The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-06-13 00:00:00

SCIENCE AND ART DEPARTMENT.

A Parliamentary paper has been issued containing
the 32nd report of the Science and Art Department
of the Committee of Council on Education for the
year 1884. The report ib arranged under the follow-
ing heads: 1, Aid given towards the promotion of
instruction in science; 2, aid given towards the promo-
tion of instruction in elementary drawing and in fine
art as applied to industry; 3, South Kensington Museum;
4, Bethnal-green Museum; 5, other museums; 6,
the Geological Survey of the United Kingdom;
7, institutions and societies receiving aid through
the department; 8, congresses, conferences, and ex-
hibitions; and 9, lace-making in Ireland. Under each
of these heads is to be found in the report a quantity
of interesting matter. Thus, under the first head it
is stated that the schools receiving aid towards ele-
mentary scientific instruction have grown in numbers
in 10 years from 1299 to 1463, and the pupils from
52,669 to 78,336; the number of persons examined from
30,685 to 58,866; that of 62,308 papers worked in 1875
43,192 were passed, while in 1884 86,910 were worked
and 61,734 passed. Thus not only have the numbers
actually increased, but the proportion of passed
papers has increased from 69 per cent. to 71 per cent.
The grand totals of persons taught drawing, painting,
or modelling have somewhat decreased, from 909,216
in 1882 to 851,805 in 1884. The number of visitors
to the South Kensington Museum in the year was
963,117, and to Bethnal-green 447,330. As is well
known, objects are lent by the former for exhibition
to provincial museums, schools of art, andexhibitions.
The institutions thus aided were 23 in number, of
which five were new buildings opened in 1884. Under
the head of congresses and exhibitions we find notices
of the International Prime Meridian Conference at
Washington, the New Orleans Exhibition, the Medical
Congresses at Copenhagen and the Hague, and the
preparations made for the Antwerp Exhibition of 1885.
Not the least interesting part of the paper is that which
deals with lace-making in Ireland. Since 1883 endea-
vours have been made to develop and improve this in-
dustry. Lace-making schools and convents have been
visited, sets of photographs of specimens of lace have
been supplied, prizes have been given, and a collec-
tion of old lace has been purchased, with the assistance
of the department, for exhibition in the new build-
ings at Cork. The artistic side of the lace industry
in Ireland is not, however, under such active super-
vision as obtains in France and Belgium. The dis-
tinction between designer and worker is not duly felt,
the workers are left to themselves to devise new de-
signs, and little provision is made whereby persons
shall be enabled to train themselves to make designs
for the use of lace-workers. The report concluclos
with stating that the expense of the department for
the financial year was .C 371,611 12s. 10d. A large
proportion of the book, which consists of some 37()
pages, is made up of appendices, which contain re-
turns from the /arious branches of the department
and a large number of reports on other matters, one
especially interesting report being that of Professor
Ball on museums and other institutions in the United
States. This report is accompanied by illustrations
giving plans and elevations of the places visited.