CO885-9 — Page 256

Attached to

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

། ། ། ། │

CO 8859

BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE

iscellaneous Hp. 174.

TO THE COMMITTEE ON VISUAL INSTRUCTION APPOINTED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES.

GENTLEMEN,

I HAVE now completed the preparation of the set of seven lectures, which you entrusted to me on behalf of the Crown Colonies of Ceylon, the Straits Settlements, and Hong Kong.

As

The sum voted by each of the three Colonies was £300, or a total of £900. will be seen from the estimate in Appendix A to this report, the sum expended will have been about £690, that is to say, £230 on behalf of each Colony. In return for this expenditure each of the three Colonies will receive

50 printed copies of the lectures,

2 complete sets of the slides, which are 360 in number,

2 lanterns with acetylene apparatus.

When I came to consider the most effective manner of presenting the subjects which you had selected for treatment, I found it advisable to modify the lecture headings by dividing the treatment of our town life in such a way that the great towns should be taken along with the industries, and the small towns along with agriculture and fishing. The consideration also of the historic sites has been blended with that of certain aspects of our social life. I trust that the effect has been to impart a better perspective.

The selection of the slides has demanded a large amount of attention to detail. Many thousands of slides already in the market have been inspected. Not a few views, however, have had to be specially prepared. In this connection I would express my thanks to those who have given me assistance, and especially to the following:-

Sir Benjamin Baker.

Sir William Abney.

Sir Andrew Noble, of Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth and Company. General Kemball.

The Intelligence Department of the Navy.

Sir Charles Owen, General Manager of the London and South-Western

Railway.

Mr. W. Matthews, of Messrs. Coode, Son and Matthews.

The Directors of the Peninsular and Oriental Company.

Mr. William Taylor.,

I would also thank the following firms, who, in addition to supplying certain

of the slides, have given me much personal assistance :-

U

Messrs. Newton and Company.

Messrs. Sanger Shepherd and Company.

The Diagram Company, Limited.

Messrs. Henry W. Taunt and Company.

In the selection of the slides I soon found that it was important to avoid having too many dead subjects. However beautiful they may be, a series of forty or fifty landscapes or buildings is apt to become tedious. I have therefore sought action and colour for a considerable percentage of the slides, and. a large part of the expense has been incurred with these objects. There are in the market no cheap coloured slides which are at the same time true and artistic.

The lectures were delivered last autumn at the Stockwell Training College. With a view to the retention of the lecture form, they were not written but were reported verbatim, and have since been corrected by me. I owe many valuable suggestions and criticisms to the Principal, Miss Manley, and to her staff and students, who threw themselves with sympathy and enthusiasm into the scheme of preparing an account of their own country for the instruction of their fellow-subjects in the East.

J. The copyright of a certain number of slides, not already in the market, has become the property of the three Eastern Colonies, together with the copyright of the lectures. I think that it should be possible for the three Colonies recoup nearly all that they have expended, by sales in other portions of the Empire from which many enquiries have been received as to the use of the lectures and the slides.

100 G 623 Wt

4/05 D & 8 5 21250r