PERTURBED AUCKLAND.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 94, 20 April 1912, Page 4

PERTURBED AUCKLAND.

It is rather unfortunate that Auckland is displaying some perturbation about the proposed National Art Gallery at the time vrheu Christchurch. seems to bo gertting reconciled to the project, though The Press there gently convoys a little banter by putting inverted commas on "national." The Auckland Star, as our readers can see in a telegram today, heartily commends tho Wellington picture movement, bul voices a fear, a« the Christchurch journals recently did, about tho possibility of the National Gallery "waxing fat"— if Art will permit tho phrase— with public money which should be distributed, as formerly, among tho four centres. This attitude is based on a misunderstanding. Those enthusiasts who are working -strenuously here for pictures for the National Gallery have no desire at all .to interfere witlu.the development of the growing gal. leries in the sister cities. W« have already explained that nothing has been done or said to warrant a. fear that the littlo assistance which the State has given to provincial Art Societies will be discontinued, unless the Government intends to give adequate compensation by arranging to have a. selection of good pictures exhibited for equal periods in the various centres. The local Academy undoubtedly has no desire to have its contemporaries elarved to enablo Wellington to enjoy a perpetual feast. The leaders of the movement here have unmistakaoly stated a willingness 'to cooperate with their brethren -of Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin in arranging to send up and down the country the best M'orks in tho national collection. Thus the more Wellington does for the proper furnishing of such a gallery the larger will be the benefit for the sister cities. A National Gallery on such a broad basis is surely better for New Zealand, than no suck gallery at all, but some of our friends in Auckland and Christchurch have sought to persuade the people of the two islands that the country would be ill-advised to have suca an. establishmeni in Wellington. Such strange doctrine might well irritate people outside the capital as well as the citizens here, and it is a great tribute to the non-parochial character of the population here that the peculiar criticism of the North- and South has been received in good part. No estrangement has been created, though provocation has "not been lacking. Th© people here are just as willing aB ever to work in with people elsewhere for the foundation of a National Gallery for the advantage of the whole country.