1937-11-20 — Page 26

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAFII, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20. 1937.

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HONGKONG SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN

The cost of maintaining the Ling Yuel Slen Creche during the second half of 1037 is estimated at $250.00 per month. The donor of the Creche has given $100.00 per month towards this cost.

The Society asks for donations to cover the balance of

$1,200.00

Hon. Treasurers:

Mr. D. BLACK, CA..

c/o Percy Smith, Seth & Fleming,

O Des Voeux Road, Central,

Mr. KWOK CHAN,

c/o Banque de L'Indo China,

Hongkong,

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The

ROBERT LYND'S SATURDAY ESSAY

Art-But NOT For

Art's

Sake

No man is fit to be a dictator

barren rascal”—and

a dictator he would

SEE that an A.R.A art is good.

I do not, as a mat-denly decided to reform the arts

has

expressed himself tor of fact, believe that the world and ordered all writers to write in the arts. If the enemies of with the Tory Herr Hitler's favourite com- in favour of General would be any the poorer artis- in accordance

torical powers a few generations &Goering's new order to the tically if 98 per cent. of the pic world outlook on pain of having poser, Wagner, had had dicta-

tures that have been painted had their works suppressed.

ago, there would now

be no Minister of Education to

What a bonfire would at once "Ring" for him to listen to. never been painted, if 98 per "clean up" the public art cent, of the music that has been be made of all the works of Mr. If Dr. Johnson had had the collection in Prussia, as a composed had never been com- Shaw and Mr. Wells! Mr. passions and the power of a die- result of which a great posed, and if 98 per cent. of the Priestley and Mr. Aldous Huxley tnter he would have suppressed Tel. 27778-9 number of modern pictures books that have been written would no longer be able to make Gray

a living. Mrs. Woolf and Miss Fielding. If De Quincey had have been taken away and had never been written.

General Goering's object, how- Rose Macaulay would be reduced been a dictator he would have hidden in cellars.

ever, is not to sift the artistic to something like penury, and a suppressed Keats. If Tolstoy

number of publishing houses had been "About 75 per cent, of modern

grain from the chaff, though it art in Germany,"

would have to go into liquidation. have suppressed nearly every- заун the

is true that he has strong A.R.A., "is quite awful."

opinions on modern art and Fortunately, few English Gov- body. That may be perfectly true, agrees with Herr Hitler who crnments have ever thought the but it is not truer of modern maintains that modern artists arts worth bothering about. German art than of art in nearly are suffering from eye-trouble takes a great deal to convince an TIME FOR AN all countries and in nearly all when they draw "misshapen English statesman that liters

ANSWER

cripples and idiots, women who ture is serious enough to be dan- Many suggestions for the

· can rouse only abhorrence, men gerous. If it had been other- improvement of housing condi-

AFTER all, many people who are nearer animals than hu- wise, Byron and Shelley would tions for the poor classes. of

have maintained that man beings, and children who, if never have been allowed to print their verae, and some of Hongkong have reached this 75 per cent. of the pictures ex- they were like that in real life, office during the past few days.

hibited at the Royal Academy are must be regarded as a curse of Dickens's novels would

been burnt by the common hang- "quite awful." But how would God."

11. They are further instances of the A.R.A. like it if Mr. Neville But the Goering and Hitler the extent to which this prob- Chamberlain sent the Minister dislike of modern painting is not

Hongkong Telegraphı.

lem

Saturday, November 20, 1937.

age.

**

on the

It

have

In England, however, the

CONSIDERING how ar

tistic taste varies both

from time to time and from per-

son lo person, the sane course seems to be to leave the public free to choose what books to rend, what pictures to look at, and what music to listen to.

If every book has to be a tract, and every picture a poster, ex- pressing the ideals of the Gov- ernment in power, the artist will soon lose his artistic ambition

the point is that, if he cannot I dislike a great deal of mo- win the support of the section dern art, but I should dislike of society in power, there are still more strongly art produced other sections to which he can to order as an expression of appeal. Mr. Shaw has nearly some statesman's world outlook. always been the enemy of the

power, but he I do not want a poet to sing THE same sort of thing Government in

of the was never forbidden to make a Marxistically

leaser- is happening in Russia. living by selling his books to his celandine, or a musician to com- The young artist is told that he own particular public.

pose a Nazi Pastoral Symphony.

→

must express "the Socialist ra- Similarly, Mr.-Epstein was re- Anyhow, the thing cannot he tionalism," or whatever it is, in viled by many of the most in- done-not, at least, by artists. his painting. If he does not, he fluential people in English society of genius. cannot become a professional even in English artistic society

--but if any municipal art gal-| painter. He must paint Marxist lery wished to purchase one of +++++++*** sheep, not capitalist sheep. I his works the Prime Minister of wonder who can tell the differ- the day had neither the power LETTERS TO THE nor the wish to prevent it from doing so.

ence..

EDITOR

is worrying the public of Education to the next exhibi- so much aesthetic as racial and artist has been comparatively

free. The cynic may reply: mind. But the impression seems tion of the Academy with orders political. They wish artists to "Yes, he has been free to starve and the public its artistic ap- to be abroad that the Govern- to purge it of all pictures that be propagandists of the National or picase his patrons."

But petite. ment, whatever it may wish to did not express the virile spirit Socialist world outlook. They do in the matter, is bound to of the wond-painted Britons, want art to be Nordic in the new remain inaclive for reasons of with special instructions

to Germanic fashion. economy. This belief is quite cleanse it of the paintings of possibly erroneous. An official Mr. Augustus John statement of steps taken by the ground that they are “a decadent departments concerned in the by-product of Bolshevist-Jewish housing problem, of methods of corruption?". reform considered, and the find-

And, indeed, it was only "the" ings of the Commission which

other day that Mr. Augustus has apparently had the matter |

John, speaking of his inordinate under advisement for Bomo time, would be welcome at this passion for onions, said that he would rather paint an onion stage.

than a duchess-one of the most A suggestion which seems Bolshevistic remarks ever utter- to be popular among interested ed by a great painter. people is that Government

It looks as though, under these

I do not myself object to Herr should itself invest in tene

My own objection to General new Governments, the advocates Hitler and General Goering's ments, first, on a small scale: Goering's artistic purge is not of which believe them to be the criticising modern art. It is HONGKONG HEALTH later, if the experiment proves

based on a belief that modern most advanced in the world, the ambition was to be an artist, and said that Herr Hitler's original|

Sir-In your icader on Health & satisfactory, to a larger extent.

artist-whether painter or writ- I can only say that I wish he had Sanitation of Hongkong it is encour

aging to see that some long required. Various objections to this step-17 per cent. of the rental er or composer-is likely to en- achieved it. Even if he had the improvements are still noticed.

Under are predictable, among thera value, or

my pen, in the Sunday net income from in- joy less liberty than his predeces- most artistic tasto in the world,

however, I should object to his out some sound improvements under Herald, some months ago I pointed the old story of economy. But vestment. That means to say sors enjoyed under, despots and using his power to destroy a most of the items you bring to light. It is advanced that Government that so far as the Government absolute monarchs.

particular school of art which, It is a plly they were not taken no- would at least have that much is concerned it makes no jot of

Imagine what it would be like horrible as it may seem to him, tice of, as I am certain the death rate

the last cholera may contain works that pos- would during

spidemic more property on which to levy profit from the "principal tenan- in this country if the Conserva- terity might have hailed

have been Icss a8cficient sanitary methods had been taxes. Another interesting view try" system, as has been sug-tive Government in power sud- masterpieces.

Introduced before, it is strikingis is that taxation on tenement gested. Nor has the Govern

apparent that Hongkong is decidedly mediaeval in this respect. properties should be reduced ment profited in any way as a from the ordinary seventeen result of the increasing rentals per cent. level to, say, five per in Hongkong since the influx of Regulations should then refugees from Shanghai, Can- be simultaneously enforced ton and elsewhere. The fact is governing rent levels and in that the rateable value of effort made to abolish entirely Hongkong property is lower the system of “principal tenan- this year than last by several; try." Rent control would not lakhs of dollars.. Compared to be new to the Colony. In 1922. 1933, the rateable value has de- Chatham Road residents are The local golfer who modestly with the boom years, such anclined considerably-from $39,- complaining that the screeching asserted that he often ordinance was in force. But 000.000 to $34,600,000 approxi- of the railway engine whistles in round Fanling in 80, probably after 1925, or thereabouts, the mately. And this in spite of all the still small hours, awakens meant Fahrenheit. law of supply and demand cor- the new

them. What about the poor building. It would rected the situation and rents seem, then, that there is no

Bignalmian. He has to get up! found their proper level. The justification in reproaching restrictions in force at this Government for making big We noticed a gallant major time applied only to old build- gains from this method of spearing his prawns at a Chinese ings and tenement properties, taxation. it is understood,

cent.

.

BULLS AND INNERS

0. O

.0

From the Office Butts

ᄆ

more

Some suggestions which I now put forward may be of use;—

1. Overcrowding of Dwellings. Under no circumstances should this be permitted, think the L.C.C.

I

have very strict rules on this point.. Proper, well designed houses should be built for the poorer classes,. and let out at a reasonable rental according to needs.

2. Sanitation: -Every domestic building should be compelled to conveniences to the main sewer. The same should be done with public conveniences as one of the main fae- tors of health.

3. Refuse collection;-At

con- went veulent places in the town well en-

Some people's family trees pear to flourish by grafting.

O

notice that

closed brick refusebins should be

bullt where householders may depo- sit their garbage. From these bins the present lorries could take their loads in a quicker and more efficient ap-hause system.

manner than the present house to

All refuse collected should be dis posed of by incineration, which is a healthier and better way than at present.

As regards suggestions 2 and 3,

on some over- crowded district to see how the plan works.

Bome may come forward with a reply to these suggestions that they will cost money which the Colony.

Winter to may be introduced gradually,

Wo dinner the other night. We Quite the contrary. However, these questions must understand, however, that at the fashions "reveal simple figures." and a start mande There has been some criticism be pressed: Is it admitted moment he was thinking about Excepting on the tickets.

tent-pegging. of the Government system of that the presont conditions re- assessment and the fact that quire correction? And what, if the rates charged against nil anything, is Government pro- property are on the same basis posing to do about it?

(

Q

The Week's Book. "The Feak cannot afford. To this I have a re-

As usual, all the best people of Her Desire"-by Nathan ply which I am willing to put for..

word required. Rhode. are going Home next Spring.

Pro DONO PUBLICO.