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Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17471, 3 June 1922, Page 8

It is gratifying to residents of these parts to have an admission from an Aucklander that in one respect Christchurch is ahead of Auckland. Speaking at the opening of the annual exhibition of the Auckland Society of Arts, Mr H. E. Vaile, President of the Society, said that the membership had increased largely during the past three years, "but the Canterbury Art Society was still ahead, both as regards membership and the sale of pictures. This was a matter which Aucklanders, for the credit of their city, should rectify." Incidentally, Mr Vaile mentioned that between 600 and 700 pictures had been sent in for exhibition, but for lack of space, the committee had had to reject a large number. For its recent exhibition the Canterbury Society received 767 pictures, and rejected 250. Mr Vaile further remarked with regret; in connexion with the Auckland exhibition, that very few young artists were coming forward. Here again Christchurch is to the fore, for one of the features of our exhibition was the number, and n many instances the high quality, of the works sent in by young artists. Tn this connexion it may be mentioned that some of these young people have been attracting notice in Dunedin. Among the exhibits at the Otugo Art Society's Sketch Exhibition is a collection of drawings and paintings by pupils of tue Canterbury School of Art, lent by the Director, and of this "exceptionally fine" collection the "Otago Daily Times" says that it shows "that in its School of Art Christchurch possesses an institution that is certain to prove a nursery for genius, should such present itself, and that must turn out artists of much'more than average merit"—a we'l deserved tribute, as those who visited the recent exhibition will admit readily.

In one respect, however, in connexion with art, Auckland sets an example to Christchurch. The "picture of the year," at the- Auckland exhibition, it is generally agreed, is one by Mr R. Proctor, "The Sunlit Market, Rome," and it is with some envy that -we read that it has been purchased for the Art Gallery, by the Auckland City Council. Our envy is aroused, not by the fact that the picture has passed into the possession of the city, but that the latter should have a Council sufficiently public-spirited to spend a little money on such an object as the encouragement of art. Two other pictures in the exhibition are mentioned ae having been purchased for presentation to the city, and the gift of a third is spoken ot as probable. The Christehurch Art Gallery is unfortunately richer by not even one picture out of this years exhibition, while for two years in succession the City Council has made no grant, as was formerly its custom, for the purchase of a picture for the gallery. Judged by all other standards, Christchurch is a more art-loving community than Auckland, but in the public spirit which delights in enriching its art gallery it suffers severely in a comparison with the northern city. "\\« are noL aware that an\ panic

among New Brighton residents followed the recent publication of a prediction to the effect that on some stormy morning in the not far distant future the seaside borough would wake up to find itself being washed into the estuary and thence out to sea by a flood from the Waimakariri, caused by the combination of heavy rain, an easterly gale, and a high spring tide. Upon occasions the great river certainly looks capable of bursting its banks and carrying everything before it. But the opinion of expert engineers who visited the river yesterday and made a close inspection of the locality from which the danger had been threatened, does not support the views which had created 6ome sensation, if not alarm. W hen the experts we hare referred to see in the present course of the river "no danger to New Brighton," and one of them declares that "yon could not get it (the Waimakariri) there if you tried,'' New Brighton can sleep in pence, undisturbed by nightmare dreams of finding itself between the Waimakariri and the deep blue sea and in danger of being „swept away by the one or washed into the other.