THE EMPIRE LOAN COLLECTION

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21199, 25 June 1934, Page 9

THE EMPIRE LOAN COLLECTION

TO TUB EDITOR OP THE PRESS. Sir,—l paid a shilling to see the £40,000 worth of English pictures, I do not intend to make a fuss about that, but had. I paid two shillings I would certainly have sued them for my money back. I feel sure they must have been collected by the postmen on the same principle as the postmen collected the parcels in Christchurch recently, and if those pictures are sent back to the lenders they will be just as disappointed as if the postmen were to send us back the parcel of broken boots that we contributed. The two pictures that attracted me most were one on the right side as you entered the Art Gallery of a man blue with heart disease; the other was in the next room of some men playing chess with glassy marbles stuck in their heads to represent their eyeballs. I remarked to a friend that was with me that it was a queer picture, when a bystander chipped in and said that if I was to move back 15 feet and stand on my head I would then get the beauty of the picture. I think it is a pity taking the school children there to give them the idea that those pictures are a sample of Eng'.ish art. and if they are a sample, well if I want to buy a picture I will go to Japan or Temuka for my purchase. I really went to the show to divert my mind from what Larwood was going to do next, but while there I was sorry I did not have Larwood with me practising bodyline bowling. —Yours, etc., POKER NED. June 23. 1934.