MONASH MEMORIAL

Southland Times, Issue 22497, 6 December 1934, Page 5

MONASH MEMORIAL

VAGUENESS ABOUT COMPETITION. DESIGNS TEMPORARILY WITHHELD. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) London, December 4. The extraordinary vagueness surrounding the competition for the Monash memorial has been increased by the fact that, though the competition was supposed to close in London on December 1, the committee did not inform the London representatives of any further discussions, consequently _ all sculptors who had submitted designs have been advised temporarily to withhold them. No ruling can be obtained on the question of whether entries since December 1 are acceptable. It is understood that altogether about sixteen will be submitted from England. It was recently reported that Mr W. R- Dick, president of the Royal Society of British Sculptors, ridiculed the suggestion that the society was boycotting the memorial. The society did not like some of the conditions of the competition, and was withholding official recognition. Mr Bernard Hall stated that, following the refusal of the society to provide a representative to assist him in the selection of five of the best models to be sent to Melbourne for final choice, he was awaiting fresh instructions from the Melbourne committee.

A message from London to the Sydney Morning Herald, dated November 18, stated: Mr W. R. Dick, president of the Royal Society of British Sculptors, ridicules the suggestion which has come from Australia that the society is boycotting the Monash memorial. “Nothing of the sort,” he told a representative of the Australian Press Association. “Any British sculptor is at liberty to enter the competition, but the society, as a society, is withholding official recognition because it does not like some of the conditions of the competition. It therefore asked that the name of the society should not be included in the entry forms.” Mr Bernard Hall, interviewed by a representative of the Australian Press Association, said that in view of the objection of the Society of British Sculptors to the terms of the Monash memorial competition, with the consequent refusal to provide one of their representatives to assist him in the selection of the five best models to be sent to Melbourne for final choice, he was awaiting fresh instructions from the Melbourne committee. “I prefer not to act alone in the selection, as I feel diffident about passing individual judgment upon the work of leading sculptors,” he said. Thus, pending the receipt of further decisions from Melbourne, the situation is decidedly confused. Some models have already reached the office of the Agent-General (Mr Linton). The competition closes on December 1. There may be some entrants from Malta and elsewhere in the Empire. Mr Hall has advised the committee to have all the models sent to Melbourne for judging. Meanwhile local sculptors feel that they should not be asked to bear the cost of transport themselves.