IN MEMORY OF THE DEAD,

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13984, 17 August 1907, Page 6

IN MEMORY OF THE DEAD,

A PICTURE AND A BUST.

(Faou Otra OWn Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, August 16, Two item? in connection with the latd Mr Seddort, wljieli appe&r<Jd umlor tho hoaflihg of "miscellaneous services" in tho Estimates of the Colonial Seotct&ry'S Department, formed the subject- of a fow remarks in the House this afternoon. Tho sttm of £158 Appeared as the cost of ri. marblo bust, whilst £105 was shown to Jiavo been expended last year on the pufohiso of a portrait of the late right hon. gentleman.

Mr Fisher asked for some information regarding these items. . Bo said that if it was intended to ooliimcfrioratetho life and work of the late Prime Minister all tho money shoiild bo put together atid expended on sometliirlg of a substantial nature. This, he said, woilkt be bettor than having these " driblets " coining through tho Estimates time after time. As to the picturo in question, if it was otie of a ilumbor that had been seen iii the lobby, he looked tipou tho cost as so much money thrown away, as they were misrepresentations of the late right, hon. gentlomaii from, every point of view. In regard to tho £158 for tho statue (lo be placed ill the buildings), he thought it would be bettor to add it to the fund for the larger statue that, was to be erected outside the building. " Thoy should not," he urged, " oxl»nd : these tinkering little ■votes" on things that wero neither creditable rtor coitimeihorative.

Mr Maesey said that,he. would liko to know whether the portrait in question was tho one that wits in tho Government Whips' room.

Tho Prime Minister: No, that is not the property of tie.Government. The otto purchased is hanging in tho lobby and is the Work of Tefinyroji Cole. Mr Wilford; If tho . picture ih the Whips' itoom is not the property of the Government it wall probably have to pay damages, as somebody litis put a, Walkingstick through it.—(Laughter.)

Mi- Lewis said that a number of pictures hung in tho PatliAttiatitiry Buildings were not worth the material Used in their production, whilst on the other hand soma really good works wcifi put oil one side, Tho Prime Minister »iid that the painters of pictures probably had permissi6rt from the HoUsis Committee to lwiig their pictures .ih' Wie buildings, "fho GoVernhlenb certainly gavo no iflßtttlotiottS on the subje/jt. Only ono picture had been pilttshasod by the colony.