OPENING ART GALLERY ON SUNDAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8630, 28 July 1891, Page 3

OPENING ART GALLERY ON SUNDAYS.

TO THE EDITOR. . Sm,—in yonr leading article «f Saturday • last, referring to the opening of the Art Gallery, you express the opinion that " ifc. was scarcely necessary for the Ministers' Association to send a deputation to the Council if all they had to say was that the public were to be consulted. They were bound to raise the question of the desecration of the Lord's Day or to refrain fromt meddling in the matter, etc." Allow me to say, as one of the deputation, that when the question was discussed at the Ministers* Association, some of the members deemed ib inadvisable to send a deputation to the City i Counoil for the seeming purpose of instructing the members thereof in the proper observance of the Lord's Day, but it was thought by all that rather than take the responsibility of opening the Art Gallery at the request of a very small section of the community, the Council might consent to delay till an application were made which should represent at least a majority of the citizens. Accordingly the following resolution was ªmously carried:-*; " That a deputation from this Association wait upon the committee appointed by Council to deal with, the question of opening, the Art Gallery oia Sunday afternoon, and suggest that before the matter is decided the Council wait until there has been an application expressive of the opinion of all classes o£ the community." The deputation was appointed simply to lay before the committee of Council tshe request contained in thisresolution, with the hope that the justice to all classes which it asks would be granted, and that all who have a regard for the sacreo character of the Lord's Day would have air opportunity of giving expression to theii opinion on tho point at issue. I may add that the Ministers' Association did not consider that it rested with them to- "take steps to elicit public opinion" as you suggest, and, in fact, as the deputations interview with the committee of Council was declared informal, they had scarcely time to summon a public meeting prior to the ordinary meeting of the Council. Hoping you will allow space for this explanation.—l am, etc., R. F. Macnicol. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I should be sorry in any way to discourage the love of art. Next to religion it . is the truest, purest consolation and rest for weary and weighted souls. But I beg to ask the members of the Council who voted foe the opening of the Art Gallery on Sundays whether they think the public has had sufficient time to consider and express its judgment in the matter ? Also, whether any one of them would like or would consent to, his own daughter being.deprived of a great; . portion of each Sunday to meet the tastes ofa small minority of the community. His Worship our excellent Mayor, put it persuasively as only two fours' additional work for the attendant. I presume he forgot that that the attendant resides at some distance, and that it would in fact mean not less to her than four hours every Sunday. I submit that whoever wishes to study the interesting and valuable, though small, collection of paintings in the Art Gallery can do so at other times if {really anxious about it. Besides the Saturday afternoons there are not very infrequent holidays during the year when the gallery is open, and besides if anyone loves art he can devote at least one day or part of it to the inspection and admiratipn of its original design in the world of nature, above andfaround us. What is aa hour spent in a gallery gazing at the best efforts of human gift and genius compared with the grandeur and refreshing influence of a walk to the summit of Mount Eden or Mount Hobson or of any of our mountain: heights ? That the Council consented to open the Library without increasing the librarian's stipend does {not prove that it was a right thing to do. If that " admits any principle" it is an unjust one, that the Council has a, right to mulct its officials. Books are now so cheap that there are few homes without a nucleus of a library, and it is still true that knowledge comes more from much and not many, from reading thoroughly a few than from skimming through many. Neither an open Public Library or Art Gallery on a Sunday has been shown to be a work of necessity, or of mercy, and I hold that we are inflicting wrong upon two attendants, whose monotonous duties demand a re3t day as much as those of the shopkeeper, or the merchant, or their employes. It remains to be seen whether the number and occupations of those who may visit the Gallery on Sundays during the next three or four months justifies the Council in decisions which inflict loss and injustice upon officials who have the right but not the power to protest, and whether it would not therefore be, better and wiser to repeal them. Religious' sanctions apart, the Council is morally bound to guard the Sunday as far as possible from unnecessary labour.—l am, etc., July 27. BbwihOox.