DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Treasure Room Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Duke University Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/endeavortowardstOOashb ANENDEAVOURTOWARDSTHETEACH^ ING OF JOHN RUSKIN AND WILLIAM MORRISv^^>@^,^^^<^*^&>@^@^>@^: CONTENTS. page CHAPTER I. THE FIRST BEGIN- NINGS OF THE GUILD 8 SCHOOL OF HANDICRAFT IN EAST LON- DON x CHAPTER II. THE SCHOOL OF HAND- ICRAFT 5 CHAPTER III. THE GUILD OF HAND- ICRAFT BEFORE REGISTRATION u CHAPTER IY. THE GUILD OF HAND- ICRAFT AS A REGISTERED COM- PANY i5 CHAPTER Y.THE RELATION OF THE GUILD OF HANDICRAFT TO THE MOVEMENT FOR THE REVIVAL OF ENGLISH INDUSTRIAL ART 19 page CHAPTER VI. ON THE EDUCATION OF THE CONSUMER 27 CHAPTER VII. THE APPLICATION OF THE GUILD SYSTEM TO BUILD- ING 30 CHAPTER VIII. THE ESSEX HOUSE PRESS CHAPTER X. IDEALISM IN INDUS- TRY 33 CHAPTER IX. THE CENTRE AT ES- SEX HOUSE AND THE POSSIBIL- ITY OF SHIFTING IT INTO THE COUNTRY 36 43 CHAPTER XI. THE INFLUENCE OF JOHN RUSKIN 8 WILLIAM MORRIS 49 u t. <_> o f £ J C U I J AN ENDEAVOUR TOWARDS THE TEACH- ING OF JOHN RUSKIN AND WILLIAM MORRIS. ^jt^s^s^s^jsv^B^j BEIFGABRIEFACCOUNTOFTHEWORK, THE AIMS, AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE GUILD OF HANDICRAFT IN EAST LON- DON, WRITTEN BY C. R. ASHBEE, AND DEDICATED BY HIM LESS IN THE WRIT- ING, THAN IN THE WORK THE WRITING SEEKS TO SET FORTH, TO THEIR MEM- ORY. AN. DOM. MDCCCCI. v@** *@*s v@*p I. THE FIRST BEGINNINGS OF THE GUILD AND SCHOOL OF HANDICRAFT IN EAST LONDON.^!^!^!^}:^! IERHAPS AS THE GUILD of Handicraft bas pow beer? ip existence for sorpe twelve years, it ipay pot be ipexpe- diept to give sorpe account of it ip writing. No record, ei~ tber of its work 82 progress, or of tbe ideas upop wbicb it was founded, bas eyer yet beep givep, 82 1 arp apxious ip rep^y to tbe rpapy requests receiyed at Essex House to offer sorpe- tbipg tbat rpay rpeet tbis wapt. . To tbose wbo were acquaipted witb tbe begip- pipgs of tbe Guild, tbe yarious educatiopal up~ dertakipgs coppected witb it betweep tbe years t888 apd 1894, tbe first worksbop op tbe top of a warebouse ip Corprpercial Street, 82 tbe classes for tbe study of desigp 82 tbe readipg of Ruskip, carried op by rpe at Toypbee Hall ip tbe years t886 apd 1887, it will be kpowp tbat tbe Guild as origipally copceived was tbe productive side of ap updertakipg tbat was also educatiopal. Frorp tbe yolurpe of tbe Trapsactiops of tbe Guild apd Scbool of Hapdicraft published ip 1890, tbe fol~ lowipg ipay be quoted as of ipterest by corppar- isop witb wbat bas beep accorpplisbed sipcetbat date, apd wbat we at presept bave ip prospect. u Tbe Guild apd Scbool bad its begippipgs ip tbe years 1886-87 1T > a srpall Ruskip class, cop- ducted at Toypbee Hall, apd corpposed of tbree b t pupils. Eacb of tbese tbree bas since been en~ gaged in an industrial yenture of a co~opcratiyG kind. Eacb bas failed. a Tbe reading of Ruskin led to an experiment of a ipore practical nature,82 out of ' Fors Clavigera ' and tbe 'Crown of Wild Olive/ sprang a sipall class for tbe study of design. Tbe class grew to tbirty, sorpe rpen, soipe boysj apd tbep it was felt tbat design receded application^ giye tbe teacb~ irjg fulfilrpent. A piece of practical work, wbicb ir;yolyedpair>tir)g,rpodellir)g, plaster casting, gil- ding, 82 tbe study of bcraldic forcps, gaye a stirp~ ulus to tbe corporate action of tbe tbirty students, and tbe outcoipe of tbeir united work as dilettanti was tbe desire tbat peripapence rpigbtbe giyep to it by ipaking it work for life 82 bread. Frorp tbis sprang tbe idea of tbe present Guild and Scbool. ^^j:" Very undefined at first, tbe notion was tbat a Scbool sbouldbe carried on in connection witb a worksbop; tbat tbe rpep in tbis worksbop sbould be tbe teacbers in tbe scbool, and tbat tbe pupils in tbe scbool sbould be drafted into tbe workshop as it grew in strengtb and certainty. "Wisdoip pronounced tbe experiment frorp a business point of yie w as entirely quixotic, 82 pre- cedent for it tbere was none* Tbe little Guild of tbree rperpbers to begin witb, 82 tbe larger scbool of sorpe fifty rperpbers, was, boweyer, started in its present forrpj tbe top floor of a warebouse ir> Corprpercial Street was taken for two years, to serye as a worksbop and scbool-roorpcorpbipedj it was polycbrorpatized by tbe pupils, and tbe Guild and Scbool celebrated its inauguration on Jupe 23rd, i558. A kipdly public gaye tbe fupds for supporting tbe scbool for two trial years 5 wbile tbe Guild, laupebipg as ap ipdepepdept yepture, appoupced its ipteptiop of taking up tbrec \ir)QS of practical work : woodwork, ipetal work, apd decoratiye paiptipg, apd iptirpatedtbe arpbitious bope tbat it would ope day take oyer tbe scbool, for wbicb purpose, wbepforcpulatipg its constitution, it laid by a first cbarge or; its profits." "Wbeptbis was written, tbe two sides of tbe exper- indent, tbe productive and tbe educational, were closely allied. It is possible tbat tbey ipay becoipe so again, but probably not in tbe sarpe ipapper as iorrperly, apd probably only tbrougb sorpe gra- dual process of internal growtb. At tbe rporpept of writing a class in design is being conducted at Essex House by Mr. C. Spooner. It bas been started by tbe ipep tberpselyes and is attended by sorpe eigbt or ten cabinet rpakers, rpetal workers apd blacksipitbs. Ip sectiop II. of tbis book also wbere I deal witb tbe future of Essex House as a ceptre of craftsrpapsbip I baye poipted to certaip uses of ap educatiopal pature to wbicb tbe bouse itself ipay, it is boped, shortly be placed. Social 8E rpupicipal copditiops, bo wever, it would seerp, are pot at presept favourable to tbe carry- ipg op copjoiptly of a productive worksbop apd of a scbool of a public pature. "We clairp, bowever, to baye establisbed tbe pripciple, apd tbougb it rpay, o wipg to circurpstapces, baye bad to be part- ly rpodified 82 abapdoped, its workipg bas pope tbe less beep proved a success. b2 3 Our n?ain educational efforts for tbe rporpept are deyoted to giying our craftsn?en tbe best possible cbapces to deyelop tbeir skill g£ learn tbeir trade rigbt tbrougb; and not iperely in sections 5 to giy~ ing our young apprentices as good a training as ipodern conditions allow,to rpaking as effective as possible tbe instruction tbat our Guildsipen are called upon to giye under distant County Coun~ cils and public bodies, and to giving sucb teacb- ing in different crafts as is asked of us by an?a~ teurs, provided tbis does not interfere witb tbe productive efficiency of tbe worksbops. II. THE SCH OOL OF HANDICRAFT. >®&x |HE history & development of tbe School of Handicraft was described in a panppblet issued in 1895, 'A i)ii)Q years experiment in technical ed- ucation : being tbe last report of tbe Scbool of Handicraft, Essex House, i5o5, ; wben> owir;g to tbe failure of tbe Technical Education Board of tbe l2i)dor; Coun- ty Council to keep its word witb tbe Scbool Con?- rpittee, 8E tbe impossibility of carrying? on costly educational work in tbe teetb of state aided coin- petition, it was considered advisable to close tbe scbool. Tbe position tben was briefly tbis. Tbe scbool was costing about L.300 a year. Tbis a- mount was found in part by voluntary contribu- tion and in part by tbe Guild or productive soci- ety wbicb was practically its financial guarantor. "Wben tbe negotiations witb tbe Technical Edu- cation Board of tbe London County Council for tbe support of tbe scbool fell through, tbe Guild found itself a creditor of tbe scbool to tbe extent of about L.400. Witb any reasonable prospect of a bealtby continuance of tbe educational work tbere would baye been no great barn) in letting tbis go on, but tbe action of tbe Board was so dis- couraging tbat both tbe Scbool Committee 8S tbe Cornn?ittee of tbe Guild felt tbat tbe wisest course was to close tbe scbool. Tbis was done, and tbe debt of L.400 bas, in tbe course of tbe last four years, been gradually cleared off. It was finally 5 extinguished in December, 1899. Since the dos- ing of the school as a public undertaking the ed- ucational work has been limited to the pupils and apprentices of tbe Guild 82 to all tbose wbo ipigbt be willing to baye special teacbing at Essex House and were ready to pay tbe fees necessary for tbe purpose. Not a few baye ayailedtbeipselyesoftbis privilege. Before leaying tbe subj ect of tbe scbool, it n?ay not be out of place to say a few words as totbeprinci- pies upon wbicb it was based, 82 tbe plan adopt- ed in carrying then? out. It is not necessary to go oyer all tbe ground tbat bas been already tray- ersed in tbe parnpblet aboye referred to, but tbe scbool was tbe first of its kind I belieye in Eng- land, and yarious undertakings of a similar na- ture baye been since started and in sorpe respects njodelled upon it. Tbis brief account n?ay, there- fore, serye as a guide to otbers. What tbose of us wbo read our Ruskin in 1-855 found, wben we tried to apply bis ideas to prac- tical education? was not encouraging. We found apprenticeship defunct,tbe tin?e-bonouredinan- ner by wbicb a youtb learned bis craft, destroy- ed by subdivision of labour and rpecbanical pro- duction? we found tbe teaching function and tbe workshop function everywhere diyorced, which for the proper study of industrial art should be united, 82 instead of their union we saw only the ffaccid and rpecbanical South Kensington sys- ten? by which paper designers were not exact- ly educated, but incubated in the 'Government Grant' hot bouses. We found the application of 6 tbe principles of art to n?aterial,to its limitations 8£ necessities, nowbere taugbtj — tbose principles, tbe understanding of wbicb is tbe glory of eyery great aesthetic period, and giyes to the workn?an tbe subtle sense of true craftsrparjsbipj and we found tbose great democratic forces, to wbicb we as reformers looked for a reyiyal of Epglisb crafts- rpapsbipapd a responsibility in its deyeloprpept, tbe Trade Union Movement and tbe Co-opera- tiye Moyen?ei}t, unintelligent 8E indifferent in all matters relating to aestbetic training* Tbe great social purposes tbat appeared to us to be in>plied in sucb training? sucb a study of industrial art as we looked for, were misunderstood and under- rated. It was or)ty about tbe personality of a few great ipasters, and of tbese William Morris was tbe greatest, tbat tbere seeiped to be anytbing of tbat lifeoratrpospbere tbat gaye tbeir glory to tbe worksbops of rpediaeyal England or Itajy. To irpagipe tbat by forming in Wbitecbapel a scbool in cop junction witb a productive work- sbop,tbe eyilswe sawrpigbtbe ren?edied,andtbe epds we sougbt attained, was audacious 5 but tbe entbusiasip perbaps condoned tbe audacity, and if tbere is one sort of entbusiasm tbat is rpore precious tban anotber, it is tbat wbicb bas an ed- ucational purpose. To n>any, bowever, of tbose 700 pupils or instructors wbo, during tbe course of tbe ryir)Q years' work, passed under tbe influ- ence of tbe little Scbool of Handicraft, tbis entbu- siasm bas meant a great deal,bas indeed I belieye in sorpe cases altered for tbem tbe entire tenor and purpose of life. 7 Tbe enumeration of tbe different trades wbicb I extract fron> tbe published report will sbo w wbat a njotley set tbey were : ARCHITECTS OR ARCHITECTS' PUPILS 19 BUILDING TRADES ~ it METALWORKERS ~ t5 Including baipn^ered Metal Workers and Srnitbs. LITHOGRAPHIC DRAUGHTSMEN AND DESIGNERS ~ 6 ELECTRIC LIGHT FITTERS, Se. - 4 STAINED GLASS DESIGNERS AND DRAUGHTSMEN ~ 5 SCHOOLMASTERS - ~ ~ - 244 Training for Manual Instruction* CLERKS ~ 9 UNSPECIFIED 13 Miscellaneous Trades, not Clerks. TECHNICAL INSTRUCTORS - ~ t2 As distinct fron? Scboolrnasters, i.e., sucb as were giying instruction in Technical Schools on County Coun- cil Grafts in tbe subjects tbey were learning at tbe School of Handicraft. MODELLERS 3 ARTISTS: PICTORIAL: 8 DESIGNERS 8 BINDERS - ~ ~ ~ - - 3 CABINET MAKERS, CARVERS, TUR- NERS, AND PATTERN MAKERS ~ 12 FEMALE TEACHERS - 4 LADIES - - 24 Preparing or not as Technical In~ structors. 8 PAINTERS AND SIGN WRITERS - 6 PRINTERS' APPRENTICES - 3 BOYS - over 175 Either at School, or who ipay have passed into Trades during their tirpe in the School. These rper^rpapy of tbern,n)et together son?e for the study of design in its application to rnaterial, soine, like the elenpentary scboolrpasters, for the study of rpanual training: tbey learned rpapy other things than tbe subjects or)\y for wbicb tbeir parpes were entered, but technical educa- tion, tbe desire to give intelligent use to tbeir bar>ds, tbe application of an aestbectic sense, bow- ever din?, to rnaterial in son?e shape or forn? was always tbe rpotiye wbicb attracted then?. As for tbe plan of tbe scbool itself, it was carried on ratber by rneans of workshop eyenings tban by definite classes, tbe idea being tbat there should be a franking fee, and that the pupils should be en~ couraged to attend as often as possible; in addi- tion to this there were regular lectures 8£ addres- ses frorp artist friends, there were social eyenings in the craftstpen's club, 8E the link which bound the School to the Guild brought its pupils into di- rect contact with the Guild workrpen. It was its flexibility that gaye it its principal cbarn? and its greatest strength. The closing of the School was in n?any respects ipucb to be regretted, for the school eyenings brought a constant flow of life to the whole un~ dertaking, new pupils, new faces, new ideas ; with lectures, classes, and demonstrations at regular 9 tirpes. All tbis tbeworkipep&youpgappreptices of tbe Guildlost, por bave tbe pew ipupicipal up- dertakipgs of tbe Lopdop Coupty Council, witb tbe single exception of tbe Ceptral Scbool of Arts 82 Crafts, wbicb to ipapy dwellers ip ftirtber East Lopdop is too rerpote, as yet proyided apy ade- quate substitute. T° bave badWilliarp Morris, Sir Williarp Ricbn>opd, apd Mr. T. G. Jacksop dowp to talk, or a practical derpopstratiop frorp Mr. Stirling Lee, Mr. Ratbbope, or Mr. "Walter Crape, all tbis bad tbe bigbest educational yalue towards tbe training of tbe Guild's young craftsipep. It is questionable, bowever, wbetber tbe productive side of tbe work, tbe Guild proper, would not baye suffered considerably by a connection? boweyer sligbt, witb a well ipeapipg if parrow-ipipded Tecbpical Education Board, wbicb for tbe pre- sent at least would seen? to be pledged to tbe sup- port of large 82 sorpewbat purposeless Polytech- nics. Tbe criticisrp is perbaps biassed, froip tbe poiptofyiewoftbedecoratiye arts, but tbere is lit- tle doubt tbat up to tbe presept iporpept, witb tbe sipgle exceptiop just referred to, potbipg of apy great yalue bas beep achieved for Epglisb Ipdus- trial Art ip Lopdop by rpupicipal agepcy. \o III. THE GUILD OF HAFDICRAFT BEFRE REGISTRATION. jEANTIME tbe Guild bad developed considerably .Tbe tbree original rperpbers bad increased to sorpe fourteen or fifteen, witb seyeral appren- tices 8£ a nurpber of affiliated workrpep, working partly in tbe sbops and partly outside, v tbe clientele bad been stead- ily increasing? and tbe yarious exbibitions wbere its productions were displayed, brougbt it a con- tinuous ff ow of orders, tbe instance of tbe Arts 8E Crafts Exbibitions alone rpay be cited wbere, on soine occasions, tbe contents of tbe cases of silyer- srpitbipg were sold rpany tirpes over. To tbe two existing worksbops, tbe wood sbopandtbe rpetal sbop, were added a srpitby, an enarnelling fur- nace, a latbej and extensiye orders were under- taken for arcbitects, on building works, for tbe London Scbool Board, for priyate custorpers, wbile tbe work of teebnical instruction received a considerable stirpulus frorp tbe contracts for teacbingf undertaken for different County Coun- cils wbo carpe to Essex House for teebnical in- structors. To Surrey, Kent, Essex, Sbropsbire, Hertfordsbirc, and Ireland, instructors were sent frorp tirpe to tirpe; 8E we calculate tbat in all sorpe tbree bupdred different centres in tbe United Kingdorp bave been yisited by Essex House workrpep, acting eitber as teacbers or inspectors of local teacbingf* As for tbe work produced in tbe it Guild's shops, it bas beep sept for rpapy years i)ow a coptipuous roupd of Exbibits to Mapcbcs- ter, Liverpool, Dublip, Berlip, Mupicfy Vieppa, Frankfort, Paris, apd tbe Cape. A few words rpay be of interest as to tbe rpetbods apd principle of goyerprpept apd tbe forrp of co- operation or profit-sbaripgtbat baye beep devel- oped ip tbe Guild. We accept broadly tbe co-op- eratiye principle. "We consider tbat eyery work- rpap wbo is perrpapeptjy- to work for tbe place sbould baye a sbare apd ap interest ip it, 8E wbile we bold tbat tbe rpaip difficulty is tbat of rpapage- rpept, we belieye tbat rpucb of tbe bard business of orgapizatiop car; be perfectly well dope by tbe Corprpittee of tbe rpep tberpselyes. To tbe actiop of tbis Corprpittee rpost of tbe ipterpal sbop or- gapizatiop bas beer) due, frorp it bas sprupg pot oply wbat ope rpigbt call tbe autoporpous prip- ciple, but sucb rules as tbe Guild possesses, or tbat are bipdipg op its rperpbers, apd to Mr. C. V. Adarps, tbe Guild's first cabipet-rpaker, is due ip tbe rpaip tbe outlipe of tbe rules tbat baye so far boupd tbe Guild. "We are ipdebted to bin? for tep years of steady apd copsistept orgapizatiop, be was ope of tbe tbree origipal Guildsrpep, be was elected Mapager ip 1890, resigped ip 1897, apd subsequeptjy acted as Director op tbe Board dur- ipg tbe Corppapy's first year of registratiop. CIptil tbe forrpatiopof tbe Guild ipto a lirpited li- ability Corppapy, ip tbe year 1898, tbe systerp of goyerprpept for tbe first tep years of its life bad beep as follows: A Mapager was elected by tbe Corprpittee of Guildsrpep, apd of tbis Corprpittee 12 I was Cbairrpap. All rperpbers of tbe Corprpittee were legally co-partpers witbrpyself, 8£ tbe rules rpadeby tbe Corprpittee for tbe divisiop of profits or tbe apportioprpept of losses were bipdipg upop tbe wbole body. Tbe Manager bad a free bapd ip worksbop disciplipe,but tbe ipdiyidual Guildsrpap bad a rigbt to lay bis case before tbe Corprpittee. "Wbep, ip t5o5, referring to tbe systerp ip force be- fore tbe forrpatiop of tbe Corppapy, we were ask- ed to fill ip tbe returp of tbe Labour Departrpept of tbe Board of Trade op tbe profit sbaripg Ip- quiry, ope of tbe questiops asked was wbetber tbe systerp bad proyed satisfactory, wbat its gep- eral bepefits rpigbt be, wbetber it prorpoted bar- rpopy betweep erpployers apd erpployed, apd so fortb. As tbe rep^y giyep bas sorpe bearipg upop tbe questiop I arp copsideripg I will give it at lepgtb. "Tbe systerp bas proyed erpipeptly satisfactory. No sucb tbipg as a real labour dispute bas eyer bappeped, por cap it ip tbe pature of tbipgs eyer bappep. Tbe rpep feel tbat tbey are tbeir owp erp- ployers apd tbat tbe busipess belopgs to tberp. Or) tbe otber bapd tbe rpep baye frequept^y beep willipg to rpake sacrifices for tbe copcerp, sucb as workipg at less wages ratber tbap leaye, or al- lowipg wages to stapd oyer wbep tbere was pot epougb at tbe week's epd to rpeet tberp, or allow- ipg tbeir wages to be docked witb a yiew to tbe ipcrease of tbe wbole capital. "Two rpaip features presept tbcrpselyes as copsi- deratiops ip copclusiop,upop tbe geperal work- *3 ing of tbe concern and its bearing* upon tbe wbole question of profit-sharing, i. Tbe iri)rr)Qr)se educational yalue of tbe Corn- n?ittee in eyerytbing relating to questions of responsibility, of steady work, of sound workrpat)sbip,of tbc application to business of Trade Union regulations and of tbe duties of tbe individual workipan to biipself and bis colleagues. 2. Tbe unimportance of tbe actual casb bonus. We baye never found tbat tbe actual bonus n?ade ipucb difference, it is always tbe tbeo- retical bonus tbat does tbe work. If a n?an re- ceives good wages, tbe odd pound oyer and aboye at tbe close of tbe balf year is uni*n~ portant beside tbe tbougbt tbat be bas ayoice and a sbare in tbe management of tbe wbole concern. Tbe odd pound giyes bim *)o re~> sponsibility,tbe tbougbt of it does." "Wbctber a Government Department will rpake n?ucb use of so small a fragment of Idealism I can~ not say, but of its yital importance tbere is no doubt. One rparyels often tbat tbis san>e Idealistic sorpetbins is tfo* more frequently treated by tbe commercial rpind as a business asset: but of tbis I sball baye more to say later. I bave still to trace tbe growtbof tbe concern in its more recent sbape as a limited Company. M IV. THE GUILD OF HANDICRAFT AS A REGISTERED COMPANY. <&* >@t* &*t OMPANIES of lirpited li- ability bave ap uppleasapt soupd ip tbese latter days, 8E it took us a lopg tirpe before we could abapdop our ep- tire freedorp apd rpake up |^ ^Jjw^uiBBj our ^i*^ 5 to register citber I^Jx~CTiffi^ W upder tbe Industrial Socie- "^ r^Wml ties or tbe Lirpited Liability Corppapies Act. What really irpposed tbe peed upop us was tbe ser)SQ of respopsibility arpopg tbe tbriftier 8 rpore far-sigbted rperpbers of tbe Guild. Before registratiop all of tberp were joipt- ly liable witb rpyself, apd tbeir liability was up- lirpited, sorpe of tberp owped tbeir owp bouses S£ bad otber property, ipdepepdept of tbeir bold- ipgs ip tbe copcerp. It was ip rpapy ways desir- able tbat tbe liability for all sbould be lirpited. T° do tbis, rporeoyer, would rpaterially assist tbe placipg of tbe wbole updertakipg op a rpore per- rpapeptly soupd fipapcial basis. Tbe raisipg of tbe pecessary capital for copductipg a copstaptly growipg updertakipg, bad frorp tbe outset beep a difficulty. Wbep tbe tbree origipal rperpbers first started tbe Guild ip 1888 tbey borrowed L.5o to trade witb, but it was felt pecessary duripg tbe first two years, to ipcrease tbis to L.5oo, for wbicb I foupd tbe security, at tbe sarpe tirpe a fupd was ipstituted arpopg tbe rpep, apd po profits could be drawp till L.20 stood to eacb rpap's credit ip tbis fupd. Later it was felt tbat tbis was still ipade- t5 quate, and while further sums were found from the outside, the men decided that they would fur- ther increase their holdings by atwo-and-a-balf per cent, deduction weekly from wages. The pro- portion of capital held inside the Guild bas, sub- sequent to tbe second year, averaged from 25 to 5o per cent, of tbe total holding. At tbe time of tbe formation of tbe Company, a re- arrangement was made of tbe bonus system, upon wbicb profits bad hitherto beer; diyided. It was found that tbe old system did pot sufficiently en- courage tbe holding of capital by tbe men* Tbe ac- cumulated bonus was tberefore alloted in shares, and an additional L.5 wortb of sbares per year of standing was allotted to each man in tbe concern as bis sbare in tbe goodwill. In addition to tbis tbe men decided tbat tbe two-and~a-balf per cent, on wages rule sbould continue till further notice, the accumulated amount being allotted in L.i sbares at tbe close of eacb year. Tbis accumulated two- and-a-balf per cent, represents at tbe present rate an annual addition to tbe capital of L.5o, it in~ creases witb tbe number of Guildsmen drawing wages, and tbe idea is tbat wben at any time tbe capital from inside and outside shall suffice for conducting tbe concern, tbis annual allotment sball be employed in extinguishing outside hold- ings, tbus gradually leaying tbe members of tbe Guild sole owners of tbe business. A further clause in the Articles proyides that on the decla- ration of profits, after one-and-a-half per cent, oyer the ayerage yearly Bank rate has been paid, to outside and inside shareholders alike, any \6 subsequent division should be in the ratio of 2 to t to inside as distinguished froip outside holders. Passing frorp ipatters of finance to rpatters of gov- ernment, clauses were inserted in the Articles to safeguard the autonoipous principle of the Guild, and without going into details, they rpay be suip- rped up as follows: The Workshop Corprpittee was left intact, also the rights in the election of new Guildsrpen,itwas giyen a further power of annu~ ally appointing a labour director of its own to the Board of Directors, in whose hands lay the ap- pointrpept of the Manager, and as this Director is elected by head voting while other appointments on the Board, with the exception of ipy own as Managing Director, are by share yoting, it has been thought that the fairest possible division be- tween labour and capital has been arriyed at. For the rest, the individual workrpap has the right of appeal to the Guild Coipipittee if he haye any grievance against the Manager, whose powers are those usually appertaining to the office, and as in part the Board is forn>ed by representation froip the Guild Corprpittee, he is thus further protect- ed in the Board's decision, and this decision is final. There are rpapy rpipor rights, privileges, apd re- sponsibilities, which it is needless here to enter into, though before leaving the subject of the re- rpodellipg of the Guild a word rpay be added op the systerp of paying wages 5 that being necessar- ily the subject that the individual workrpan rpust always be ipost concerned with. The principle on c vj wbicb we pay wages is, broadly speaking, tbe fol- lowing. We accept tbe Trade Union rate wbere- eyer tbere is ope, and for tbe rest, recognise tbe principle of inequality in bun?an yalues. Tbe rnan, in otber words, n?akes a bargain witb tbe Management or; tbe basis of bis wortb to tbe con- cern. If, as soipetinjes it n>ay bappen, tbe Trade Union rate in any individual case bas seeroed to be in excess of a roar/s rparket yalue tbe n>atter bas beer; settled in consultation between tbe Mar;- ageir;er;t and tbe Guild Cororoittee. Tbe effort, ir; sbort,of tbe internal and adn>inis- tratiye systen> tbrougbout, is to giye tbe bigbcst possible yalue to labour, and to realize, as far as social and economic conditions adroit, tbose con- structive and socialistic aspirations of tbe Englisb workman tbat baye as tbeir aim tbe raising of tbe standard of life. In tbis effort, and in tbe by no ipeans easy task inyolyed tberein,of sbaping to a legal and permanently workable form tbe pre- yious ten years of experiment and endeayour, I baye been materially belped by n>y friend RSbert Martin Holland wbo joined tbe Board as one of its Directors upon tbe formation of tbe Company* and to wbon> tbis sligbt acknowledgment at least is due on bebalf of all wbo baye been guided and stimulated by bis actiyity . 18 Y. THE RELATION OF THE GUILD OF HANDICRAFT TO THE MOVEMENT FOR THE REVIVAL OF ENGLISH INDUSTRY IASSING FRSM MATTERS of organization to anotber as- pect of tbe work and airps of the Guild, there rerpaips to consider its action where it touches rpoderp Art 8E Craft. If the adtnipistratiye systen? of the Guild is socialistic, the position taken up by it aes- tbetically is necessarily ipore of an individualism tic one. The direct application of socialistic prin- ciples, as at present understood, to tbe production of works of art, is a ipatter of questionable expe- diency. Education and personal aptitude neces- sarily enter bere as ipodifying factors. Tbougb any of tbe Guild workmen are at tbe seryice of outside customers, architects, priyate friends, and, subject to a rather jealous surveil- lance, tbe Trade 5 tbe works tbat corpe fortb witb tbe iipprirpatur of Essex House, stand on a sep- arate footing. Sorpe censorsbip and supervision are needful, SE I reserve in n?y own bands as bead designer sucb control as appears to rpe necessary for starnping tbe productions tbat bear tbe pan?e of tbe place, witb an individuality, not necessar- ily ipy own, but sorpe one's. We try, in sbort, to substitute for wbat is known arpopg artists as tbe Gbost systerp — tbe systerp,tbat is, by wbicb ope ipan gets tbe credit for anotber rpap's work — tbe C2 to element of school. We n>ay at tinges, and doubt- less often do, lose in excellence of standard, but wbat we tbus lose, we gain rpany tinges oyer in av- erage of standard, in interest 82 in cbaracter, and we reap otber advantages for tbe future, in tbe n?ore enligbtened training °f° ur young appren- tices and tbe quickened sensibilities of our work- men, qualities tbese of intense yalue wbere otb- er tbings are being considered besides tbe aestbe- tic or tbe profitable deyelopn?ent of any one ipan undertaking. In bis reyiew and appreciation of tbe Guild of Handicraft, regarded as one of tbe activities in Englisb Industrial Art, tbe correspondent of tbe Geripan Government in *8o3 suiprnedupby stat- ing tbat, "stripped of its glarnour," tbe Guild of Handicraft was iperely a business enterprise. Tbis is,bowever, not tbe case.Tbere is sorpetbing in tbe glan?our tbat HerrMutbesius rpissed. Tbere are ipany of us in tbe Guild — I for one — wbo,if it were a n;ere business enterprise, would baye no furtber interest in it. l Merebusiness wecouldpur- sue n?ore profitably else wbere 8£ unencumbered witb altruisrn. It is just because of tbe nature of its constitution? and in wbat it seeks to produce, tbat tbe Guild is a protest against ipodern busi- ness inetbods, against tbe Trade point of yiew, against tbe Corprnercial spirit. My own experi- ence is tbat tbe U econoipic ipan " of wbon? we bave been taugbt in tbe text books, is a creature rarely n?et witb in practical life, indeed I an? not sure tbat I eyer baye n?et bin? 5 and every organizer wbo toucbes cbaracter constructiyely,knows tbat 20 tbere arc otber factors to be considered besides "greed" and "laziness," tbe twobuman abstrac- tions tbat go to bis making. Tbe economic text book, boweyer, is after all merely ope of a series in tbe greater book of buman nature. In a certain sense tbe Guild of Handicraft owed its origin to tbree n>oyen>ents familiar enougb to all wbo baye followed or taken an active part in tbe constructive work of tbe last two decades: tbe socialistic rpoverpent^tbe rpoyen?entfortecbnical education,^ tbe reyiyal of Englisb DecorativeArt, or as it would be rpore fitting to call it, Englisb Industrial Art. Tbe first of tbese brougbt witb it tbe great strikes of tbe eigbties, tbe reyiyal of co- operative productive enterprise arnong work- n?en;tbe reorganization of businesses sucb as Geo. Tborpson's Woodbouse Mills at Huddersfield, 8£ tbe Soutb Metropolitan Gas Works, since tbeir association witb tbe naipe of Geo. Liyesey, tbe leg- islation tbat gave us County and Borougb Coun- cils, and a more developed municipal conscious- ness generally. Tbe second gaye us a bundred SE one teebnical experiments, tbe establisbm^nt of numberless polytecbnics, 8S all tbat striving and airplessness tbat strikes tbe foreign observer of rpodern Englisb educational efforts. Tbe tbird gave us tbe Arts and Crafts, tbe innumerable Ex- hibitions, efforts and experiments tbat baye been made by eminent artists wbo baye broken away from tbe narrow and conventional ideals of tbe RSyal Academy and tbe RSyal Institutoof Britisb Arcbitectsj tbe efforts of men wbo bave left tbe "fine arts" on one side, and striyen for wbat to 21 tben? appears Art proper. Of this reyival of Eng~ lis!) Industrial Art, and tbe slow and certain in~ ffuence tbat tbe energy of its leaders bas bad up- or; rpodern corprpercial production? pot only in England but oyer tbe wbole of Europe, I sball speak n?ore fully below. Of tbe relation of tbe Guild and its co-operatiye ideal to tbe technical education ipoyerpent, Ibaye already spoken > it ren>aii)S to say son>etbingasto its position in regard to Englisb Industrial Art; wbat bas been tried is so sligbt, and wbat yet re- gains for endeayour,so great, so n>any sided! It was early eyident to tbose of us wbo bad tbe pro- ductive side of tbe Guild's work at bcart tbat sorpetbing else was wanting besides tbe inereipo- del trade sbop, tbat tbe Guild's function was not to specialize, tbat sorpetbing n?ust be added to wbat n>igbt be tended tbe co-operative instinct of tbe Englisb worknjan. Tbis sorpetbing was found in tbe stimulus of Industrial Art. Liying as we do in tbe rpidst of tbis reyiyal of tbe Arts and Crafts it is often difficult for us fully to realize its inn^r njeaning* Broadly, tbe reyiyal implies a rebellion against inutilities, a conviction tbat rpacbin^ry ipust be relegated to its proper place as tbe tool and not tbe njaster of tbe workman? tbat tbe life of tbe pro- ducer is to tbe con?n)unity arpore yital consider- tion tban tbe cbeap production wbicb ignores it, and tbat tbus tbe bun>an and etbical considera- tions tbat insist on tbe individuality of tbe work- man are of tbe first importance. 'Psay tbat tbe Guild bas eyer consciously carried 22 tbrougb tbe principles tbus implied were an im~ pertinence. Under existing conditions it would often notbc possible to consistently act upon tbern. Numberless rnodigKng circumstances enter in 5 one craft requires a longer training tbananotber, one type of workman is drawn from one class, an- other from anotber,tbe subdivision of labour and tbe exigencies of m^cbanical production are al- ways witb us, and so also are conventional ideas 5 but in tbe Guild of Handicraft we baye sougbt to keep tbe main ends in yiew, and wbile working along tbe line of least resistance, baye striven to sbape our policy to tbe newer model. To tbis end tbe system by wbicb tbe men are united basbeen made as flexible as possible. It is inevitable tbat tbis sbould be so. Tbe joiner, tbe cabinet-maker, tbe silversinitb,tbe bainrner- man, tbe blacksrnitb? or bis assistant tbe drurn- n?er, tbe fitter, tbe jeweller, tbe worker in metal and in leatber, tbe modeller, tbe wood carver, tbe compositor, tbe press-man, tbe polisber, tbe upbolsterer, tbe foreman of building works, all tbese men bave tbeir different status and value in tbe market, tbeir different objective in Trade Union Etbicsj yarying regulations appjy to tbe training of apprentices in tbe crafts tbey practise, and a yarying metbod rnay often be adyisable in tbe payment of tbeir respective wage. Tbe Guild system bas bad to be deyised sufficiently compre- bensive to meet tbe different requirements tbeir employment entails, and not only tbis but tbe fur- tber employment tbat may yet be entailed by any extension of its work. 23 Here, boweyer, it is necessary perhaps to define a principle, or at least to offer a warning* Anytbipg in tbe nature of wbat ipigbt be called tbe factory systerp as applied to industrial Art is baripful, 82 by tbe factory systen? I take as implied tbe ipe- tbod of organization, by wbicb large bodies of ipen work under ipecbanical conditions witb subdivision of labour. To extend tbis systerp to tbe production of a work of art 8£ attain satisfac- tory results is impossible. An illustration of tbis frorp tbe work of tbe Scbool of Handicraft ipay r;ot be aipiss. Tbere caipe to ipe soipe ten years ago to study design W tbe Scbool, a young u stain~ ed glass ipan n wbon? I found to be a ipost capable figure draugbtsrpan, but wbo otberwise bad no particular knowledge of, or interest in> bis sub- ject. Furtber acquaintance witb bin? reyealedtbe fact tbat at bis firap, a leading Englisb ipanufac- tory of stained glass windows, one ipap would draw tbe figure, anotber put on tbe costuipes of tbe period required, anotber was tbe colour rpap and so on? be biipself was engaged by tbe fircp solely to draw tbe figures, and as be told ipe be u specialised in legs." Tbe result of tbis speciali- sation ip legs ipay, alas, be seen in ipapy Englisb catbedrals and yillage cburcbes. Beyond a certain point growtb becoxpes upbeal- tby, nay, destructive of tbat yery quality of indi- viduality wbicb we at tbe Guild of Handicraft are seeking to deyelope. Growtb, tberefore, for us is to be sougbtratberinanuipberof iputually ip- ter-dependent workshops, all of tbeip bcaltby? but not too large j 8E in tbe ipaiptenance of tbe co- 24 operative principle. T° acbieve tbis we peed copti- puity of erpployrpept, we peed ipdiyiduality ip our ipep, wg peed ipterestedpess ip tbeir work. Tbe iiprpediate epd, wbicb is what for tbe ipost part appeals to tbe iipagipatiop of tbe Copsurper is pot tbe real epd. It is better to keep your cus- torpers waitipgwbep you are full of work,tbapto baye your workrpep starvipg wbep you are slack ; witb us it would be difficult, apd always sbould be, to resort to tbe ipetbods of tbe ordinary ipas- ter, apd draw largely upop tbe surplus labour- iparket ip order to regulate supply. Tbere are sigps tbat ip soipe cases tbe poipt bas beep reacb~ ed beyopd wbicb it would be inadvisable witb- out great care to extepd apy ope or otber of tbe sbops. Wbere tep rpep work coptipuously toge- tber ip ope sbop tbey ipaybecorpe gepuipely ip- terested ip tbeir craft, wbere fifty work togetber tbey are ipore likely to be prirparily ipterestedip politics apd social questiopsj rpapy otber illus- tratiops ipigbt be adduced to poipt to tbe bepefit of bavipg srpaller sbops, but frorp tbe poipt of yiew of Ipdustrial Art tbe extepsiop of tbe wbole copcerp is uplirpited, apd I would like to see a dozep otber allied Crafts takep up at tbe Essex House works apd tbe ipep skilled ip tbeir prac- tice becorpe iperpbers of tbe Guild. Copceptra- tiop of force, witbout its usual adjupctof subdiy- isiop of labour is tbe object airped at. Ipdeed it is just ipsucb acopceptratiop tbat tbe great pripci- pie of tbe upity of tbe Arts witb its attepdapt ge- pius — style, expresses itself. If tbe awakepipg ip Epglisb Ipdustrial Art at tbe close of tbe ceptury 25 bas sbowp apy tbipg, it bas sbowx? bow ii? eyery brapcb of Art apd Craft, ope leading rpotiye, ii)~ spired apd guided, it n?ay be, by sorpe specially skilled n?aster,preyails. Regarded fron) tbe par- rower stapdpoirjttbe object of tbe Guildof Hand- icraft is to supply to tbis ei?d a burpai? apd eco~ r>on?ic n>acbir>ery. 26 VI. ON THE EDUCATION OF THE CON- SUMER. >g^4f^>g^<@^*®&ij®&i^@&i*&& IDUCATION is pot a rpatter tbat applies alope to tbe Pro- ducer, apd ipcideptally tbe Guild bas a further object al- so. Ip so far as it seeks to prac- tically express wbat is best or rpost burpap ip tbe reyiyal of Epglisb Industrial Art, it ap- peals directly to tbe Copsurp- er. It wishes to place tbe buyer of tbipgs, as far as possible, ip toucb witb tbe rpaker of tbipgs. Tbat is tbe corollary of tbe proposition wbicb brushes aside tbe u Gbost systerp n apd giyes to tbe work- ipap a fipapcial stake apdaburpap interest ip tbe copcerp of wbicb be is a part. It follows, too, froip a right upderstapdipg of tbe purpose of Indus- trial Art. Tbis purpose, frorp tbe Copsurper's poipt of yiew, is pot tbe accurpulatiop of rpapy ip- utilities,but tbe possessiopof a few good apd use- ful tbipgs 5 of tbipgs tbat bave a direct relatiop to a rpap's owp life, 8E, by becorpipgbis, help to shape both bin? apd bis surroupdipgs. Tbey proye biip to be wbat people ip tbe last ceptury would bave tenped "a rpap of taste/' tbat is to say, a rpap wbo does pot buy for tbe sake of buyipg, or gatber to- gether because be is ipfected witb "Collectoipa- pia," but wbo buys witb upderstapdipg apd de- liberately expresses bis ipdividuality ip eacb ob- ject of bis cboice. I do pot tbipk tbat apy ope wbo really grasps tbis ipper purpose of Ipdustrial Art, will buy witbout taste, for, boweyer sirpple, 27 boweyer cheap tbe object be becorpes possessor of, be will esteerp it less for tbe price be pays for it tbap for its relation to bis owi) individuality. If tben tbe individuality of tbe producer at ope end, is safeguarded, and tbe individuality of tbe con- surper at tbe otber taken into account, and tbese are botb brougbt into contact, we baye, not per- baps a CItopian state of affairs, but at least soipe- tbing approaching sound production? we coine to baye sornetbing produced tbat bas in it wbat Jobn Ruskin would baye called intrinsic as dis- tinct frorn econoipicyalue, soipetbipg tbat ipakes for tbe wealtb of tbe corprpupity. Tbe coipplexity of tbe systerp under wbicb tbings are produced nowadays, bas brougbt witb it a condition of affairs tbat is not at all pleasant for tbe consuiper, if be is a tbougbtful person? to reflect upon. Indeed if be reflects at all, be finds tbat bis ignorance as to bow, wbep, and wbere tbe yery sirpplest tbings about bin? are produced, is appalling. Let bin? only look about bis bouse and ask bizpself tbe question. Wbat indeed can be re- ply? I tbipk sorpetirpes tbat if we at Essex House were to keep a Coipipop-place book of all tbe astounding questions tbat tbe yarious yisitors put to our people as tbey are at tbeir work, together witb tbe answers tbat courtesy forbids tbe latter to express, it would read like a dialogue frorp 1 Alice ip "Wonderland/ It is one of tbe objects of tbose wbo labour direct- ly in tbe different branches of Industrial Art, to bring tbis ignorance of bis borpe to tbe copsu- iper, apd wbile sirpplijyipg tbe conditions of pro- 23 ductiop to poipt to its difficulties as well as its purposes. Corprpodities, says tbe producer who works rrorp tbe pewer poipt of yiew, are pot rpade to sell, but, apd bere be goes turtber, agaip gird- ing at tbe political ecoporpist, — supply sball, as far as ip rpe lies, create derpapd. A few years ago "Geperal" Bootb witb a yiew to irpprovipg tbe standard of life of tbe rpatcb girls, establisbed a rpatcb factory, advertised witb tbe words "po pbossy jaw," apd offered bis rpatcbes to tbe pub- lic at ope peppy a dozep rpore tbap tbe corppet~ ipg.rpakers. Tbe copsurper was appealed to apd tbe copsurper foupd, pot oplytbat bis copsciepce was suddeply pricked by tbe Salyatiop Arrpy rpatcb; but tbat be was, ip direct coptrayeptiop of all ecoporpic laws, payipg a few pepce a year rpore to tbis epd.Tbeipyestrpept was,asfarascopcerp- ed biity ap etbical ope of tbe greatest irpportapce, apd trorp tbat iporpept bis educatiopbegap. Epg~ lisb Ipdustrial Art apd "Geperal" Bootb are to tbis extept op precisely tbe sarpe plape. It rpay seerp paradoxical apd alsopresurpptuous to say — apd yet it is pot altogetber uptrue — tbat we at Essex House baye for tbe last twelye years or so beep epgaged ip tbe rpakipg of tbipgs tbat we copsider tbe public ougbt to wapt, proyided ipeapwbile tbat tbe rpap tbat rpakes tberp is tbe bappier ip tbeir rpakipg. 29 VII. THE APPLICATION OF THE GUILD SYSTEM TO BUILDING.*^Bv@*Sv@^:>@^ |ERHAPS ap Architect n?ay be pardoped if be desire to see a systerp tbat bas proyed so successful it) tbe work- sbops of tbe cabipet-ipaker, tbe n>etal worker, tbe blacks srpitb, extended n?ore wide- ly oyer tbe larger operations of tbe builder. I fear tbe tiipe for tbis bas pot yet corpe, tbougb perbaps it is pot so yery far off. Ipdeed, if tbere is apy brapcb of ipoderp ipdustry tbat is copducted ipore tbap apy otber witb waptop, igporapt waste, tbat is bopey-corpbed witb peculatiop, or as it is oftep rpore politely tercped secret coipn?issiop,apd car- ried op ip a spirit of iputual distrust apd coyert disbopesty, or witbout tbe buipap ipterest of apy ope copcerped ip it, it is tbe ipoderp Buildipg Ip- dustry ip our great towps of Epglapd. Owipg doubtless to its iptricate ran>ificatiops ipto so ipapy differept brapebes of trade, it is tbe large- irjess of tbe problen) tbat n?akes it so bard of bap- dlipg. Tbree years ago I started, ipdepepdeptly of tbe Guild, buildipg operatiops of n?yowp. Iepgaged ipy owp f&reipar; apd workipep, eptered ipto di- rect relatiops witb tradesn?ep apd local authori- ties, paid vyy owp wages, apd took up coptracts for tbe executiop of works. I was apxious to gaip direct experiepce apd ipsigbt ipto tbe details of buildipg ip or pear ISpdop : tbe relatiopof tbe ar- 30 cbitcct to tbe builder I knew, I wanted to under- stand also tbe relation of tbe builder to tbe arcbi~ tect, of tbe builder to tbe workrpen & to tbe trade 5 to judge for rnyself bow far tbe Co-operative sys- tern was possible, wbat cbapce tbere was for tbe expression of tbipgs burpan 8E individual witb~ out wbicb I considered tbat good building could not, in any wide sense, be brougbt to life again. Tbis individuality and tbe systerp on wbicb it binges, we bad found possible of attainment in tbe sbops of tbe Guild of Handicraft; was it also at- tainable by tbe Builder? Tbe net result of rpy tbree years' study was tbat tbe Co-operative systerp was not only possible, it was essential, if building in our great towns was to be saved out of tbe slougb into wbicb it bad sunk. But I saw too tbat tbis could only ke done on a large scale. Tbe srpall builder, tbe srpall so- ciety stood no cbance.lt is questionable even wbe- tber a large builder could effect it single-banded. Tbe tbing? I fancy, is only to be done, and tbat very gradually, by sorpe combination of build- ers wbo could adopt tbe principle between tberp, wbo could rpake arpopg tberp a clearing bouse for labour, in sbort, giye tbe one absolutely need- ed factor — stability, to tbe labour rparket. Wben tbis is once attained you can pass to tbe next requisite for sound production; interested- ness in tbe work. If tbe rpep engaged in building work are liable to disrpissal witbip tbe week, bow can tbey be expected to take interest in tbe work 7 If tbey take no interest in tbe work bow can tbey work well ? Tbe builder, boweyer, rpust be free to 3* dismiss or take or; bis bricklayers, bis carpep- ters, bis joipers, bis plasterers, bis.tilers,bis pain- ters, bis glaziers, as be t)qq6s tbeip, apd tbep up- less sorpe systerp is eyolyed by wbicb tbe rpep, tbougb discbarged frorp ope job, cap still retaip ap ipterest eitber ip it or ip tbe wbole area oyer wbicb tbe coipbiped trades are actipg, po great results cap ever be attaiped. It would seerp tbat tbe old Guild systerp of tbe Middle Ages, wbicb? before all otber Arts bop- oured tbat of tbe builder, bad deyeloped arpopg tbe allied crafts tbat go to tbe rpakipgup of build- ipg, codes, rules apd regulatiops of sucb a pature as gaye tbe workipap botb a sepse of security ip bis work, apd a sepse of joy ip its acbieyeipept. Tbere appears po reasop wby tbis sbould pot agaip coipe about — ipdeed I belieye it will — but oply tbrougb ap iptelligept study of rpoderp peeds apd copditiops of labour. 32 VIII. THE ESSEX HOUSE PRESS. Sg* && OMING pow to tbe Guild's latest yepture, tbe Priptipg Press, a special word is need- ed. It bad lopg beer) rpy desire to do work ip tbis direction, but, ratber tpap pot go ipto j^ >i7j$f™^ I the rpatter tborougbly? I felt I^Jxi^yxwP ml it would be better to leave it ^ ^Wyil alone, and witb tbe beautiful work of tbe Kelrpscott 8£ Yale Presses before rpe, apy pew atterppt ip tbis directiop alipost seeiped ap iippertipepce. Sucb publicatiops, therefore, as we bad so far produced froip Essex House bad beep pripted ip tbe ordipary coiprpercial ipap- per ip Wbitecbapel. .*. But wbep Williaip Morris died, apd tbe Kelrpscott Press carpe to be brokep up, tpe problerp of a Press at Essex House pre- septed itself ip a pew ligbt. Tbe Guild, boweyer srpall so far tbe yield of its collective craftsrpap- sbip>bad establisbed a worksbop traditiop of its owp, apd as ap orgapizatiop it justified tbe bope tbat it rpigbt becorpe tbe borpe of sucb traditiops as it would be difficult for private ipdiyiduals, witbout tbe rparyellous power apd versatility of Morris, to carry tbrougb sipgle-bapded. Witb tbe aid of rpy fr iepd Laurepce Hodsop, to wbose literary Stypograpbical scbolarsbip I arp rpucb beboldep, apd witbout wbose assistapce I sbould baye beep upable to epter ipto tbe updertakipg, .*. See separate list of tbe Essex House publica- tiops. d 33 I opeped pegotiatiops witb tbe trustees of tbe Kelrpscott Press for tbe'trapsferepce of tbe Stock apd Presses to Essex House, apd secured tbe ser- vices of soipe of tbe pripcipal rperpbers of tbe staff, wbo bad worked for ipapy years witb, apd corpe upder tbepersopal ipffuepce of Morris. As it bad beep decided by tbe trustees tbat tbe blocks were to be deposited at tbe Britisb Museurp 82 tbe type pot to be sold, I deteripiped tbat tbe wisest plap would be topurcbase ope of tbe best of tbeCaslop i5tb Ceptury foupts to start witb, 82 set about de~ sigpipg a type of ipy owp. Tbis book is tbe first book pripted ip tbe pew Essex House type. Tbe object we bave ip yiew is to pript a few books apd tbose for tbe rpost part of stapdard autbors. Tbere is always a deipapd for sucb? especially if tbe editiops be liipited apd tbe work of tbe best, tip to tbe liipit, iporeoyer, a bapd-pripted book bas tbe adyaptage oyer tbe ipacbipe pripted book, 82 tbe press~work is always better,for tbe rpacbipe is so far pot ipyepted tbat cap bapdle tbe stiff ipks wbicb are pecessary for tbe productiop of a first rate page. Duripg tbe two years ip wbicb tbe Press bas pow beep establisbed at Essex House we baye pripted arpopgst otber tbipgs 'Tbe Treatises of Bepyeputo Cellipi op Metal "Work 82 Sculpture/ 'Bupyap's Pilgrirp's Progress/ 'Sbakespeare's Poeips/ 'Tbe Hyrpp of Bardaisap/ Sbelley's 'Adopais/ apd Hoby's 'Courtier/ apd it is ipy bope to repript rpore particularly tbose ipore rpoderp Classics, Keats, Sbelley, apd Browpipg for ipstapce,wboipapepbeiperalcoiprpercial age bas coipipitted to perisbable paper. 34 Taking up the work where Morris apd Burpe- Jopes left it, it is our hope tob&vetbe help of those ipoderp artists whose wood-block work is ipost ip barrpopy witb tbat standard of fipc typogra- pby set by the Kelrpscott Press. My friepds Walter Crape, W. Strang, F. W. Sargapt, Selwyp Irpage, Laurepce Housrpap apd J. D. Batter; b&ve prorpised work, 82 Reginald Sayage bas already drawp for tbe Essex House Press tbe two beau- tiful frontispieces of tbe Bupyap apd tbe Shake- speare. Tbat we ipay be able to pript tbe Frois- sart tbat Morris left updope, is rpy hope, apd sorpe day also, I trust, tbe Bible. T° Morris indeed xpay be attributed wbat ope ipigbt call tbe reip- veptiop of tbe Art of Typography, it seeiped pot ipappropriate tbat bis Press should die with bin?. It should be the airp of the Essex House Press to keep alive the traditiops which be reipstituted, 82 tocopsisteptly apply theipto wbateyer is best apd greatest ip Epglisb literature. That the Bible, as Epglisbn>ep read 82 loye it, should have becoipe the great classic of patiopal life apd character, af- ter the Art of Priptipg had already begup to de- cay, is a cause for po little rejoicipgtotbe rpoderp pripter who approaches bis subject pot first frorp the corprpercial poiptof yiew,but ip order that he n?ay bopour it with bis Art. dz 3 5 IX. THE CENTRE AT ESSEX HOUSE AFD THE POSSIBILITY OF SHIFTING IT INTO THE COUNTRY. &&*&&&&*&&&&>&& UCH MORE tpigbt be said upon tbeyarious handicrafts practised or in contempla- tion at tbeEssexHouse sbops, to work at tben? is better tban to talk about tbern, and so I would prefer only to say afe w , words about Essex House it- "^ self — tbe old mansion in Bow tbat bas for tbe last ten years beer; tbe centre of tbose yarious activities 5 and tbe ideas we baye for its fixture use. Tbe cboice of Essex House originally was deter- mined by tbe sarpe considerations tbat made us cboose East fendon for tbe trial of our wbole ex- periment* Tbis, it will be reiperpbered, was in tbe flood tide of University settlements, and before tbe days of teebnical education grants. In tbose days sucb a House was apt for sucb a purpose. A stately old place of tbe end of tbe reign of "William III.,witb abandsorpe staircase, 8E panelled rooms still left in it, it was one of few sucb regaining in tbis grim and desolate part of London tbat bad anytbi^S approacbins a garden? or any pre- tensions to dignity or beauty. "Wben we first came in tbere were growing about tbe place a couple of good box trees,tbree or four pears andcrabs, sorpe cberry trees, laburnum and asb> and a number of yines, besides tbe more usual "London trees." It bas been patbetic to watcb bow, little by little and 36 ope by ope, these have blackeped oyer apd died. The yearly ipcreasipg charge of acids ip the at- rpospbere ip this part of Lopdop, tbat draws oyer like a sulphurous pall froip tbe great works ip 82 aroupd Stratford & Brorpley, tbat bas rotted apd ruiped tbe fipe rpediaevalstope-workof acburcb like St. Mary's at Bow, apd seerps to destroy all tbat is sweet or beautiful, ipakes tbe rpaiptepapce of apytbipg ip tbe pature of a gardep, except ip a very costly apd artificial ipapper, a practical irp- possibility. As tbe trees died too,8E the peed of fur- ther workshops grew, the latter baye beep pushed roupd what was forrperly gardep, orchards apd stable, 8£ however hard we baye tried to retaip the old arpepities, circuipstapces baye beep too bard for us. It is pextto irppossible to keep tidy asrpall copfiped space where sorpe forty rpep apd boys labour the day through? apd which is strewp by every East or West wipd with the litter of a peg- lected SE upswept district. I baye, frorp the hapd of ipy friepd Geo. Tboipsop, who has drawp the froptispiece for this voluipe, a beautiful little paiptipg of the origipal woodep srpitby as it stood ip 1892, a tipy tarred sbapty, ip atpopgthe cherry trees, with a shower of spow- white spripg bios- sonos upop it apd the light of the blacksipitb's fire lookipg through the dusky greep. There were oply two sipiths ip it tbep, but it seryed its pur- pose. The value of the old bouse, rpaiply for a school, & ipcideptally also for resideptial apd social uses, was perhaps greater tbep to us tbap it is pow where our work is priiparily productive, apd 37 tbougb a good deal of sentirnent and association baye grown up around it tbat rpakes us lot!) to leaye it, tbe eventuality of tbis at tbe end of our lease is a rnatter we are bound to consider. Tbe up~keep of a country bouse too, ever) in apoyerty Strieker) London district, is sorpewbat of a costly- luxury, and it is questionable bow far tbe effici- ency of our productive work sbould be taxed for tbis purpose. If we stay at Essex House we sball probably stay a considerable tirpe, perbaps for good, and we sball baye to build extensively 5 it rpay be adyisable to secure a freebold in anotber part of London? wbere we can build 'de noyo/ to rpeet tbe requirements tbat we now understand, and tbus our people rpay get to feel tbat tbey will baye a place tbat finally belongs to tberp. It is a pity in sorne ways to leaye Mile End 8E Bow, tbere are little scraps and cornforts of History about b^re to wbicb one clings, far off rnen>ories of a farnous Earl of Essex, and of Anpadaberoes, tbere is Fairlop Friday, and tbe beautiful Trinity Hospital of "Wren and Eyelyn tbat we of Essex House clairp to baye sayed fron? destruction? and tbere are tbe rernnants of Mile End Waste. One is reipinded of tbe pregnant question tbat Beau- n>ont and Fletcber put into tbe rpoutb of a Lon~ don prentice of Elizabeths day: "Is not all tbe world Mile End, rnotber ? " 8E bis tpotber's equal- ly suggestiye answer: "No, Micbael, not all tbe world, boy, but indeed Mile End is a goodly n?at~ ter." Tbese tbings bave tbeir yalue. My bope for tbe future, boweyer, is tbat we rpay 38 go right out into the country. All the work we do, cap, I an? convinced, if the initial difficulties of transplanting and workshop building are oyer- coroe, be better done in the country than in a great town. Now,rnoreoyer,tbatwe have a depot of our own in tbe West end, No. \6 Brook Street, Bond Street, tbe need for being in tbe rnetropolis is not so great. But wbetber we rnay not always want sorne London workshop centre is questionable, and it scenes certain tbat for tbe present tbe initial difficulties and expenses are too large. Perbaps sorne day, sorne Englisb landlord wbo bas watcbed frorn bis point of view tbe econoipic eyil tbat bas driyen bis people into tbe towns, bas seen bis farrns dying away, 8£ bis srnall tenantry and labourers gradually dispersed,rpay bold out tbe band to us, 8E rnake it possible for us to carry out our works in combination witb sorne forrp of agriculture by srpall holdings, rparket garden^ ing or co-operatiye fanning. For we indeed real- ize, front? our side, tbe econornic evils of tbe town. I believe tbis can be done if tried on a sufficient- ly comprehensive and yet a sufficiently unpre- tending scale. Tbe experience of rny friend Ed- ward Carpenter and others who have attacked the problem frorn a sirpple, direct and human point of yiew,has gone to show that this is quite possi- ble, if two things are borne in rpind. First, if sorne other occupation besides agriculture alone be carried on, and second, if the bulk of the produce reared be retained for the consumption of the dwellers on the land tbernselyes. My study of the 39 character, babits and surroundings of tbe ISndon workn?an convinces n?e too that there is a tbird factor wbicb> if rigbtly applied, rpay belp to solye tbe ecor>orpic difficulties of a country district: — bis potential tbriftipess, bis actual wastefulness. By tbis I ipeai) tbat tbe workrnan,as I know bin?, is by nature capable and willing to be tbrifty,but tbe social and industrial conditions by wbicb be is surrounded, wbetber in tbe conventions of bis bon?e, or in tbe traditions of bis workshop, tend to dissipate bis energies, to n?ake bin? wasteful, callous,tbriftless.To put tbe case plainly, it would witb careful regulation be, I believe, quite possi- ble on tbe one band to retain an existing output witb a reduction of tbe working bours, and on tbe otber, to saye tbe tin?e now spent in apparent re- cuperation or rest: — sucb rest as is found an>ong tbe gas-ligbts of tbe Mile End Road, in tbe train- car, tbe train? or in stuffy roon?s at oyerstudy of tbe eyening newspaper, — in tilling tbe soil. I an? of opinion tbat if our people bad gardens of tbeir own to cultivate, and worked fewer bours at tbeir productive work, tbey would witb a little organization produce quite as n?ucb of tbeir handicraft as before, and in addition tbe bulk of tbe produce needed for tbeir own consumption? wbile tbe gain i*? bealtb to tbeir families and in tbe aipenities of life would be incalculable. In* deed, I trust it n?ay not be taken as too quixotic in n?e if I say tbat I look forward to tbe tin?e as a practical possibility wben we sball see an inver- sion of tbe principles of tbe Truck Act, by wbicb 40 wages rpay pot be paid ipkipd. w"bep wg shall see groups of workrpepworkipgupder healthy cop- ditiops, where they tberpselves control the rpa- cbipery of productiop, apd thus reyert ip part to the rpediaeval custorp of earpipg as wages the direct produce of the soil. Ip the Articles of Association of Ruskir/s Guild of St. George, sorpe such proposal was shadowed forth, but it was pever properly tried, it was pever giyep a cbapce, apd so far, I believe, po practical organizer has atterppted it opalarge scale. Newer copditiops haye growp up of late years that would seerp ip sorpe directiops to rpake it less the impos- sible drearp that it appeared twepty-fiye years ago, but to this epd the practical agriculturist rpust take the ipitiatiye. That the gaip to a decay- ipg agricultural district would be copsiderable, if soipe forty skilled craftsrpep with their farp- ilies, with ipdepepdept rpeaps of subsistepce, apd with traditiops apd pripciples of their owp set- tled op the soil would, I thipk, pot be disputed. It rpay be that rpy Epglish lapdlord friepd is there sorpewhere, apd that he will hold out the bapd to us. Whep he does, I hope t)e will fipd us pot too upready to reciprocate. Perhaps the epd I have ip yie w rpay be best accomplished by sorpe grad- ual plaptipg out, ip a well chosep district, of first ope workshop thep apother. Sorpe district where there is waterpower, where the surroupdipgsare favourable, apd a coppectiop with the Lopdop ceptre pot too difficult. Meaptirpe rpy desire will be to utilize the old 4t n>ansion again entirely for educationax purposes, and to place in it a series of collections en>body~ ing and illustrating tbe yarious handicrafts prac~ tised there. To tbis end we bope to be allowed to draw upon botb priyate and public sources. A body of craftsipen practising a yariety of crafts of tbeir own can baye no better aid in tbeir work tban to be near tbe work of tbose wbo set us tbe standards of all excellence and skill. 42 rf X. IDEALISM IN INDUSTRY. *@&^#*@& |EFORE leaying tbe subject of tbe future of tbe Guild of .j Handicraft or tbe influence of * tbe ipoycrpept of Englisb In- dustrial Art upon tbe growtb of its organization, it rpay not I be out of place to toucb upon a few of tbe deeper questions involved in sucb a consider- ation. Tbe question as to bow far tbe results at- tained, or tbe conclusions arrived at in tbe special case we are bere considering n?ay bave a larger bearing upon corprpunal life : tbe question of tbe influence of tbe work a n?an does, upon bis life and bis value as a citizen* tbe question of tbe influ- ence of bis surroundings and bis education upon bis productive power j 8£ tbe question as to wbe- tber tbe socialistic aspirations — I use tbe word in tbe widest sense — tt>at n?ake tbe backbone of working class n>oyernents, do or do not supply tbose bigber wants wbicb tbe artist and tbe edu- cator deen> essential to tbe fuller living of life : questions, in sbort, of Idealisrp considered as an asset in Industry. Tbe ayerage Englisb worknjan is a materialist, bis first and constant concern is to oyercorpe tbe practical difficulties of existence, to increase bis wages. He bas a few conventional, sornewbatrpid- dle class standards, of rigbt and wrong* and be is untroubled by religious questions, be bas in bin? an innate loye of discipline and combination* be is leyel-beaded, practical, selfisb and conserva- 43 tiye. But be bas anotber side to bin? also, be is also an idealist, — tbe blend rpay seen? a strange one but it exists, and tbis side of bin? finds expres- sion in a tbeoretical socialisn?. Tbe abstract for- mulae, boweyer, of tbe socialisrn be professes bave but a slender direct bearing upon tbe life be leads, and tbey toucb even tbe problems of bis labour organization but incidentally : be cons tbese for- mulae oyer daily in bis balf penny paper, rpucb as tbe rnediaeyal workipan said bis Ayes and Pat- ernosters, but tbey rerpain to bin) unreal, pban~ tasipal, insubstantial. Tbe soul tbat is forn>, in tbe words of Spenser, does not in tbis instance rnake tbe body, it breeds only ipore of itself, and to tbat extent tbe body retrains staryed, unmade, nay, eyen rparred. Tbis putting of tbe forn> 82 tbe substance of life in~ to two separate con>partrnents is wasteful. Waste- ful to tbe individual in tbe first place, for it less- ens bis interest in realities — in tbe Art of lifej wasteful to tbe Community, for it depriyes life of tbat stimulus and enjoyment tbat go to its bigber national fulfilling. Nay, more tban tbis, it is dan~ gerous. But we sbut our eyes to tbis danger and tbink for tbe most part as otbers baye done before us tbat tbe rigbtness of a system is justified by its existence. Tbere is no reason to belieye, tbere certainly ap- pears no analogy from tbe pbysical world to proye, tbat tbere is wisdom in tbus keeping tbe creatiye and tbe material portions of bun>an na~ ture, tbe form 8£ tbe matter, in two air-tigbt con>- partn?ents. It is like continuously drawing off tbe 44 gases frorp a substapce ip itself life-giyipgwbicb tbus disiptegratedgrowstobe op tbe ope bapdap ipert rpass, op tbe otber a bigb explosiye. "Would apy ope wbo bas practically apd tbougbtfully studied tbe copditiops of life,pbysical apd iptel- lectual of ap Epglisb industrial ceptre,for a rpo- rpept depy tbat tbe dapger exists or tbat tbe ana- logy is far fetcbed? It requires but tbe igpitipg spark — tbe pipcb of bupger, for ipstapce, result- ing frorp ap unsuccessful war— apd all tbis ideal- isrp,so bepeficept ip itself, so productive if rigbt- ly applied towards a patiopal purpose, rpay blow tbe wbole social fabric to pieces. And tbe rigbt application? Eyen as we bave drawn our analogy of tbe diyision of tbe idealistic and rpaterialistic forces in tbe corprpupity frorp tbe typical workrpan as be daily corpes before us, so tbe ipdividual bcre again stands us in stead.Train up your young artisan to enjoy bis work, to ap- preciate bis lifl tbrougb bis work, to realize bis work as bis own and not anotber rpap's, apd be will be less ipterested ip tbe socialistic fonpulae of bis evepipg pewspaper, be will becorpe pot opjy a bappier persop but a less selfisb apd yis- iopary persop, apd bis use to tbe corprpupity will be doubled. I bayeproyed tbis ipipdiyidual cases to ipy o wp satisfactiop, pot opce but a dozep tirpes, apd yet tbe trutb tbat a rpap's efficiepcy is ip- creased if bis Idealisrp cap be brougbt to direct it, is a trutb bardly proclairped powadays apd cer- taiply pot acted upop. Tbe applicatiop is ipdeed oftep evidept epougb. Witb tbe average corprpercial rpap it is ap axiorp 45 tbat one of tbe great benefits of national excite- ipept or enterprise — war for instance — is tbat it "pulls tbe nation togetber," it n?ay dotbereyerse, but tbe underlying trutb in tbe dictun) is tbat tbe contemplation of war, tbrougb tbe balf~penny paper or otberwise, supplies tbe element of Ideal- ism witb wbicb I an? concerned. Tbe commercial ipan forgets, boweyer,tbat tbere are otber tbings tbat do tbis equally well, and tbat it is owing to tbe meanness and dulness of tbe existing social system tbat tbis same Idealism as an effective force is proscribed to us. Our object, tben> sbould be to rerpoye tbis proscription, to find otber cban~ nels in wbicb to direct wbat we would fain pot lose, and one of tbe best n?ay perbaps be found in tbe decoratiye Arts.In tbe application to life wbicb tbey bring of tbe searcbing force tbat sqqs in tbe joy of tbe producer its standard of excellence and beauty, tbat asks of eyerytbing it comes across, is it wortb tbe labour tbat bas been put into it,basit been created in joy, wbat useful purpose does it serye, to wbat end is it tbere? Tbe force tbat weigbs productive and unproductive work in a new bal- ance — and not tbe balance of tbe political econo- mist — tbe force tbat calls for tbe colour and tbe joy of life, and tbat discerns in tbe greater pro- ductiveness of tbe individual tbe greater produc- tiveness also of tbe wbole community . It was often urged asainst Jobn Ruskin tbat be said foolisb tbings about tbe power tbat rules rno- dern Industry — tbe rpacbine. Tbose of us wbo baye sougbt to apply tbe inspiration of bis teach- ing to practical ends are deterred neitber by tbe 46 tbipgs be said, nor tbe criticises n?en bave passed upon tben?. We find a trutb in tbe busk of rbe~ toric, and bow great tbis trutb, any direct labour in tbe Industrial Arts reyeals. To us it is evident tbat tbe n?our;taii) of rpecbapical production b&s to be scaled, or perbaps tunnelled scientifically. To ignore it is impossible. To tbis end we do not reject tbe rpacbine, we welcon>e it. But we desire to see it rnastered in Industry, and not as it is at present, to reipain tbe rpaster. We find wben we look back to tbe ages fron? wbicb we draw our rpodels of excellence in production, — excellent because tbey were created in tbe joy of tbe pro- ducer, — tbat tbere was anotberforcebebind,tbat ipade it possible for tbe producer to liye tbe life be did. In ancient Greece it was tbe slave, in tbe Middle Ages it was tbe serf. Wbat we plead for is tbat tbe rpacbine sball be so directed, so guided, tbat it sball do for tbe con?rpunity wbat tbe serf in one age, tbe slave in anotber, did before. Little by little tbis is getting to be understood, only it rpay be for tbose tbat rpake a practical study of tbe details of Industrial Art to say bow far tbe rpa- cbine sbould be called in to belp or forbidden to binder. Wben we look at tbe question fron> tbis point of yiew, we see bow great it becon?es,bow it spreads into tbe wbole fran?ework of society j we see wbat is really involved in tbe pbrase about wbicb tbere is nowadays so rnucb cant — etbics in Art. It is bere, at tbe point wbere tbe replannig and tbe building up of tbe new order out of tbe old begins, tbat rpany of us join issue witb tbe social- 47 isrp of "Williaxp Morris op tbe ope bapd, apd tbe driyipg epergy of rpoderp Corprpercialisip op tbe otber. Tbe social reyolutiop or tbe war ipay be peedful epougb ip tbeir place,for our part wg ipay be rigbtor wropg ip turpipg frorp eitber as a sol- utiop of ecoporpic probleips,but wg ask to be al- lowed, like Tboreau's artist ip tbc City of Kou- roo, to carye our stick ip peace, to reject wbat will pot suit us froip out of tbe large bcap of undesir- able stock tbat is offered for our cboosipg. "We fipd ourselyes at tbe partipg of tbe roads, we see tbat reyolutiopary or destructive socialist!) does pot bclp us, apdtbat tbe distipctiop betweep wbat is copstructiyeapdwbat is destructive is opce apd for all erppbasised for us by tbe applicatiop of Epglisb Ipdustrial Art. 4 s XI. THE INFLUENCE OF JOHN RUSKIN AND WILLIAM MORRIS. *®&>®&i >&*i *&** | HIS little sketch of tbe work and endeavour of the Guild of Handicraft would alnjost seen? to have becoipe a review of tbe ideas & ideals of tbose of us wbo are promoting? it. It is often easier to write about the latter tban to drily review the forn?er, but in any case tbe two are pot altogether to be separated, per- baps also it were wiser tbat tbey sbould not be. It is but fair tben> in conclusion^ to point again to tbe sources whence spring wbateyer tbe Guild of Handicraft n?ay have acbieyed of good or lasting, to place tbe tribute wbere tbe tribute is due, — tbe work and exanjple of tbe two great Masters wbo have so recently beer; taker; fron) us,Williarn Morris and Jobn Ruskin. Tbe practical exan>ple of tbe forrper in bis band to band fight with Brit- isb Cornn?ercialisn?,tbe prophetic inspiration of tbe latter in bis plea for tbe relation of Art to life ffi to Industry. Indeed tbese two ipen bave rparked an epocb^tbey bave pointed out a new objective; for us of tbe younger generation it rerpainstogive tbeir teaching and exaxnple a wider and fuller application* Tbe average Englishman tells us, we rpust not rpix sentiipent witb business, it is one of bis eyery day sayings. But it is a saying tbat contains less trutb tban falsehood, a balf trutb to wbicb Morris and Ruskin gave tbe proper value, and like n?any q 49 balf truths often barinful in its application. You seldorp fit)d tbe n>an wbo, wben be bas uttered tbe senthnent, takes tbe trouble to define tbe words tbat pbrase it. For wbat does it njean? Tbat you are to look only for your n>argin of profit regard- less of tbe bun?ar> efficiency of tbe ipacbipery tbat produces it? Tbis, if tbe continuance of its production depends upon tbe burnan efficiency, is surely wrong. Tbat you are not to allow inci- dental considerations, inspired by sorne personal or eclectic n?orale,tobainpertbe working of your wbole organisation? Tbis is surely rigbt. But tbat tbe working of tbe wbole organisation; after a cer- tain standard is reacbed, sball not be inspired by soine larger purpose tban rperely tbe increasing of tbe rpargin of profit,tbis again is surely wrong. Tbe great businesses of England, — I do not say tbe great fortunes — but tbe great businesses, could tbeir bistories be written? would often be found to bave bad in tbein son?e otber tban *nere~ ly tbe pecuniary objective. Tbey are yoiceless for tbe ipost part because tbey baye been built up by n>en tbat do not talk. But eyery now and tben we catcb a glixnpse of tbe unexpected workings of tbese sentiinental considerations. In one of tbe let- ters of tbe great bouse of Wedgwood wbicb old Josiab; tbe potter, founded in tbe rpiddle of tbe last century, appears tbe following; written to Bently on wbon? be is urging tbe partnership. u You baye taste, tbe best foundation for our in- tended concern, and wbicb n?ust be our l prin?uin njobile,' for witbout tbat, all would stand still, or better it did so." 5o Apd tbe great bouse still exists it) tbe Midlands, for all tl)e decay ip taste tbat later apd rpore corp- rpercial tirpes rpay bave brougbt witb tberp. Tbe poipt to be poted is tbat it was a septirpeptal cop- sideratiop tbat ipspired its foupdipg, apd tbat tbe founders kpew bow to apply tbe septirpept. Apd so I fapcy witb n?apy of tbe great busipesses,tbey would probably be foupd to baye ip tberp sorpe quality of Idealisrp boweyer sligbt, sorpe sqxjsq of a peed towards tbe raisipg of tbe standard of life, sorpe ipspiratiop of a better taste, a rpore useful purpose, boweyer rpisdirected, sorpe furtber ob- jectiye tbap tbe rpere ipcrease of tbe rpargip of profit, upcopscious po doubt, but pope tbe less presept, tbe * prirpurp rpobile ' ip tbe words of tbat wise old busipess rpap apd Idealist, wbicb> if rpis- applied, would stapd copderpped as septirpeptip busipess, but wbicb? if rigbtly applied, becorpes its justificatiop,its first pripciple. Ipdeed, looked at frorp tbe larger poipt of yiew,tbe poipt of view of foupder, of statesrpap, is pot rpost labour legis- latiop, are pot factory acts, Copciliatiop Boards, Trade Upiop requirerpepts, ap applicatiop of septirpept to busipess? However rpucb tbe aver- age practical Epglisbrpap rpay derpur,tbe grad- ual apd quiet workipgout of tbesetbipgs,tbe de- tails of Ipdustrial Derpocracy, Derpocratic ideals ip tbeir applicatiop to tbe life apd work of rpap, are potbipg but septirpept rpixed witb busipess. "Wbep Williarp Morris sbowed bow craft after craft was capable of ipterpal revolutiop, bow ap artist rpigbt tbrow aside tbe palette apd be tbe greater for it; wbep Jobp Ruskip gave tbe lie to 5t the ethics of xpoderx) business, wb«) be taught that there was ar> Art as well as a Science of Eco- i>oipics, wher> he showed to the 'Captaip of In- dustry' how he too had spurs to wip ar?d avirgip coat of anps to blazoi), ther? ipdeed it seenjed to n?ar>y of us that while the old order had epded, the pew had hardly yet begur>. THIS RECORD OF AN ENDEAVOUR TO- WARDS THE TEACHING OF JOHN RUS- KIN AND WILLIAM MORRIS, BEING AN ACCOUNT OF THE WORK AND AIMS OF THE GUILD OF HANDICRAFT BY C. R. ASHBEE, IS THE FIRST BOOK PRINTED AT THE ESSEX HOUSE PRESS IN THE NEW TYPE DESIGNED BY HIM. THE BLOCK 8 CUTS ARE BY GEORGE THOM- SON. AN. DOM. MDCCCCI. 5z Published by Edward Artjold, 37, Bedford Street, Strapd. 35o copies. No.