The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-14 00:00:00

Woiking ClasFes Industrial Exhibition.

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On Saturday afternoon the prizes were distributed
to the successful competitors at the recent " Metro-
politan and Provincial Working Classes' Exhibi-
tion." The Exhibition, which commenced on the
3d of September and closed on the 12th November,
was held in the Agricultural Hall at Islington.
Financially the results were satisfactory. Nearly
600,000 persons entered the building between those
two dates, and the receipts from all sources amounted
to up‘Vards of 15,-100, while the expenditure was
only £4,53'3. The council had thus a balance of
about 5:.900, out of which they provided the prizes,
consisting of silver and bronze medals, the certifi-
cates of honourable mention, a framed view of the
Exhibition for every exhibitor, printed reports, &c.
In the first notice of the Exhibition printed ill the
Tines it was remarked that while the display was
an improvement on the local Exhibitions which had
preceded it, the articles sent in could not, as a whole,
be deemed satisfactory specimens of what the arti-
sans of the metropolis are capable of doing, and
actually accomplish, every day for their employers.
It would appear that the adjudicators took a similar
view, for the concluding paragraph of their Report
is in these terms :

" In expressing our opinion of the general character of
this Exhibition, we feel bound to state that, with certain
honourable exceptions, the objects exhibited do not attain
to great excellence. The chief deficiencies are in those
important qualities which result from well-directed study,
and in originality of design, the offspring of independent
thought. At the same time, there are abundant evidences
of patient, laborious perseverance, of earnest assiduity, and
particularly of technical skill and manual dexterity, which
give promise of more decided excellence in future Indus-
trial Exhibitions."

There was a large amount of amateur work in the
show at the Agricultural Hall, many tradesmen
and artisans exhibiting in classes with which
their own particular calling had no occupation.
Thus a cheesemonger competed in and gained
the second " special" prize for fancy needlework.
The question whether amateur work should be much
encouraged in Industrial Exhibitions is a disputed
one, but it is not easy to see how either art or manu-
facture is usefully promoted by a cheesemonger ex-
celling in crochet or embroidery. In the fine arts'
department most of the pictures were by amateurs,
and of this portion of the Exhibition the adjudica-
tom remark :--" Many of the works that have found
their way into the galleries are quite unworthy to be
exhibited under any circumstances, and some pos-
sess but slight claims for appearing in public." In
almost every instance of an artisan exhibiting in his
own class the result was highly creditable ; but it
may be hoped that in future Working Men's Indus-
tri ,1 Exhibitions there will be fewer useless models,
and worthless patchwork quilts and beadwork ships,
which show but little ingenuity, and no taste, and
are only so many records of misapplied patience.
The ceremony of Saturday, which took place at
Exeter-hall, was opened with prayer by the Rev. R.
Maguire.

Mr. G. J. GOSCHEN, M.P., who presided on the
occasion, then addressed the exhibitors and others
assembled on the occasion. He commenced by con-
gratulating them on the fact that the Exhibition bad
paid all its expenses and left a surplus to pay for
the prizes. It must, he thought, be gratifying to
those who had obtained prizes to know that those
prizes had been paid for out of the proceeds of the
Exhibition, at which many had been successful
competitors, and it must be gratifying to other ex-
hibitors who had been unsuccessful to feel that they
had taken part in an Exhibition the pecuniary re-
sults of which had been satisfactory. The gaining of
prizes was not the only object of those Exhibitions,
though, no doubt, it was au important object. Their
more important end was to induce persons to come
forward and submit their industrial and intellectual
efforts to public examination. In this way, such Ex-
hibitions afforded wholesome, rational, and intellec-
tual tests. The prizes which successful exhibitors
carried to their homes served as mementoes of many
hours pi ofitably and agreeably spent. He looked
upon Working Men's Exhibitions as a very impor-
tant event in the present state of affairs. They
were proofs that the working men had tastes, for
which some persons were scarcely prepared to give
them adequate credit. They proved that the work-
ing men did not devote themselves exclusively to
the labour upon which they depended for their daily
bread, nor give all their leisure time to pleasures,
which, though innocent in themselves, were often
abused ; but that, like persons in other stations,
they had a diversity of tastes, and were animated by
other feelings and sentiments than those which some
attributed to them as a class. In certain senses
Working Men's Exhibitions stood upon a footing

different from that of those Exhibitions to which all
nations were invited. The latter indicated the pro-
gress made by the family of nations; but the former
marked the progress made by a class whose tastes,
whose feelings, whose thoughts, whose advance in
mental qualification and social well-being were, he
regretted to siy, too little known to the country at
large. He was not afraid of being misunderstood
when he stated that in this country one class knew
too little of another class, and that many of those
bitter words which in moments of excitement were
dropped on one side and the other were the result
of that ignorance of each other rather than that of
enmity. He felt convinced that the more each class
knew of the other the more likely would each be to
trust the other. He did not think that classes i❑
this country were separated by hostile lines of
offence and defence. They were separated merely
by a cloud, which more light would dispel ; and he

valued those working Men's Exhibitions because
they would throw light upon the private life of th
working men. The curtain had risen on their
amusements and what a pleasant sight had been
presented in the Agricultural Hall ! He did not
wish to make too much of that Exhibition, because
he held that it was not right to judge of a whole
class by selected sections, and thus to make the
whole responsible for a part. Many persons, when
speaking of the working class, mentally included in
that class only paupers who could not work, and cri-
minals who were too lazy to work. This was not done
of malice aforethought, but the persons to whom
he alluded judged of a whole class from perhaps
four or five specimens who had come under their
own immediate observation. From a similar error
working men sometimes did great injustice to per-
sons in the upper class. He knew how often the
charge was made that those who addressed the
working class flattered them too much. That was a
fault which he should be very sorry to commit, be-
cause it would be most offensive to the working men
themselves. Besides, frankness was particularly
desirable at a time of so much misunderstanding
and so much doubt. He would observe, then, that
while, on the one hand, the working class were
making progress in the direction to which he had
referred, on the other, doubts were expressed as to
arhether those who took a part in our Exhibitions at
home were making that progress which was neces-
sary to enable them to take a part in our competi-
tion with other countries. It was said—he knew
not with what truth—that a canker was eating into
the vitals of English prosperity. Two causes were
assigned for this—the neglect of education and the
struggles between labour and capital. As to educa-
tion, those whom he addressed knew best whether
the charge was true or not—whether the working
classes ought to do more for the education of their
children—whether sufficient sacrifices were made
by them in order that they might be able to give
their children such an education as would prepare
them for the battle of life. If the charge made
against the working class on thb bead was true there
would be in the future a heavy weight on our people
in competing with other countries. lie believed,
however, that the working Mass would not be be-
hindhand in this respect. He believed that their
eyes were open to what was before them, and that
they were making progress in the direction of edu-
cation. Then, as to the difficult question of the
struggles between labour and capital, there were
many who thought that certain indications which
we had seen were the beginning of the end of the
prosperity of this country. He would not believe
that there was not enough of good feeling both on
the part of the emp!oyers and the employed to pre-
vent such a catastrophe as that of England falling
behind in competition with other nations. He be-
lieved tbat if the working class should And them-