Let  us  believe  that,  in  this  house  at  least,  there  is  no  skeleton.
I  have  often  wondered  that  more  care  was  not  taken  amongst
us  to  preserve  the  statistics  of  different  enterprises,  with  a  view
to  know  their  aotual  results,  and  trace  them  to  their  causes;  and,
further,  with  a  view  to  their  practical  utility.  If  a  railroad  is
organised  in  a  city,  for  example,  the  statistics  of  the  number  of


AXE&iCAK  INSTITUTE.  85

passengers  at  different  times  of  tbe  day,  on  different  days,  on  dif-
ferent occasions,  should  be  carefally  collected  and  mapped  in
enrres  so  as  to  show  the  results  to  the  eye.  It  would  then  be
seen  how  the  wants  of  the  public  could  be  best  supplied;  how
many  cars  were  wanted  each  hour  of  the  day,  each  day  in  the
week,  when  the  Crystal  Palace  was  open;  and,  generally,  on  what
occasions  when  open.  A  study  of  this  enterprise  would  lead  to
rational  results  as  to  the  need  of  others,  and  the  study  of  them
in  connection,  would  show  their  mutual  influences.  What  is  now
left  to  the  ^^  rule  of  thumb "  would  then  be  arranged  by  the
judgment,  and  the  eyils  which  are  now  left  to  accumulate  until
they  grow  so  &r  as  to  require  abatement  as  nuisances,  would  be
guarded  against,  and  life  would  flow  more  smoothly.  Then  we
would  Bot  see  so  many  groups  on  the  corners  of  the  l^ixth  Avenue
waiting  for  cars  only  to  see  them  pass  filled  to  overflowing,  and
forced  to  walk  two  miles  or  lose  the  sight  of  the  exhibition.
Jndtutrial  ExkSb&ions  of  Eun>pe.
