I  consider  that  the  commercial  traveller  is  a  typical  instance  of  some  of
the  claims  which  Secondary  Education  will  have  io  satisfy.  On  the
manner  in  which  the  commercial  traveller  performs  his  duties  depends
in  many  cases,  whether  a  certain  trade  will  expand  and  will  find  outlets
abroad  or  not.  Naturally,  one  of  the  firot  things  a  commercial  traveller
will  require  is  a  knowledge  of  foreign  languages.
15.081.  Pardon  me.  one  moment ;  is  not  that  a  knowledge  which,  so  far
as  regards  the  English  commercial  traveller,  is  considerably  diminished  by
the  protectionist  policy  of  most  of  the  Eui  opean  States  ? — The  difficulties
are,  no  doubt,  increased,  and  consequently  more  knowledge  and  more
versatility  are  essential.  The  commercial  traveller,  requires  a  thorough
knowledge  of  foreign  languages ;  he  also  requires  a  knowledge  of  the
various  processes  oi  manufacturing.  One  of  the  duties  of  the  conmiercial
traveller  is  to  try  and  obtain  purchasers  for  goods  which  are  being
manufactured  in  this  country ;  that,  to  a  certam  extent,  is  pretty  simple.
But  another,  and  a  much  more  difficult  duty  he  has  to  perform  is  to
bring  to  the  notice  of  the  manufacturer,  of  the  producer  of  an  article  in
England,  what  is  the  article  for  which  a  demand  already  exists,  or  may  be
created  abroad,  and  what  is  the  article  with  which  our  traders  have  to
compete,  and  under  what  difficulties.  Now,  if  he  is  to  succeed,  he  must
try  to  insinuate  himself  into  the  society  of  that  foreign  country,  and  he
can  only  do  so  if  he  acquires  a  certain  knowledge  of  that  country.
