The late Thomas Aveling. 
361 
illustrations of natural history as lions, bears, and other exotic 
animals. His suggestion that the Council should endeavour to 
encourage the publication of reading books and diagrams of 
a more practical nature will probably be carried out in some 
way at a future time. 
On the Continent, Mr. Aveling's merits as an inventor of 
road-rollers and traction engines were perhaps more thoroughly 
recognised by Governments and public bodies than they were 
in his own country. He received the Austrian Order of 
Francis Joseph in 1873, and the French Legion of Honour in 
1878, besides an immense number of Gold and Silver Medals, 
awarded during a period of twenty years by representative 
bodies of most European and some American States. 
In politics Mr. Aveling was an advanced Liberal, but his 
opinions on these as on other subjects never interfered with his 
instinctive sense of right and wrong. He judged every question 
according to the dictates of his conscience and the power of his 
intellect, entirely unfettered by any question of party. I do not 
believe that he would have altered an opinion or abandoned a 
course of action, except from conviction, under any circumstances 
whatever. 
In private life Mr. Aveling was much beloved by his family 
and friends, and by the majority of his workpeople, which is 
saying a great deal in these days. Strict as a military martinet 
in business hours, and exacting to the utmost as to the manner 
in which work should be done, he necessarily kept only the 
best men, and many of these have been in his employment for 
several years, some even ever since he commenced business. 
But outside the workshop he was never tired of giving them 
opportunities of healthful and improving recreation. 
In this as in all other matters Mr. Aveling was eminently 
practical ; and as an illustration of his character as well as 
a record of the good that he did to his workmen it may be 
allowable to indicate some of his labours on their behalf. He 
fitted up a part of the old works at Rochester as a lecture-room 
for his men, and he atwl others read papers and delivered 
lectures there on educational, social, and political subjects. 
Afterwards Mr. Aveling invited discussion, for he generally 
occupied the chair. At first the men delivered speeches of the 
most communistic type, but after a time they became capable 
of looking at questions from a different point of view. Mr. 
Aveling was always careful that they should hear arguments 
well put by educated men, after having first encouraged the 
workmen to express their own opinions. He used to say, 
" There is nothing to fear from Radicalism, and I don't object 
to it ; but there is a great deal to fear from uneducated Radi- 
