The National tribune., 1883-11-08

solitary plant spring mp In health from hs
sowing. he must be satisfied, for he viii get no
more. It has been assumed that designers Tor
ornamental art might be produced in Manches-
ter as III other places. This is assuredly mis-
take, SIS there are no materials BIZ which they
may be educated: no sources from which theY
may derive ideas; in short no food on which
they could feed"
ONE COOP RESULT.
Mr.. Horsefau follows up this significant tes-
timony with the following: Tho acquisition
by the masses Of the population OF our towns
OF knowledge and love Of art would obviously
have at least one good result-the lack Of
good designers which is felt in so ma0y
branches of industry in England would not
exist. But this is one Of the least Of the evils
which would be removed or lessened by the
diffusion of love Of art. The people who live
in and near crowded towns have it seems 20
me, two states to choose between. one in which
beauty of many kinds shall be known and
loved by the majority of tho people Of al class
es; the other, the existing state, in which q
very large number OF the working classes are
brutalized by their surroundings, and very
large number of the richer class live Ia brutal
iZing indifference to their brutality
It is surely unquestiOuabie that knOwiedge
and love Of art are necessary for the happiness
of the work-people who live in the crowded
parts of towns. They are exposed TO the strong
al
escape the demOTallzing influences Of 6lthineSs
of home, of clothes, Of person. They must ind
1t hard to resist the temptation 70 seek relief,
IN drinking and IL exciting games Of chance,
from the weariness and depression caused by
breathing the foul air Of the town. and seeing
hardly anything that is not begrimed By scot
Of the two sets Of motives which, apart from
religious motives, tend to make people behave
welI,-the belief that they VIII be punished Il
they do III, and the belief that they viii be re-
warded III they do weli,-the lower classes OK
wOrk-people can hardly feel the hope Of reward
the stronger and more searching IN its effects
of the two. They know THAT drunkenness aud
debauchery viii, if INDUCED IN, probably rain
them In purse and in health; bus the dull life,
containing almost nothing that can excite
healthy thought and feeling. which is the best
they can hope to gain b. good conduct sor
themselves and their families-this cannot have
the stimulating influence Of reward"
IMPROVEMENT wILL BE Sow.
Nor IS AEr. Horsfau sangaine in the hope of
speedy alteration Of the circumstances Of the
Manchester wQrk-peopie, for he says; . must
speak briefly of the ways which seem to ma
best for bringing the influence of art to bear
on grown people Only comparatively small
results can be expected from Efforts 70 bring
this influence to bear in towns til. By the pre-
yentiOn Of all pFeyenti5le smoke THAT IS, by
/ the prevention of at least niue-tenths Of that
which is now emitted from factory ehimnevz
and Of at least half OF that EOw made By fTes
in houses) it Is made easier for work people 70
| keep their clothes, hOuses, and themselves
clean, and till, by the provision play grounds
/ and gymnasia open TIL late at night the chill
! dren Of work-people are enabled TO get physi-
/ cal exercise during the hours Of daylight N
/ fine weather in some other place than the
| filthy street, and to get recreation after dusk
/ and IN wet weather IN places less bFutalIzing
/ than public houses or low music halls
have quoted az great length nom these
| English sources because their testimony seems
to me far more valuable than my own hasty
/ observation, and because it seems 70 me inf
/ niteIy suggestive. Manchester Is undoubtedly
/ the Paradise of the British working man aad
Manchester is such as the writers from whom
/ ! quOse describe.
| Bat Manchester VIII not remain 50, now that
her citizens are alive to her condition. ugly
and dem0ralizing as at present.. A wise and
honest corporation Is already widening her
avenues and striving TO purify her atmosphere
4 8Ianehesters Art School IS doing the work
recommended by It's head master, and ths
Art Museum is thing of the immediate
| future. Fine elementary schools and branch
Libraries do mEch 20 alter the fiber Of tina
! children Of to-day, and the instruction pro
posed IN the Prospectus, from which ] shah
| quote largely ia my next letter, VIII do yes
/ more. Parks and other places Of exercise VII
/ not long be withheld when the need for them
/ is thus thoroughly felt and urgently expressed.
If not radical, in our sense Of the word, the
Manchester people are thoroughly practical,
and their deeds follow close on their words
/ The children of AneOats viii not always %
/ ignorant Of the nature Of bees and flowers,
ferns, grasses and green trees. Earnest. Eeli-
| guided effort viii tell upon people already
keen and Of fine fiber, and France and the
/ United States viii feel their old competitor >
power reasserted. unless, indeed, America,
catching Manchester's wise idea, should better
/ the instruction. FIX.