The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 1910. MILLIONAIRES AS BENEFACTORS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 22 March 1910, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 1910. MILLIONAIRES AS BENEFACTORS.

One of the better aspects of millionaires and their money is the encouragement given by them to art and its exponents. The cabled news of the purchase in New York at £100,000, of Franz Hals' famous painting of himself and his family, makes good reading for those who believe that art should 1)0 always encouraged. It is unfortunate that so many devotees of art for art's sake get very little beyond that particularly shadowy reward for their portion, but the fact that here and there a one "does" prosper exceedingly acts as a spur on the less fortunate, and results in the world being made brighter and better by reason of various .art creations that are then evolved chiefly for art's sake, but partly with an eye to prospective profits. Hals has been too long dead to feel interested in the price given for his painting, but the living artists may take heart of grace from the occurrence. It is in this way that the millionaires of Europe and America become at least tolerable Entities, for it has been shown time after time that when two millionaires desire to posess the one picture there follows a golden shower, beside which the famous one recorded in Grecian mythology is a mere sprinkling. Very decided objection to millionaires has been taken by many writers on social problems, but seeing that millionaires "do" exist, it is satisfactory to find that they occasionally pursue hobbies that are beneficial -to art or progress. Carnegie's library-founding hobby has helped many a struggling community to make easier the local pathways to knowledge, and no doubt the endeavours of the Astors

and the Vamderbilts, the Morgans and the KaJins, to get possession of famous oil paintings has brought joy to the hearts of many struggling artists, and enabled them to feed the fine frenzies of art with the necesary meat and potatoes essential to their maintenance at the pitch, of effectiveness. There is a tendency in some restricted quarters to .sneer at the business pursuits as "money-grubbing," but it should be remembered always thnt the bnk'her who gave trust to Oliver Goldsmith, and the baker who provided bread (unpaid for) to Hogarth in his younger days, had very effective parts in the respective productions of the "Deserted Village" and "The Comedy of Marriage." From the trustful tradesman to the prodigal millionaire is several removes, but the broad fact remains that each in his time has proved himself a necossnry help .to tbe production of works of art. And if some few individuals who feel themselves a bit removed from the general run of people still affect to to despise those who attach a littlo importance upon the advantages which wealth gives, it is satisfactory to know that a very great proportion of the world recognises .the complete dependence of Art aind Trade upon each other. The artist of today is sometimes as keen a business man ns any amongst us, and makes no secret of his possession of business ability. As a wellknown Sydney .artist remarked to the writer of this article, over ten years ago—"The artist paints to live; and art to-day is as sordid a profession as duckfarming!"