The King and Queen for their frst public appearance chose 2 most aproptiate oceasion—the opening the: "People's Palace" now built fon the ashes of the Victorian structure which was destroyed by fire in 1831." For Queen Vietoria—sixty years ago—in the year of her Golden [Jubilee opened the "People's Palace" in East London for "intellectual and Dhysleal recreation and education." The project won support in large mensure from the popularity of Walter Besant's novel "AN Sorts and Conditions. of Men"—a_ "best-seller" which became household work much fo the taste of Victorians. In that book Besant pointed out the dire need of fccllities for. social improvement and healthy recreation in what was then a grim area of worse than shum~ dom. He drew a picture of a "Palace fof Delight" under whose roof these requirements could be met. Those were the days when the philanthropy of Baroness Burdett-Courts had gener ously displayed itself in many directions for the social uplift—as moderns would call jt—of the people-'The Drapers Company contributed a Jarge sum of money for the purpose which the "People's Palace" was' de-simed to serve, for it set aside the magnificent sum of £7,000 a year for the permanent maintenance of the Institution, The. technical education Programme of London was then beginning to take shape under the auspices of the Central Governing Body, on behalf of the London parol chial' charities. 'The Drapers' Comppany's support of the Palace relieved the London County Council which actively encouraging technical education and had started giving support to the polylechnies, The East London College was opened at the "People's Palace" as a polytechnic in which "capacity it" has rendered splendid service to London education fand is now part of the London University,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.