32 Industrial Tratmng and Technical Education. 



the action of the ignorant, selfish government of our forefathers, 

 which, killing the nascent industries of Ireland, left to their 

 descendants a legacy of rebellion, hatred and discontent. For 

 Ireland a better method of Education on Industrial lines is of 

 the utmost need, so large a proportion of the people requiring to 

 be born again to habits of bread-winning industry. Imperfectly 

 as this has been tried, one cannot help contrasting the different 

 conditions of the North and South of Ireland, due in a very 

 great measure to the half time schools in connection with the 

 factories. I was told by the owner of one of the largest mills 

 in the North of Ireland that his best hands had been entered 

 when half-timers. It is in the power of Poor Law Guardians to 

 apply this system in the workhouses and it has for many years 

 been adopted in the Union District Schools of London ; nor 

 do I think that any one who wishes to earn the blessing 

 promised to him who considers the poor can do better than 

 help to improve their sanitary condition and to give them the 

 means of earning an honest livelihood. 



In this paper I have avoided the introduction of statistics 

 both from the difficulty of attaining correctness up to date, and 

 the consciousness that figures can be arranged to prove any- 

 thing. I have confined myself to general results in the hope 

 of leading some who have influence in their generation to follow 

 the subject up to practical results ; for it is impossible that 

 the labors and aspirations of so many great and unselfish men 

 who have written and striven to help forward the cause of 

 Industrial Training for the poor, shall for ever be defeated by 

 the degrading selfishness of a small section of the community, 

 or by the supineness of party poHticians who may happen to be 

 in temporary power. 



Nor have I, gentlemen, been so unmindful of your patience 

 as to leave insufficient time for any discussion which may 

 ensue. 



