164 



LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, x 



Imperial Institute from becoming a weak and unworthy 

 memorial of the reign. 



A final letter to the Times on March 21, was evoked by 

 the fact that Lord Hartington, in giving away the prizes at 

 the Polytechnic Y.M.C.A., had adopted Huxley's position 

 as defined in his speech, and declared that science ought 

 to be aided on precisely the same grounds on which we 

 aid the army and navy. 



In this letter he asks, how do we stand prepared for the 

 task thus imperatively set us? We have the machinery 

 for providing instruction and information, and for catching 

 capable men, but both in a disjointed condition — " all mere 

 torsos — fine, but fragmentary." " The ladder from the 

 School Board to the Universities, about which I dreamed 

 dreams many years ago, has not yet acquired much more 

 substantiality than the ladder of Jacob's vision," but the 

 Science and Art Department, the Normal School of Science, 

 and the Central Institute only want the means to carry out 

 the recommendations already made by impartial and inde- 

 pendent authority. " Economy does not lie in sparing 

 money, but in spending it wisely." 



He concluded with an appeal to Lord Hartington to 

 take up this task of organising industrial education and 

 bring it to a happy issue. 



A proposal was also made to the Royal Society to co- 

 operate, and Sir M. Foster writes on February 19 : " We 

 have appointed a Committee to consider and draw up a 

 draft reply with a view of the R.S. following up your letter." 



To this Huxley replied on the 22nd : — 



. . . My opinion is that the R.S. has no right to spend its 

 money or pledge its credit for any but scientific objects, and that 

 we have nothing to do with sending round the hat for other 

 purposes. 



The project of the Institute Committee as it stands con- 

 nected with the South Kensington site — is condemned by all 

 the city people and will receive none but the most grudging sup- 

 port from them. They are going to set up what will be prac- 

 tically an Institute of their own in the city. 



The thing is already a failure. I daresay it will go on and 



