CHRISTCHURCH ARTIST IN AUSTRALIA.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14985, 4 June 1914, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH ARTIST IN AUSTRALIA.

j HIS PICTURES HELD UP. - HEAVY DUTY DEMANDED. {I~OH A COEKESrONnENT.) WELLINGTON, June 3. The maximum duty ort paintings her© is £1, yet New Zealand has its local ' artists who are juot as much entitled to protection as any otner class. They do things differently in Australia, as the well-known Christchurch. artist, Air J. C. Madden, who has just retained irom sydney, found" to his cost. He went over to Sydney on May oth with a collection of paintings. The Sydney Customs officers wanted a minimum, not a maximum of £1 on the smallest water colour sketch, and on the otners gaVe tnemselves the option j of a maximum or 25 per cent, of the declarer value, whichever would produce the most in tne way of duty. In j vain Mr Madden protested, J-eliad to j pay the duty, but as it would have ; run into hundreds of pounds, he j elected to leave the pictures in bond, j Here they were inspected by dealers, who said they would have been prepared to do business, but not to pay . the duty So thero was nothing doing, ' and Mr Madden returned without his pictures, and with some ideas on the subject of "encouraging the local artist." ' x;ie point about it is that Austrav- ' lian artists abroad can send piuntings to Australia and not be charged duty, but "foreigners," which include New Zeal-iD-- /rt, are faced with a duty i which v practically prohibitive. I