tery to me, and that I arrived at a knowledge of them after much time and labor and considerable explanation. I could see the outside of each of them; but the inside was a closed book to me. I was so fortunate as to be under a man who was determined that I should know these things, and he helped me largely. There are many men in the business who are not so favorably located and who cannot learn these things without assistance from us or from some other correspondence school, or by the slow, and, to your companies, expensive methods of the school of experience. I ask you, if you are in any doubt as to the value of our explanations, to read the description of the construction and operation of an exhauster, on page 76, Vol. XVII, of the Proceedings of the Association; of a street main governor, on page 26, Vol. XV, and page 84, Vol. XIX, and of a station meter, on pages 32 and 41, Vol. XIV. I select these as being devices particularly difficult of description. I have been more or less a reader of books on gas industry for thirty years, and I do not hesitate to say that there is nothing in the English literature of our industry as clear and as well adapted to the understanding of the educated, or the uneducated, mind, as the descriptions of apparati and their operation as given in the answers of your Trustees to the questions of the Practical Class. It is not surprising that this is so. Many of these answers are the work of days. They are written by men familiar with the business-men who have seen, dismantled, repaired, and singed their hair and barked their knuckles in operating the types of apparatus described; and they are subjected, before issuing, to the criticism of other men, similarly acquainted with the machinery of gas manufacture and distribution. So good do I regard these questions and answers that I use them in my business. We refer to them in my office, and I have kept copies for those of my sons. who are expecting to enter the engineering profession.

a full appreciation of the ability and attainments of the members of the American Gas Light Association, I say to you that none of you can fail to benefit from reading the questions and answers which your Trustees send out to the members of the Practical Class.

The work of educating men engaged in the humbler posi

tions in the business of manufacture and distribution of gas is carried on in Europe on lines very different from those which we believe are best adapted to our conditions. In England, as you know, there are the examinations of the City and Guilds of London Institute. There is no attempt made at education, but the Institute will examine such applicants as present themselves, and will award certificates in two classesthe ordinary grade and the honor grade.

This is a very useful work, and I have derived great benefit personally from taking these questions, as they appeared in the Journal of Gas Lighting, and endeavoring to answer them. But, as you observe, there is no effort at education. It is simply a test of knowledge. That this work is not satisfactory to those who carry it on, nor to the gas men of England in general, is pretty well evidenced by an editorial in the Journal of Gas Lighting of Oct. 30, 1900, from which I take the following scattered extracts:

Through almost all the examiners' reports there runs the same line of criticism, which points to the probability that the institute is not getting at the right order of learners. Many candidates for all sorts of examinations are clearly certificate hunters, whose object is to equip themselves with as many of these fallacious testimonials as they can obtain by 'getting up the subject.'"'

"Over and over again the examiners complain that the real workmen entirely fail to show an intelligent appreciation of the science of their craft; other candidates who are good at the paper work are complete failures as workmen."

"So far as instruction in the elements of gas manufacture is concerned, the record does not compare favorably with the American work to this purpose."

These adverse criticisms cannot apply to our work, for we do reach the real workmen. One must be a workman in order to be a member of the Class. It is obvious that a system of instruction such as we have inaugurated, with your authority, is much better than the simple test of knowledge which the Institute undertakes, although that in itself is valuable.

In France there is no regular instruction for students desiring a knowledge of the gas business. The only instance of

any course in this line known to me is in conjunction with the technical school at Lyons, where day and evening classes are held. The lectures in this school are given at night, and, of course, are available only to residents of Lyons and its vicinity.

Considerable attention has been given of late to the special instruction of gas-works workmen in Germany, and a committee on this subject has been appointed by the German Association of Gas and Water Engineers. There are in Germany at least five institutions or enterprises for giving this instruction. First-A four or five year course at the technical high school in Karlsruhe, for the education of gas engineers. This is a fine work for men who are able to give the time and stand the expense of residence at the location of the school.

Second-There is a course of lectures at the same place, under the auspices of Dr. Bunte and others, for men employed in a technical capacity in gas works. These lectures were begun in '98, and rèlate chiefly to gas chemistry, and are attended mostly by chemists and engineers employed in the local works. It is probable that this work is highly beneficial to those whose circumstances permit them to attend. But such a system would not be at all applicable to the class which is reached by our school.

Third-There was established at the Dessau Gas Works a course of instruction, extending over two years, for the benefit of students or employees aspiring to the position of superintendent or foreman. This course is a private enterprise, conducted by the German Continental Gas Company, which controls the Dessau Gas Works, and is primarily intended to provide the company's need of foremen.

Fourth-A private enterprise, chiefly to instruct in gas fitting, was started in the town of Stolp. It was not a correspondence school and a fee was charged.

Fifth-In Bremen there was inaugurated in 1902 a course of instruction for gas superintendents and foremen, comprising three months' tuition, partly at a technical school and partly at the gas works. I have very little information as to this course.

The correspondence system of instruction in the gas industry does not at all exist, as far as I am informed, in Germany. I do not know of any country in which a system of instruction such as you have inaugurated prevails. None of the schools above described would meet our conditions, or do the work that the Trustees are endeavoring to accomplish.

This work is well worth while, whether we regard it as a 'philanthropic measure or as a commercial venture. I believe that we are broadening and strengthening the foundation. upon which the conduct of our industry must rest when we broaden the minds of the men who occupy the subordinate positions in gas works. The work of the Trustees does more than merely instruct these men in the construction and operation of the plants with which they are connected. It teaches them how to study; how to use books, to think clearly and how to express their thoughts on paper, while it is making them more serviceable and contented employees of the companies for which they work. The interests with which I am connected have means of educating their own employees. Also we encourage our men to enter the Practical Class-many of them are members, and we so far appreciate the value to the industry of insuring that the men who are occupying humble positions in gas works other than our own, shall be broadened in their knowledge and understanding, and so far believe that the method adopted by the Correspondence School will accomplish this end, that we are and have been from the beginning a large contributor to the Trustees' Fund. In making this contribution, as employees, we believe we are doing our duty to our stockholders, who look only for dividends. As individuals we are gratified to believe that this once, at least, business and philanthropy travel the same road, and that our contribution is aiding in the work of broadening men's minds and letting in light to dark places, and so helping on the good work of elevating the mental and moral tone of our associates in the ranks of the gas industry.

THE PRESIDENT :-Gentlemen, is there anything further to be said on this subject? If not, we will hear from Mr. Humphreys in closing the discussion.

MR. ALEX. C. HUMPHREYS (New York City): There seems very little left for me to say. Unless there were objections to be met, I felt that the Report of the Trustees and my paper would sufficiently cover the subject; if there were objections to be met, I hoped to get the questions well threshed out in the discussion. I am a believer in frank statements of

differences of opinion. Knowing there were differences of opinion in regard to this work in the Association, I had hoped that those who objected to our scheme or to our methods would frankly state their objections. Members are at liberty to do so, have the right to do so, and should do so. Possibly there are no such members here; perhaps they have all remained away from the meeting. It would certainly be a great gratification to me personally to find there was a practical unanimity of opinion, as would be indicated by this one-sided discussion.

I am glad to hear from our friend Mr. West as to what they are doing in Manchester. I have recently been in contact with the Commission of Educators from his country, who are visiting this country under the guidance of Mr. Mosely. The branch of the Committee interested in my work called on me at Stevens Institute to see some of our technical methods. They did not seem to think we could teach them much on the purely technical side of education. It is true they have well equipped technical schools, but I do not think their courses of study are so well co-ordinated as are ours. We in America in our teaching better combine theory and practice, and especially at Stevens is this feature prominent. These Commissioners

were particularly interested in such of our work as appeared to have a direct connection with engineering practice. They asked if I knew anything about correspondence schools. I gave them such information as I had about correspondence schools in general, and I more fully explained the working of our Gas Correspondence School. They wanted to know how they could find out more about it, and I gave them copies of the paper I have just presented. The question suggested itself at once to the mind of one of the members of the Commission, after I explained that I had taken up this work long before I thought of becoming a professional educator, whether