LA CRISE DU LIBRE-ÉCHANGE EN ANGLETERRE. 3 1 7 
Car, des compensations entrevues, toutes ne sont pas 
assurées. La Grande-Bretagne ne fera-t-elle pas de tels 
de ses ports — notamment du plus important de tous — 
des ports francs ? 
Ed. Van der Smissen. 
APPENDICE 
Au cours de la discussion, M. Mansion cite, à l’appui de la 
manière de voir de M. Dejace sur l’insuffisance de l’éducation 
scientifique de beaucoup de techniciens anglais, un passage 
célèbre de l’Introduction du Manual of Applied Méchantes de 
W. J. M. Rankine, de son vivant professeur de mécanique appli- 
quée à l’Université de Glasgow. Dans cette introduction, inti- 
tulée Préliminary Dissertation on the Harmony of Theory and 
Practice in Mechanics, Rankine fait, ressortir le gaspillage de 
matériaux et d’argent qui est la conséquence inévitable du 
manque de formation théorique chez le plus grand nombre des 
constructeurs anglais. Nous citons dans la langue originale cette 
page caractéristique pour ne pas en affaiblir la force : 
“ There is assuredly, in Britain, 110 deficiency of men distin- 
guished by skill in judging of the quality of materials and work, 
and in directing the operations of workmen — by that sort of 
skill, in fact, whieh is purely practical, and acquired by obser- 
vation and expérience in business. But of that scientifically 
practical skill whieh produces the greatest effect with the least 
possible expenditure of material and work, the instances are 
comparatively rare. In too many cases we see the strength and 
the stability, whieh ought to be given by the skilful arrange- 
ments of the parts of a structure, supplied by means of clumsy 
massiveness, and of lavish expenditure of material, labour, and 
money ; and the evil is increased by a perversion of the public 
taste, whieh causes Works to be admired, not in proportion to 
the fitness for their purposes, or the skill evinced in attaining 
that fitness, but in proportion to their size and cost. 
„ With respect to those works whieh, from unscientific 
design, give way during or immediately after their érection, 
