Feb, I, 1894.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
to time too slow to recognize and which he sup- 
posed bad been terribly overlooked in the oiroum- 
Btanoea in which the people of tbia country had for 
some centuries been. In England people had 
learned, of late, mainly be thought, far beyond 
what they had learned from any other man from 
the teacliing of Mr. Kuskin, what was meant by 
the dignity of labour. They had learned that those 
arts which were called humble gave, as he said, 
occupation to the noblest human intelligence and that 
there was not any longer to be any hard and fast line 
of distinction between the thinker and the worker ; 
that the worker should be sometimes a thinker and 
the thinker sometimes a worker with his hands and 
both in the highest sense gentlemen. He felt that 
in this country in particular whatever put the seal 
of authority and intelligence upon this principle 
that handicraft and manufacture were capable of 
being both ennobled and ennobling was to be desired 
in even higher regions than the economical one ; 
and he rejoiced to see the tables covered with the 
materials for drawing, for surveying and for ex- 
perimenting upon the various forces of nature and 
the methods at which the different materials with 
which we are supplied by na'ure behaved. He 
rpjoiced to see them beoauss he thought they would 
lead everyone who had to deal with trades and manu- 
factures and even the humblest handicraft to feel 
that be was in contact with tbat which was great 
and ennobling, and devine. He had had some 
opportunities of seeing the want of this kind and 
Ecientiiio appreciation of the things with which a 
man dealt. He was acquainted with a consider- 
able number of gentlemen who are owners of 
plumbago mines, and he had not often found 
that one knew what plumbago was composed 
of or what its characteristics were, and 
he could not help thinking that they would 
individually make much larger profits and 
also have much greater enjoyment in their 
occupation if they knew and understood these 
things ; they would work their mines not only with 
greater safety and greater pleasure if they knew 
beforehand what strength ot timber and kind of 
timber should be need and what positions of it best 
secure the object they had in view. As he said 
at the b.'ginniog he spoke as one of the general 
public and he would add his word in support ot 
what fell last from the D.P.I. He thought they 
could not but see that the Government was acting 
very liberally in this matter and bad done its part, 
and those who were capitalists and owners of 
property and manufacturers could show their ap- 
preciation of that liberality and that spirit cn the 
part of Government by founding prizes and scholar- 
ships and such things as the Director had suggested. 
(Applause) 
lite Mercantile Member. 
The Hon. W. W. Mitchell thought the occasion 
of their meeting that day was essentially one for 
congratulation. Teobnioal education had been 
adopted or was being introduced into most coun- 
tries and the reason of that was that it was 
an called for and had become. 
iBSOLOTELY NE0E33ABY, 
The ooursa of education in Ueylon he might 
almost say had hitherto been of such a nature, 
perhaps in the absence ot knowledge of anything 
bytli r, ihiit the youih of the country had been 
ai^otinloraud to (all into the groove of studying 
luura o^pooially (or the medical, legr.i or clerical 
proftHriuns, They w<.re met that day to inaugu- 
laio or initiate 
A NEW DBPABTUBB. 
The prospeotoa or syllabus which was in their 
hands: showed that something had altogether or 
at all events in a different direction was to be entered 
upon. The objects of the School and the teaching 
were that harmonious development might 
be obtained of the faculties by a systematic 
training in applied science. There was no doubt 
that the daily use of tools, and knowledge of the 
procesEes and materials must be of great value 
to a man in any walk of life but particularly 
to a man who intenda to follow out a career 
in applied science, and in the use of them he 
would undoubtedly acquire 
HABITS OF PBECISlON 
and method and painstaking effort. That school 
had undoubtedly begun under most favourable 
auppioea. He thought they would all admit th^ 
they had been fortunate in securing the services 
of a most able Principal (Applause) and he likewise 
thought that under hia guidance they might aafely 
augur that the school would attain euccess. (Ap« 
plause). He would however warn the pupils that 
the success of the institution would alao very 
largely depend upon them. (Hear, hear). He would 
therefore ask them in the coming session to do 
all they could to gain as much credit for the 
school as lay in their power. They should 
not only be regular in their attendance there 
and diligent in the performance of their duties 
but careful in the home preppration of their 
studies for a great deal depended upon that. A 
great deal of the advantage they would get there 
would depend upon the preparation they made 
outside these walls. Befereaoe had been made yb 
the D.P.I, to the prizts that might be offered 
and he thought that the suggeation that to nomi- 
nations to some the Government departmeuta 
was a very exoell one. He would at the same 
time hope that the pupils would not look entirely 
to that, but would rather try to strike out new 
ground for themselves — would try to improve the 
existing industries of the country or direct their 
knowledge to the introduction of new ones' 
(Applause). In this oonnectioa he might perhaps 
refer to the fact at leaat what he hoped to be 
a faot before very long thht there was a dis- 
position on the part of the Government to 
REUOVE THE IMPORT DOII CPJN E\W MATBBLiLS. 
Now, if that were carried into effect there waa no 
doubt it would give a great impetus to in- 
stitutions of this kind which directed their 
efforts to the manipulation of raw material, 
applying science to it in order to produce 
the manufactured article. (Hear, hear). He would 
not detain them longer as there were other speakers. 
He had great pleasure in being present, bat he 
felt regret at the absence of those whose names had 
been mentioned. To these names he would add tbat 
of the late Sir Samuel Grenier who manifested a 
great deal of interest in the initiation of the 
scheme of technical education and not only in the 
oountr y but when he was at homs he worked alorg 
with h\m (Mr. Mitchell) in endeavouring to further 
the interests of the Institute. How far their laboura 
had been auccessful that gathering showed (Ap> 
plause.) He truated that wneu the term was over 
i there would be a very excellent record of good work 
done (Applause). He had not 
TUE aiFX OF PBOPHKCY, 
but if he did poBsess it be would be inclined to 
exercise it that day and say that that school would 
be a success (Applause). The D.P.I had askod 
that promisea might be given of prizes; lie had 
thrown out a Bort of oballenge. Well, he ac- 
' oepted tbat oballenge (Applanie) Aud be would 
