REPORT OF MR. ADAMS.
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at Vienna, showed a sufficient degree of strength, and certainly seemed to call for no reports from public agents. It would indeed be little less than a display of folly for a body of state officials, with, at best very general information, to undertake to instruct in the details of their business men managing interests, the annual product of which amounts to tens of millions of dollars. It is not to government reports that these men go for information. There was little probability that we could discover much that has escaped their search, even if they were not themselves on the ground in person, or by their representatives. It is not so, however, as regards the exhibits of the second class. No richer field of instruction for Massachusetts industry could have been desired than was presented at Vienna in the display of articles, the excellence of which lay in the nice skill or educated taste or thorough training of those who produced them. America was here immeasurably behind all leadiug competitors. After full consideration, therefore, it was determined to devote especial attention to securing detailed reports bearing upon the exhibits belonging to this class, and to confine the reports relating to machinery and labor-saving inventions within very general limits. A comprehensive schedule was accordingly prepared, and it remained only to secure the services of the specialists competent to develop its several parts. But here again was encountered the great obstacle of an imperfect organization. Our scheme included some thirty papers on various subjects, a special prominence being given to the exhibits in Group XXII., described in the official catalogue as that part of the exhibition showing the organization and influence of museums of fine art as applied to industry,—to which group, it will be remembered, not a single contribution was made by America. We further desired to procure more or less thorough and authoritative information on the recent developments in the production of pottery, porcelain and the ceramic arts generally,—in which this Exposition was wonderfully rich,—on gold and silver w ares ; embroideries and fine textile fabrics ; on paintings, bronzes, statuary and engravings ; on glass and on manufactures of ivory, of paper and of leather. A body of reports, some twenty in number, was promised us, all of which, we
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