The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-11-15
PLANS FOR THE POOR
Tie Manchester MOFementfOr Bettering
the Condition of Working People.
Special Correspondence National Tribune.


Manchester is so practical and so effective that
feel sure that your readers VIII not object TO
having vet one more letter filed with details
concerning il. With the single exception OF
the smoky atmosphere Of Manchester, the con-
djtions Of life IN the English city are not very
different from the conditions Of life in the great
American cities; and it seems 70 me that every
suggestion borrowed il the following para
graphs from the careful thought Of EnglIshmen
might be followed with good results in my own
city lPhiladelphia) and in every American city
that ] know.
Ia two respects our English cousins have
very great advantage over us. The English
government has Cor many years maintained
department OF science aud art, and has made
vast outlay Of money and thought for the pur-
pose OF promoting art and art education. More
over. the presence in England of large num-
Der Of cultivated persons OF leisure, who have
strong sense of their responsibility for the
welfare Of the community in which they live,
makes work such as that of the Manchester Art
Museum committee possible much more gen.
eTaliy in England than it is at present IN
America. Among persons Of leisure there is,
too, a more general diffusion OF what we cali
accomplishments than exists among us Music
and drawing form part of the education OF
English men and English women; and sketches
or songs may be asked for and obtained among
q very much larger proportion OF the citizens
of an English manufacturing city than OF any
II
explain IN part the wide range which its lead
ers have been able TO give 10 the Manchester
movement for bringing enjoyment into the
lives Of Manchester working people. The aim
of the leaders of the movement is stated as fol-
lows by Mr.. Horsfall:
To lew OF as IN Manchester ii has seemed that
II We work at the task Of improving the con-
dillon Of life OF our town work-peope with q
greater feeling of usefulness than one would have
IN offering cup of water 10 man dying not only
OF thirst, but also OF hunger and cold must not
limit eur efforts 70 the providing Of music, or OF
any one kind of wholesome pleasure, but must de-
wise \ system which shall enable TO offer TO the
comparatively few people whom own efforts
can reach All The different kinds Of pleasure which
are necessary for health. We feel, also, that If
TO work hopefully we must choose kinds OF
work which. If done successfully NY on a small
scale sure 80 be taken mp On large scale by
Others. Our system includes not only the giving
Of concerts, but also The provision Of means Tor en-
that sensu0us and intellectual pleasure which
reaches Us through the eyes, and the provision
too. OF means for enabling them TO have pleasant
physical exercise. Ne seek TO attain cur etgeet OF
making il certain that work, If successful, VIII
be done larger scale 10y others; IN the matter
Of art. by providing al day schools and Sunday
schools IN Manchester and Stafford with pictures,
bnsts beautifully coiored textile fabrics. pottery,
and oier works Of art which are best fitted 10 de-
veiop the power Of perceriDg beauty of nature and
OF art and by establishing art museum, with
contents carefully chosen for the same purpose,
believing that II we are successful similar work
viii be done IN most schools IN other towns; and
in the matter Of physical exercise, by having
as long as public houses are open, which, after
Few years, weshall hand over to the town council,
with the certainty that our success viii cause them
20 build similar gynnasla IN ether parts OF the
town
THE QUESTION OF MUSIC.
have already quoted sufficiently from the
Prospectus Of the Art Museum to show what
far-reaching means of giving pleasure the
leaders Of the popular art movement proposes
IN that direction. The following extract from
Mr. hsrsiails description Of the EFFORT 10 supply
good music may serve to show what has been
done il Manchester. and what may be done in
American cities IN the direction Of substituting
good cheap concerts for harmful amuseTnents:
shall now speak only OF what we have done
respecting concerts We began TINS part OF our
work ln 1872. Ne had long felt that cheap concerts
Of coed music would be very useful. but the
cess Of Ar. Charles Bethune and his friends IN
London the Immediate cause OF our action.
As, heWever. we desired that concerts should be
the beginning Of a system capable Of expanding
% meet the need for good music OF ell the work
people Of Manchester. determined that they
should be the means Of ascerianing whether
Tct demand for good cheap music existed or
could be developed amongst work people which
professional musicians conld live by supplying.
20. instead OF making charge for admission
Mr.. BeinUne and his friends had dOne,-we
Charged two pence for admission. As We expected
that a. rs. expenses would exceed our receipts,
we asked d lew people 10 form a guarantee Iu1o
The first hall we took was the Theme town hall,
il which there are seats for about eight hundred
people. Al the first three four concerts
bac rather small audiences, but when The con
certs got known We he'd audience Of over q
t4ousarad persons every night There are good
many weli-tTained choral societies in or near
Esnchester, nearly al Of which gave cordial
help 50 did innamerable professional and anna
teur musicians. Thirteen concerts Were given in
the first series. and they were attended by u 272
persons. There was loss on these concerts Of
4z53- IN the following vluter-that Of JsS0-con-
certs where given M the Thelne town hall with
even greater success, and small profit made
Twenty concerts, attended by 1867 persons. were
given IN Theme; eighteen, attended by IL 574 per-
EonS. IN The smaller Pendleton Hall. Last winter
nineteen concerts were given in Thelme, the audi
ences amounting 10 l7.ls2 and eighteen in Pende-
ton with audiences Of z 5l9 We do not think ii nee
esSary 10 form classes for singing as no person IN
Manchester who wishes 10 learn singing has any
cificulty IN joining class. But this j. not the
caz6e with regards instrumental music, and we
hope to form classes Tor next winter. The most
encouraging result Of work is that, az we
hoped would be the case, the success of our con-
certs 10 attracting work people has induced several
professional musicians 10 begin work the same
Zines IN lsei one musician came TO US and offered,
At we would guarantee him against loss, to give a
series Of concerts at low prices in g hall which
holds about loo people, and accepted his offer.
There YVES loss his first five concerts but the
later ones were successful Last winter lac gave a
second series 81 twenty concerts charging 3D., Cd.
and Js. More than 1900 persons attended this
series Then, last year, another professional
musician offered. If we would guarantee him
against loss 20 give a series Of ten concerts on
alternate Saturdays IN the Free Trade Hall charg-
1ng 3D., sd. and Cd This offer we also accepted.
Every concert gave him profit. and guarantee
cost Us, therefore. nothing. The ten concerts were
attended by 1870 persons. Our system has led,
music az small cost or each Of twenty Saturdays
The last winter without counting the audiences ut
one or two other series Of cheap concerts which,
Ar consequence OF our success. have been given IN
other parts OF Manchester and cheap organ
recsiais- But large this number Is. it Is drawn
rom very large population, and concerts have
not perceptibly influenced the tone OF the recTea-
ton Of the people yet. marked improvement
cannot be expected till take iruer views OF edu.
cation than take and see that all the chill
oreH who attend state-aided schools are protected
g. Ear as possible from the baneful influences OF
music halls and public houses by having their eyes
eno ears trained u school to find pleasure IN better
kinds OF recreation than offered IN public
houses and music halls.
would call the readers attention to the
help which amateurs in England are able tC
lend 10 the leaders Of the movement for bring.
ing Wholesome pleasure within reach of al
classes of the population.
BY way Of carrying out the idea limited at in
the closing paragraph of the extract, the Art
Museum committee propose 10 place IN the
schools Of Manchester small loan collections Of
pictures, casts, pottery, textile fabrics and
other products Of art with cfearly-printed ex.
plantations, and, when possible, descriptions o.
the process by which each object is produced.
The pottery wiz consist Of cups jugs and Other
things used IN every house The collections o.
pictures viii include engravings, photographs and
acknowledgements Of such pretty scenes as towI
children see on The occasions when they arc
taken out Of toHn,-conutry lanes. woods fields
farInyRFde, shipping and coast scenery; building
ano places, and events which they read Of in Tia,