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of Edinburgh, Session 1880 - 81 . 
use of his pen he laid bare the true state of matters, by which the 
citizens were taken by surprise. The exposure which he thus made, 
by speeches and pamphlets, and through the columns of the press, 
were the necessary precursors of the City Improvement Act. It was 
the explorations carried on by him and others among the masses 
crowded in the lowest localities of the city which also paved the 
way for the formation of the Association for Improving the Com 
dition of the Poor, — an association which has for a number of years 
been the means of relieving great distress amongst the deserving 
poor. The old town was divided into districts, and the sad truth 
ascertained, by personal visitation, regarding the depth of misery and 
immorality in the city slums. The result of their labours was to 
produce a series of pointed and striking articles in the daily press, 
and also a report of the most melancholy and startling character, 
and as previously stated these were followed by the formation of 
the above Association. Ho sooner had the Improvement Act 
become operative than Mr Knox cast about for other fields of 
philanthropic effort. His free winter dinners for the street Arabs of 
the city, which have gladdened many a half-starved child, and his 
warm and enthusiastic interest in the Edinburgh Industrial Brigade 
and the Mars Training Ship as schools for discipline and moral and 
industrial education, for several years engaged very much of his 
attention. 
As a temperance reformer he was well known throughout Scotland, 
and the practical results of his labours are to be seen in several 
clauses of the Forbes Mackenzie and the Public House Amendment 
Acts. His fearlessness and utter disregard of personal consequences 
in the proclamation of the truth and exposure of local abuses brought 
him enemies and detractors amongst those whose personal interests 
were affected; but, besides the approval of a good conscience, he 
never failed to secure the trust and confidence of his fellow-citizens, 
who recognised the noble and generous motives which inspired him. 
In his latter years the influence of Mr Knox was powerfully felt 
in the educational world. The interest and labour which he mani- 
fested, in conjunction with the late Mr James Duncan and Lord 
Provost Boyd, while each in their time were Master of the Merchant 
Company, were largely instrumental in moulding the educational 
system as realised in the Merchant Company Schools, which have 
