ART IN AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9130, 11 August 1888, Page 3

ART IN AUCKLAND.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l am somewhat in doubt as to whether I should not have been more correct if I had

headed this letter "Heartless An; in Aucfc land," for certainly the individual who wrote under the above heading in your issue of Tuesday last, and who signed himself " One Who was There," cannot really have his heart in any efforts to advance art in Auckland, or he would not have penned such a letter. It is not my intention to traverse the whole of the statements made in the letter referred to, as several of these have been ably controverted in the letter of Mr. E. A. Mackechnie, but I will refer at once to that which more concerns myself, viz., my motion re the books bequeathed to the citizens by the late J. T. Mackelvie. In moving this motion I had not the remotest intention of depriving the students of the Free School of Art of one moment's opportunity for studying these works. In fact, were my idea carried out, their opportunities for this purpose would be much extended, besides giving to others, who have no desire to follow the course of instruction given in the Free School of Art, a like privilege. I have no doubt there are many in Auckland who have heard of authentic cases where valuable bequests have, by unscrupulous persons, been diverted from their original channels. Far be it from me to think for one moment that while the present trustees are living any such calamity is likely to eventuate with any part of the Mackelvie bequest, but I am led into this strain of thought bv " One Who Was There " claiming in his letter that tills Art Library was a giff to the present Free School of Art, to the exclusion of all others except by sufferance. This is not correct. There was 110 such gift. The books are simply placed where they are temporarily, until such time as a permanent home is provided for them (this on the authority of two of the trustees). 1 am somewhat surprised at the amount of impudence displayed by "One Who was There - ' bringing forward as a complaint against the officers of the society the permitting of non-members to vote. Certainly not one of those present knew of any such case at the time, and I cannot understand any person sitting serenely by, noticing such dishonourable action on the part of any non-member, and not drawing the chairman's attention to it, and the only feasible reason I can imagine for such conduct is that the .said votes told for his side.I have since discovered a case of a nonmember receiving voting papers and handing them in; and will you believe it, Mr. Editor, that this was the nominee for the secretaryship, of the very parties who wrote or instigated the letter of complaint. I challenge contradiction to this, simply because I had it from the nominee himself the morning following the meeting. I know positively that Mr. Stuart handed in one voting paper blank, and 1 should be sorry to believe that he did otherwise with the others. After this I think that anv further comments 011 the letter of " One Who Was There" will he quite unnecessary. I am truly sorry that " One Who Was There" should have been so ill-advised as to write in the strain he did. It gives to the public an impression that the Auckland Society of Arts is anything but a happy family ; while the real fact is that the good fellowship and kindly feeling towards each other, displayed by all members alike, has during the past three years, to say the least, been remarkable. Let " One Who Was There" mix a little more with the members, drop in occasionally on the Mahl Stick Club, ana now ant? then spend an evening in the Society's room with the young members who meet fortnightly for mutual improvement, bring his pipe and tobacco with him, and I guarantee lie will soon get rid of the terrible twist in mind that lie at present suffers from.—l am.» &c. Jo. L. Holland, Grafton Road, August 8.