42 J. NANGLE. 



stances and with resourcefulness, and it is to these charac- 

 teristics that probably much of his success in training can 

 be ascribed. The fact that a careful process of selection 

 was carried out, with a view to each man being put into 

 the training for which he was best suited, no doubt had its 

 influence as a factor in his rapid progress. Probably, 

 however, what had a very great deal to do with his success, 

 was the fact that he had reached an age sufficient to allow 

 of some power of analysis and judgment being used by 

 himself in an attempt at understanding what he was set to 

 do. On the other hand, he was not old enough to have 

 lost the plasticity of his mind, or the power of acquiring 

 manual skill. At any rate, whatever may be the cause, 

 the results go to show, that Australians whose ages range 

 from eighteen to twenty-five years, are not too old to learn 

 quickly, and to acquire skill, provided only that they be 

 put to learn a trade or calling which suits them. There 

 are shown in this hall some examples of what can be 

 achieved by men after remarkably short periods of instruct 

 tion, who had no skill whatever, and very little preparatory 

 education, prior to entering into training. Bach specimen 

 is labelled with information as to the time spent in train- 

 ing prior to completing the piece of work, and with a 

 certificate as to the work being none but that of the student 

 whose name is given. The specimens are types of what 

 has been done in the classes. Necessarily only one speci- 

 men from each of a few classes can be conveniently shown 

 here, but those who view the specimens can be assured 

 that they are reasonably representative of what has been 

 done by students being trained in practically all of the 

 callings carried on in all parts of the Commonwealth. One 

 remarkable feature about all the men put into training, 

 was the scantiness of general education up to the time of 

 applying. It was extremely difficult to find men even up 

 to the simple standards of preparatory education set out in 



