LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
THE CLOTHWORKERS' HALL.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR." J Sra,—My attention has just been called to a statement which appeared in the Speciator of March 14th, and, while I regret that I did not see it and write at the time, I hope you will now allow me to make certain remarks upon it which in justice to the Clothworkers' Company ought to be made. The statement in question is as follows :—" The Company have also bought, and confine to members' families, ten presentations at the Middle Class School, Finsbury, for Boys, and ten presentations at the North-London and Camden Schools for Girls, including education-books, day-board, railway-pass, Sr,c."
As regards conditions attached to any such scholarships at the Finsbury School I know nothing ; but all scholarships which are given by the Clothworkers' Company in connection with the North-London Collegiate and Camden Schools for Girls are certainly given without any conditions of the kind indicated in the above. There is no restriction whatever imposed by the Company as to the girls who can hold scholarships in either of these schools ; and every such scholarship is therefore awarded on the results of free competition within the schools. As an example, I may mention that the Company gives every year a leaving-scholarship of £50, tenable for three years, to the girl at the head of the school,.who leaves with the intentionn• of pursuing her studies at Girton College, Cambridge ; and this scholarship is decided by the results of the Girton entrance examination, quite unconditionally so far . as the Company is concerned. •
To these schools the Clothworkers' Company has been a generous and faithful friend ; and the North-London Collegiate School in particular owes to its liberality some years ago, when public opinion was less advanced than at present on the subject of education for girls, the fine hall in which all its public ceremonies are held, and which is the centre of all the social life of the school. For the building of this Hall the Company gave the sum of £3,000 in the year 1878, and at that time this was a very substantial proof of its interest in advancing the not very popular cause of the education of women.—I am, Sir, &c., FRANCES M. Russ. Bandon Road, Camden Road, N.W., March 31st.
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