32 THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.
and the Club, therefore, through their hon. secretary, Mr. W. Cole,
formulated a scheme, and applied for a grant. The scheme included—
(1) The establishment of a central institution in Chelmsford, in con-
nection with the Club's Museum, with large laboratories and class
rooms, furnished with apparatus and preparations for practical
teaching, and in which, as occasion might arise, examinations could
be conducted ; the institution being also amply provided with
lecturing and class-teaching appliances (lanterns, slides, diagrams,
apparatus, models, materials, and specimens), so arranged in
travelling cases that they could be easily sent to any part of the
county for use at local lectures and classes. (2) The arrange-
ment of peripatetic courses of classes and lectures, conducted by
specially qualified teachers (either supplemental to local efforts, or
at the sole instance and cost of the institution) for imparting
instruction in science and technology in any parts of the county,
particularly in rural and maritime districts. The teaching given
to be either elementary or more advanced, but always as far as
possible of a thoroughly practical character, and such as will give
a knowledge of things rather than words, and develop the faculties
of seeing and doing. A list of the most important of the sub-
jects to be taught were grouped together under thirteen heads.
It was pointed out that this scheme would permit of the
best kind of instruction being given, not only in towns, but also in
rural and maritime districts, and that at a minimum cost. It was
also pointed out that the scheme would permit of any future develop-
ment without any interference with the work thus being carried on.
After indicating the advantages of this scheme, a financial state-
ment was appended, by which it was shown that the cost of Site,
Buildings, and Fittings would be £3,500, and the miscellaneous
expense and annual maintenance £900. With our proverbial
modesty we asked the County Council for the following sums : Con-
tribution towards the building, £500 ; apparatus and materials,
travelling expenses of teachers and apparatus, £1,000 ; mainten-
ance of laboratory, etc. per annum £200 ; administration charges,
ditto, £150 ; Teachers' fees, etc., ditto, £500 ; together, £1,500
as a capital sum and £850 per annum. Of course the invitation
from the County Council produced many other applications, and it
can readily be understood that the Council would have some diffi-
culty in dealing with the numerous applications thus received in
reply to their somewhat light-hearted invitation. The scheme of