56o 
nesB to allow the students to vieit their steam 
ships and worksbopa, and no doubt the etadents 
would be very pleased to have the opporluoity 
of seeing the actual engine and boiler rooms of 
the steamers and the work in the foundry; and 
among other places they would be able to visit 
and learn something at the Spinning and Weav- 
ing Company, the Government Printing Works, the 
Government Factory and the Railway Workshop. He 
had pleasure in aonounoiDg also that a series of lec- 
tures would be given daring the ensuing year. He 
was sorry to say that one of those who had pro- 
mised to lecture, was unable to do so, namely 
Mr. George Wall, whose state of health, un- 
happily did not permit him to come down to 
Colombo. Mr. Drieberg of the Agricultural School 
had promised to lecture on Practical Chemistry 
and Mr, Skeen on Printing, and there were others 
who were thinking over the matter; and he hoped he 
would be able to arrange interesting lectures. He 
might Bay, in closing that the Technical School 
showed signs of more or less vigorous infancy, and 
it only required to be nourished a little bit, and he 
thought it would grow up to a strong and healthy 
man. (Loud applause). 
Ihe Director of Public Inatructton. 
Mr. J. B. CuLii said that the school represented a 
new feature entirely as regarded education in the 
colony and he hoped it would receive the support 
of those concerned with the prosperity of the com- 
munity. He noticed, with regret, that Mr. Wall 
was not among those present. Mr. Wall was one 
who was pre eminently prominent in ensuring the 
establishment of the school, and his absence 
was all the more to be regretted as it was due to 
ill-health. The existence of the school owed more 
to the constant energy and interest of Mr. Wall 
than almost to anyone else, and everybody pre- 
sent would join with him in regretting Mr. Wall's 
absence. Mr. Grinlinton was another gentle- 
man who had also interested himself in 
establishing the school, and he, though away 
at present, would soon be able to see for him- 
self the working of the school. Next he proceeded 
to say that he wished to recognize the able work 
done by the Superintendent of the school and 
his oo-operator in fitting up the school (applause). 
Mr. Human and his Assistant had laboured 
assiduously and right practically with regard to the 
work of the school and in erecting the machinery, and 
he did not think anybody could carry away the 
impression that the work was not well done. He 
had invited to be present representatives of the 
Bcientifio departments of the Government and he 
was glad to notice the Director of Public Works, 
the Surveyor-General, the Government Printer, 
and representatives of the Railway Department, 
and he hoped that they would be able to promise 
help. He might also say that His Excellency 
the Governor was entirely in accord with the hope 
of each promises being forthcoming so that the 
Technical School might be able to supply some 
of the public departments with trained and efficient 
hands. Apart from that he urged the offering 
of prizes by the influential and wealthier native 
gentlemen of the island, for he had no doubt that 
' many of them were interested in the new develop- 
ment of educational progress in the island. The 
Technical School represented an entirely new depar- 
ture and it had been long clamoured for and he 
thought they might well ask that the representatives 
of the various communities should come forward 
with encouragement. He was not speaking in an 
eleemosynary sense — he was not asking for charity 
but for prizes to encourage the students. He 
tbooght they might also reoeiY9 ft V^iX deal of 
co-operation from the Maoagere of otbdr Sebools 
in Ceylon. He was glad to recognize the able 
work that many Mission bohools were doing to- 
wards industrial and educational progress, and 
Father CoIUdb being preEeot be meotioned tboee 
with which he was oonaeoted. Eveoiog claeeeB 
for technical instruction, he might 6&y 
in conclusion, was another important point and 
it was proposed that such classes Bboald be 
established in the course of a tbort time— in 
addition to the claeses daring the day — (or the 
benefit of those — chit-fly mechanioe— who were 
busily engaged during the day in their own legi- 
timate work. In conclusion he eaid there had been 
a cry about the overstocking of the cieriosl market, 
and this Institute he hoped would be the meaoa 
of relieving that. (AppUuee.) 
Ihe BiihoiJ of Colombo. 
Db. Copleston, who was next called upon, eaid 
he spoke as one of the general public, who were 
seeing (or the first time what had been so well 
began, upon so good a scale and with such evident 
tboroughnees. It pleased one very much to paea 
ttatough the rooms and eee the provieioo which 
had been made for this important branota of 
education. From whatever point o( view be 
looked upon it they most regard it as a matter 
of congratulation that that great step, which was 
so necessary as an element in modern civilization, 
had now been taken id the colony. Modem civi- 
lization had made teclinical learning a matter of 
necessity, No doubt, in past limes, ia Ceylon as 
elsewhere, a great aeal of skill and love lor art, 
even in the humbler branches of handicraft, had been 
handed down from father to eon and at first eight 
what might Btrike one was " why ehould 1 
come to a school to learn the principlea of that 
which men have been in the habit u( learning 
by assisting their faibere, aud succeeding to tHe 
places in which tbeir fathers worked or managed 
their wotk ? ' But as it had been fouod in Europe, 
so it would certainly be found here. The old 
guilds of craftsmen had to paes away though they 
cherished a very noble spirit and produced very 
splendid results in their time and the eyelem of 
apprenticeship which succeeded them had also in 
its turn to give way to this larger system of 
scientific teacding ; for, after all, with the advance 
of knowledge and rapid specialization and immense 
competition in every branob of trade and manu- 
facture it was only by fiaving acoees not to what 
one's father happen to know or to what was 
known to have been io practice in one's neigh- 
bourhood, but to the very best knowledge and the 
best collected result of study upon the Bubjecl, that 
any manufacturer or producer could expect to hold his 
own. Those who had been a few weeks iu that school 
had probably alrea.dy learnt that. At iirbt they 
might have woudeied what was the good of coming 
there to be taught a matter so simple as the 
handling of tools, the use of the variouj materiale 
and tbeir dilleieut strengths and capacities which 
they thought could be better learnt by practice or 
which perhaps they thought were known by every 
one ; but he was sure tbey oould not be six weeks 
in that school without fiading out that it was 
essential, if they were to make tbe best use of the 
materials which God had placed under their control, 
that they should have science in the best form in 
which they oould have it at the back of their bandi- 
oraft. He rejoiced for another reason apart from these, 
which were of an economical nature, in seeing that 
Bobool so handsomely started, beoanae he thought 
it was a witness to 
IHE maSlTH OF MAJ<DAIi WOBK 
— B prinoiple which all people bad been from time 
