THE Otago Daily Times. THURSDAY, JULY I, 1875.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4171, 1 July 1875, Page 2

THE Otago Daily Times. THURSDAY, JULY I, 1875.

It was only the other day, in ouv local Museum, that there might have been observed a young man, whose face, hands, and dress at once betokened his connection with the labouring classes. And what attracted .attention to this individual was that, occasionally, his fingers disappeared into a bulging coatpocket, and suddenly returned grasping a piece of rock, which he seemed intently to be comparing with the specimens in the case before him. The same process occurred with other pieces of rock, and they were carefully transferred by that means to the .pocket of the opposite side. His mmd 5 had already labelled the pockets respectively, " Compared specimens," and " For comparison." We left him, bur the incident set us musing. The day was rainy, and had evidently prevented him from pursuing his usual avocitiou, and he was apparently availing himself during this compulsory idle-time of the assistance of the Museum. Eeflective minds must feel this man's case was not singular, and out of the hundreds of artisans in our midsi there must be many more like him. Now, what facilities exist in Dunedin fnv such ? how are they to be instructed ? and what is the character of*the want above indicated ? To the first we must reply—No facilities beyond our excellent Museum. To the second—Certainly not by day schools. To the third—By formation of technical evening schools, teaching practical subjects, conducted by practical men and at moderate expense to those who use them. That they cannot receive instruction in the day time is self-evi-dent. That the University courses —and we except from this the lately proposed elementary lectures —are unsuited for such is also apparent, these courses being only adapted for persons who have,, received a tolerably wide general education. Hurried from sehpol at an early age, and immersed in manual labour as soon aa he has absorbed his three R's, the ordinary artisan has not the opportunities' presented to him that the children of our wealthy traders have, and the status of preliminary education in many ways exacted of such, c>mld not be expected of the hard manual worker, especially after he has been removed from sebool for some years. That no night school at present exists peculiarly fitted for the wants of artisans is a notorious fact. We have got a University, a High School, several grammar schools, and ordinary day Schools, but to supply tho labouring man with elementary instruction in those subjects that may be of use to him in his trade or occupation, there is actually no provision. How, then, shall this deficiency be remedied 1 Dunedin, like every other busy centre of industry, has numerous societies connected with the different trades, and other societies whqse interests are equally bound up with the welfare of their working classes. Every step that will tend in the slightest to promote the amelioration of the artizan, that will make him a better workmaD, and consequently a more useful member of society, will be sure to meet with their approval and assistance. . Now, what more practicable or noble object could animate these respective societies than the devotion of a small part of their income towards the support of an elementary Technical School, whose classes should be carried on in such a way and at such hours as would be most convenient for working men ? By a combination of this kind, the trades' unions of this place would be conferring; a marked benefit on their members, would gain the warm sympathy of the general public, and would surely be aided by all employers of labour. That an experiment of the nature we have suggested is practicable we know from the success of similar experiments at home and on the Continent. Witness one marked case in connection with the Amalgamated Society of Joiners and Carpenters. Their inde fatigable secretary, Mr R. Applegahth

acting on a suggestion thrown out byj Professor Pluming Jenkin, of Edinburgh University, advocated the formation of a few schools where workingmen could learn the elementary details of geometrical and machine drawing, of mathematics and of building construe-; lion; and so successfully were these schools conducted that at the first science and art examinations of||Soutti| Kensington, subsequent to the organisa-^ tion of. these classes, percentag. s of 50* 30, and 20 were respectively obtained in the first, second, and third class honours of the subjects taught to" artiz.ins in these Trades' Union Schools. To place this success more clearly, out of 40 men who obtained first class honours in geometrical drawing,v and1 who had tent in their papers from all'1 parts of the United Kingdom, no less than 20 owed their success chinfly to the schools organised by Mr Appj.egarth. This success was not temporary. We are satisfied that Dunediu possesses the materials for such useful work. A coalescence of the different Trades' societies, with such guilds as "the Oddfellows and the Foresters, could manage the matter. And the expenses thus divided, along with the class ftes,! would be trifling compu-ed with the good that it would accomplish. And -surely among the various foremen, overlookers, managers, and other? in this city, there could be found seveVtflnot only competent, but also willing to, aid in making their fellow-workmen proficient in their respective callings.