engaged in a particular trade, 

 and to limit the productiveness of the owner's machinery. 



Not long ago I went to enquire in a very considerable town 

 in England if some soldiers could be sent to attend the 

 Technical classes of their trades, and I was told that no one was 

 allowed to attend who was not a member of a Trades Union. 

 I asked if a young man who had learned his trade thoroughly 



