Industrial Training and Technical Education. 33 



Mr. R. Lloyd Patterson proposed a vote of thanks to 

 General Geary. 



Dr. R. Kyle Knox in seconding the motion pointed out that 

 theteaching of trades, which seemed to be General Geary's view, 

 was not his idea of the province of a technical school, which he 

 held should attempt merely to teach the scientific side of those 

 crafts which could only be properly acquired in the workshops 

 or factory. He also disagreed with General Geary's assumption 

 that the workmen of Belfast were as a class badly housed and 

 surrounded by dirt in their dwellings. 



Mr. M'Manus (Belfast Trades Council) challenged General 

 Geary's statement that trades unionism was opposed to technical 

 education. On the contrary, it was strongly in favour of it, 

 and was at present engaged in demanding it at the hands of 

 the Corporation. 



Professor Fitzgerald agreed with the lecturer that industrial 

 training in schools was calculated to have the best effect on 

 both the minds and bodies of the pupils. With regard to 

 technical education he had not found that, in Belfast at any 

 rate, any difficulties arose with trades unions ; on the contrary, 

 the trades favoured such education. With regard to industrial 

 training in schools, it was not to be confounded with what was 

 called manual training, such as the system known as Sloyd, 

 and other analogous systems, which are not intended to teach 

 any industrial art directly, but only to develop the faculties 

 both of mind and body of the scholars. Industrial training 

 went beyond this, and aimed at directly cultivating special 

 dexterities and faculties, useful in particular trades. It was 

 therefore not suitable for all classes of schools, or scholars, nor 

 was it suitable for all trades. It was most especially fitted for 

 the development of what are often called cottage industries, 

 and its most useful application was therefore in places and 

 among people where it was desirable to create or encourage 

 these. 



Dr. Beattie, Dr. Sheldon, and Mr. T. Foster also spoke 

 in friendly criticism of the lecture. 

 3 



