We hope that the National Gallery Trustees will reconsider their
decision to charge an admission fee on four days of the week, instead of on only two days as at present. In the interests of students, the charging of a fee on two days of the week may be justified. But the reason assigned for imposing a charge on two other days—namely, the desire to increase the fund available for purchases—is wholly insufficient. If it were a question of making the National Gallery pay its way, in these hard times, something might be said for the proposal, although the whole cost of all the art galleries and museums is trivial in comparison to the doles paid for a single week. The additional sixpences, however, would go not to pay the staff, but to buy more old masters. We feel very strongly that the trustees should give up the idea of making new purchases for the time being, rather than restrict the right of the public to see the nation's pictures. The " new poor " who are taxed for every. thing and get no doles and no war bonuses regard free admission to the national collections as almost their only privilege.
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