GOWER'S WALK SCHOOL OF INDUSTRY
Placed in the heart of a district densely peopled with the poorer classes, the school owes but little to situation for the contentment and cheerfulness observable in the scholars, whose lively appearance cannot fail to strike every visitor) while the value of the acquirements they are making is amply manifested in the eagerness shown on the one hand to procure admission to the school, and on the other to obtain the departing pupils as apprentices. When we visited the school (in July last year), there were two long lists of applicants, the one of masters waiting for children, the other of parents wishing to send their sons and daughters as scholars.

The industrial occupation of the boys is printing; that of the girls needlework. There are altogether about two hundred children in the school, rather more than one half of whom are boys. Both boys and girls are in attendance during seven hours each day. Four hours of this time are given to the usual business of a school,—namely, reading, writing, and arithmetic; the remaining three hours are employed by the girls in needlework, and the boys in printing; with this restriction, however, that no boy is allowed to join the class of printers (a privilege much coveted) until he can read, write, and cipher, with a certain degree of facility. This regulation is found to act very beneficially in furnishing a motive for increased diligence in the school-room. The printers, in number about sixty, are divided into three classes; some one class being always in the printing office, and the others in the school room: Thus the boys are refreshed and relieved by an alternation of manual and mental labour; and both the school room and the printing office are constantly occupied.

We were much pleased with the sense of life and bustle among the little printers. No lolling and yawning, no wistful looks at the slow moving hands of the clock, the signs of cheerful industry were visible in every face, were apparent in the quick motion of every limb. The last time we called at the school happened to be on a holyday afternoon; but no stillness of the printing office notified the term of relaxation. The busy hand of the compositor was moving to and fro as usual, and the pressman was tugging at his screw-bar with as much energy as ever. On inquiry, we found that the boys engaged were a class of volunteers, who, incredible as it may appear at Eton or Winchester, preferred passing their holyday at work to spending it at play.

We particularly inquired whether the little printers entered fairly into competition with their elders in the same profession; or whether, in point of fact, there was not some protection, some favour of friends conceding better terms than are allowed elsewhere. We were, however, assured that the school depends on no partiality of the kind; that, on the contrary, a prevailing prejudice against work done by boys depresses their prices below those usually given for work executed in the same style. It is of course necessary that the little fellows should work many more hours than an adult printer in order to obtain an equal remuneration; what the latter would get through in a day may occupy one of them a week, a fortnight, or even a month; but as the work is paid for by the piece, it is evident that the increased time is followed by no additional recompense.

As evidence of the neatness of the work, it is sufficient to refer to the Reports of the National Society, which are always printed by these children. So far as appears to us, the typography of these books bears no mark of inferiority, and we believe it furnishes no clue to the age of those by whom it was executed save what is found in the imprint—"School Press, Gower's Walk, Whitechapel." It is proper to remark, that the boys receive a good deal of instruction and assistance in the practice of their art; but the cost of this aid is taken out of the proceeds of the printing; which, even after this deduction, furnish a considerable sum towards the general expenses of the school, and finally give a handsome surplus to be divided among the boys.

With these and many other interesting particulars we were furnished by Mr. French (the very intelligent master,) who now gives an example of the value of the institution, by the ability with which he conducts the school from which he derived his own education.

It appears that the school has existed on its present footing for nearly thirty years. The building which was formerly a sugar bakehouse, was applied to its present use by the benevolent and enlightened founder of the school, Mr. Davies, who also endowed the school with the sum of 2000l. in the Three per Cent. Consuls. The income of 60l. a year arising from this sum, and the use of the building rent free, are all that interfere with the self supporting character of the establishment. Yet with this moderate help is a school carried on, in which two hundred children receive a comparatively good education, being trained in habits of cheerful industry, taught a useful art, and moreover instructed in the ordinary branches of a school education. And not only is all this effected, but a sum of money averaging more than 100l. a year is divided among the children according to their respective savings, one half being immediately distributed in the form of pocket money, and the remainder set aside to meet the expenses of outfit, apprentices' premium, &c at the time of departure. A boy will in this way accumulate 4l., 5l., or 6l., or even 10l. before leaving the school,—no inconsiderable sum for a lad in this rank of life to start with in the world.

The monthly gains of the little printers average about three shillings per boy, though sometimes an individual will have to receive as much as six shillings. A savings bank has lately been opened in the school, as an additional encouragement to thrifty habits; and the smallest sums, down to a single half-penny, are received. Most of the children have become depositors, though they are quite at liberty to keep their money in their own possession. The bank was opened last February; and when we visited the school in July the deposits amounted to 23l.

One boy, a lad of thirteen years of age, was pointed out, who alone had deposited 1l. in this short time. This little fellow was of course one of the volunteer workers on the holyday afternoon; and we learnt that, not satisfied with the labour of the printing office, he was in the habit of carrying out milk before he came to school in the morning, and of helping his father, a gunmaker, in the evening.

From time to time the money collected in the school savings bank is placed in the public savings bank of the district, and the interest received is distributed in just shares among the boys. Each one is periodically furnished with a full statement of his account; and it is needless to say that, on passing into his hands, the document is certain to be subjected forthwith to a most rigorous audit.