Genre:

News-Commentary

Subjects:

Utilitarianism, Class, Education, Industry, Mathematics

    Following the discussion in PU1/51/23/13, , PU1/51/24/2, and , PU1/51/26/3, this continues Mr Punch's defence of his claim that Wolverhampton is an industrialised 'Black Country'. It presents an extract from 'His correspondent' in Paris, who describes the surprisingly civilised lifestyles of inhabitants of a 'small "black country"' around an iron foundry in France (this is a reference to the firm established by Joseph E Schneider at Le Creusot). The correspondent admires the fact that the factory workers built and owned the factory and praises the education of the children of miners and ironworkers, children who are able to sit 'historical and scientific examinations' and who were not 'allowed to leave the school for the workshop till they could read and write well, and do some arithmetic'. Punch deems this 'no community of hammer-men in Utopia' but an admirable community along the lines of 'Bilston, Tipton, or Dudley'. Admires the way that the 'proprietors' of the iron foundry have accomplished this and suggests that firms in 'our Black Country' should do the same.