an additional language will increase. Modern methods of manufacture demand wide markets; we must seize our opportunities in the world ; and as Sir Francis Goodenough has said, we have far too few linguists for our trade. Even apart from business reasons is the cultural importance of languages. Why be isolated from all the wealth of French literature, for example ? Why be ignorant and embarrassed by the ordinary expressions in speech and writing which are essential to the intelligent man ? We are not suggesting that our duty is to turn out social successes, but we must prepare our pupils to take their position in any phase of society to which they are called.
William the Silent.
BRIDGES MADE TO MEASURE.
Giant bridges take years to build, but cases sometimes arise where bridge-building must be done with the minimum of interference to traffic.
In such circumstances the engineers make the new bridge " to measure " and drop it into place in one quick job. Sunday is often chosen as being the quietest of all traffic days.
The London and North-Eastern Railway performed a feat such as this at East Lothian.
The new bridge had been built beside the old one running on bogies at a higher level than the old bridge. Explosive charges were fired and in a vast thunder of noise the worn out span vanished. The pieces left were quickly cleared away and was all ready.
Ingenious hauling appliances started to work and the 200-ton structure was slowly moved over to its new bed. Then 100-ton hydraulic jacks lowered it into place. So quickly were things done that 18 hours saw the job through.
In another rush job, the Southern Railway with 100 men demolished a Medway bridge near Rochester and erected a new one in 30 hours. They had two big cranes to help, and some of the masses of steel handled weighed 80 tons each.
Another bridge made to measure was put up over the Medway near Maidstone. It weighed 140 tons, but the job was done in 26 hours.
Nothing daunts our British engineers. In one instance they wheeled one bridge out of the way, and the new one into its place.
L. Noakes.
PICTORIAL STATISTICS.
Mr. Williams was deputed to represent the School at a special meeting of educationalists at the College of Preceptors in November when the celebrated Dr. Otto Neurath, the founder of the Vienna Mundaneum, lectured on his new methods of visual presentation of facts and statistics. Dr. Neurath has evolved a complete set of symbols, absolutely simple, but attractive, in fact not only a new method of presentation but a new international language. The chief character of " Pictorial Statistics " is its showing of essential and important details only. The time saved in the teaching of geography, economics, history, etc., is incalculable. Branches of the Institute have now been set up in New York, Moscow and Prague, and in addition it publishes books, and a bi-monthly periodical entitled "Bildstatistik" (Pictorial Statistics). It is hoped that we may be able to arrange for an exhibition to be held in Maidstone; and that some of the work of the Upper Boys may be based on the new method. On a talk after the meeting, Dr. Neurath informed Mr. Williams that he had great hopes of establishing a branch of the Institute in London.
INDUSTRIAL GEOGRAPHY.
On 16th October we visited the Maidstone and District Laundry in Loose Road.
As we walked through the doors we were greeted by the hum of machinery and our guide took us into the washing room. Here the clothes are put into revolving drums which whirl round and wash them. When they are finished they are put into centrifugal drying machines. These revolve at 1,400 revolutions per minute. After revolving for a quarter of an hour the clothes are almost dry. The process of drying is completed by passing the garments through hot air. The clothes are then ironed by large gas irons. Our guide took us round to the furnace room where he opened the furnace and showed us the inside. We were told that about 10 tons of coal were used in a week. The water used in the works is softened to about 3 degrees of hardness. Nearly 2,000,000 gallons of water are used in three months. The guide explained that every garment is classified according to the district it was collected from. Only one out of every 10,000 articles passing through the works is lost or damaged.
E. Shaw.
CHRISTMAS CRACKERS.
(Pulled by several contributors including J. Beale, E. C. Rowcroft and G. Goodchild.)
A Burmese footballer has kicked a ball, barefoot, a distance of 166 ½ feet.
Our right-hand nails grow faster than our left.