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            <title type="main">Letter from John Earls to the Staff of the Municipal Technical Institute, Belfast 1 March, 1919</title>
            <title type="sub">Letters 1916-1923</title>
            <author>John Earls</author>
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               <p>Enclosed is a letter from Captain Francis C. Forth to the staff of the Municipal Technical Institute, Belfast. The letter was written a fortnight before his death and expresses, "earnest hope that you may each and all be blessed with abundant health and every prosperity".
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               <item n="death">1934</item>
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             Telephone No. 1168  Principal   <seg type="unclear">FRA. C. FORTH. FRCScI</seg>   Municipal Technical Institute, Belfast.    1st March, 1919.    Dear Sir, (or Madam)   About a fortnight before his death, when his illness  had taken a marked turn for the worse, the late Principal wrote  a letter setting out his feelings towards his colleagues on the  Staff of the Municipal Technical Institute and requested me to  have a copy forwarded, after his death, to every member of the  Staff.  In handing the letter to me he asked me to say that  he realised that it was a very imperfect expression of the  kindly feelings which he entertained towards the members of the  Institute Staff and hoped that you would accept it and supple-  ment it accordingly.   Yours faithfully,    J.Earls.    Vice-Principal.   Enclo: 
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              Ravenswood, B E L F A S T.      February, 1919.    To    My dear Colleagues and friends of all and     every grade on the Staff of the     Municipal Technical Institute, Belfast.   On looking back over a fairly long connection (now over  eighteen years duration) with the Scheme of Technical Instruction  in Belfast, nothing I think impresses one more than the quite  remarkable developments that have taken place i technical instruc-  tion in the city.  The vigour of the movement generally, the strenuous  efforts of the students, often exerted under great difficulties  due to business and home conditions, the devotion of the Staff to  their duties whatever those were, have all been outstanding  features of our Institute and its operations.  It is to testify to those apects of our Institute and  to the cordial co-operation with the management which all these  imply that I am writing you this brief note of farewell.  It is a great satisfaction to me to be permitted to tell  one and all how thoroughly I have appreciated the part you have  taken in building up our great organisation.  There have, of course, been times of stress and strain  in the Institute as there must inevitably b wherever change,  development and advancement are taking plcace, but I have always  hoped, and indeed believe, that such stress and strain passed away  with the conditions that gave rise to them, and that our work  proceeded on improved lines better, certainly not worse,  for the testing.  To 
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             To you my dear Colleagues I send my most cordial  good wishe with the expression of the earnest hope that you  may each and all be blessed with abundant health and every  prosperity. May your association with the Municipal  Technical Institute be ever a happy one, and may the Institute  maintain in your hands that position which we have all for years  striven to secure for it, namely that of the front rank in the  Technical Institutes of the United Kingdom.   With renewed expressions of my good will and regard,    I sign myself,    sincerely and affectionately Yours,    F. C. FORTH.  
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            <noteGrp><note target="item__5305.xml" type="mentions">Letter from John Earls 28 February, 28 February 1919</note><note target="item__5307.xml" type="mentions">Letter from John Earls to the Staff of the Municipal Technical Institute, Belfast 1 March, 1919</note><note target="item__5308.xml" type="mentions">Letter from the Staff of the Municipal Technical Institute, Belfast, to the family of Captain Francis C. Forth 3 March 1919</note><note target="item__5309.xml" type="mentions">Resolution passed by the Staff of the Municipal Technical Institute, Belfast 3 March, 1919</note><note target="item__5310.xml" type="mentions">Letter from John Earls to the staff of the Municipal Technical Institute, Belfast, 11 March 1919</note><note target="item__5311.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Vincent G. Forth to Prof. John Earls, 5 March 1919</note><note target="item__5312.xml" type="mentions">Letter from John Earls to Mrs. Forth 3 March, 1919</note><note target="item__5313.xml" type="mentions">Letter fron John Earls to Mrs. Forth 7 March, 1919</note><note target="item__5314.xml" type="mentions">Letter from John Earls to Mrs. Forth 18 March, 1919</note><note target="item__5318.xml" type="mentions">Letter from John Earls  to J. H. Reynolds, 11 March 1919</note><note target="item__5321.xml" type="mentions">Letter from John Earls (Vice-Principal) to the Staff of the Municipal Technical Institute, Belfast 1 March, 1919</note><note target="item__5326.xml" type="mentions">Letters from J. H. Reynolds to John Earls, 20 March 1919</note><note target="item__5329.xml" type="mentions">Letter from J. H. Smith to John Earls 3 March, 1919</note><note target="item__5330.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Miss L. A. Geale to John Earls 2 March, 1919</note><note target="item__5335.xml" type="mentions">Letter from Matilda McRee to John Earls, 3 March 1919</note><note target="item__5344.xml" type="mentions">Letter from R.R. Clark to John Earls, 2 March 1919</note><note target="item__5345.xml" type="mentions">Letter from J. C. Ward to John Earls, 2 March 1919</note><note target="item__6558.xml" type="mentions">Letter from John Earls to Mr. R. J. Woods, 11 March 1919</note></noteGrp></person>
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