ABSTRACT
The Royal Commission on Technical Instruction was established in response to the perceived European ascendency in matters of technical education under the chairmanship of a Cleveland iron master, Sir Bernhard Samuelson M.P. The Report of the Commissioners published in five volumes was an important tool for reformers and advocates of technical education in Britain and was one of the catalysts for the subsequent 1889 Technical Instruction Act. William Morris, being well-known as an authority, both on the design and distribution of consumer products, was questioned at length on the problems associated with the design and making of domestic goods. Morris was also a consultant to the South Kensington museum, so he was quite forthright in response to questions about the role of museums.
