Page:The library a magazine of bibliography and library literature, Volume 6.djvu/186

 !74 The Library. had received at these admirable classes. The present Borough Surveyor of Wolverhampton is a man who commenced life as a journeyman plumber ; he entered these classes, and by sheer perseverance has risen to the important office he now occupies. And now let us consider the all-important question of cost of maintaining a school of this description. I am aware, of course, that in a large number of our libraries it is impossible, with the limited amount received from the rate, to make any attempt to provide classes and books for furthering the cause of secondary or intermediate education ; but you will all, I think, be surprised to learn that for the first twelve years' work at Wolverhampton the average cost of efficiently main- taining the technical school did not exceed ^"23 per year. The Library Committee superintended the whole of the arrangements, and the library staff performed the duties of registering, &c. The rooms in which the classes were held were lent free of cost : the lighting, heating, cleaning ; and all accessories such as desks, pens and ink, chalk, blackboards, &c., were provided by the Committee. In the science classes, numerous appliances were necessary, but these were partly supplied by grants from the Science and Art Department, up to December, 1891. A nominal fee is paid by the student to the teacher for admission into the classes, ranging from is. to 55. a quarter, excepting the higher stages in the laboratory ; the teacher also until recently received the Government grant on results. Up to 1892 the amount of grant paid to the science teachers at Wolver- hampton, made a total of ^"3,302 i8s. Since the passing of the Local Taxation (Customs and Excise) Act in 1890, considerable changes have taken place. With a liberality, which is worthy of note, the Wolverhampton Council has made a handsome grant of money for the support and efficient maintenance of the classes : the result is that some of the teachers are receiving salaries equivalent to the amount which they will lose by the withdrawal of Government grant for second-class elementary passes ; and one teacher the professor of chemistry and metallurgy is devoting the whole of his time to teaching, and is paid a salary of ^"300 a year. The cost of maintenance in the future, therefore, will not be far short of "500 per annum. It seems to me that, taking Wolverhampton as an example, where rooms are available, the question of expense should not