A TALE OF BRICKS'
SIR,—A word with Janus, please allow me. In Chelsea art schools I might term myself a " matista " and thus place myself within reach of the sculptors and modellers. The materials of my art are the original plastics —man's first attempt to improve upon nature. Socially I represent the Tudor merchants' revolt against the monopoly of the mediaeval Church. Unfortunately my art has been commercialised, but despite the pressure of economic circumstances, and the inevitable depreciation in artistic standards, there still remains amongst my fellow craftsmen the urge to create beauty in their own way. Not only are we concerned With art, but we have studied science which 'in basic principles has survived the march of the centuries. We therefore protest against ill-informed opinion classing us with " shellers of peas" or other mechanical robots.
In other words I am a bricklayer (regular reader) who would advise your contributor to get his information at the source. This is not a difficult matter. I might also quote, from memory, the reply of Mr. George Hicks, M.P., also a bricklayer, to a High Court Judge who asked a similar question during a case before hiss: "Your Worship, before I answer, will you tell me if you have four and a half, nine or fourteen inch work ; whether it is gauged, faced or inside, whether it is raked, pointed or rubbed in ; whether—." The judge interposed, "That is sufficient, Mr. Hicks!"
So with our non-union friend. Rather than bricklaying his work may resemble "galloping pigs." Let Janus visit Hampton Court and then decide what arbitrary figure should be laid down. I can assure him that 1,000 bricks per day under suitable conditions is child's play. In any case we do not serve five years' apprenticeship to become muck-shifters. Finally, on the question of his superiority over union workers, what does that signify ? If union standards were to fall would his employer continue to maintain the same rate of pay? From experience 1 am positive he would not. In other words, our energetic friend is battening on the efforts of others. It would also be interesting to know how much cheaper to the public the finished job is sold.
A hundred and fifty years ago, at the same time as the lovely Georgian mansions were being built, the horrid " back-to-backs " of the industrial cities were being slung up. What standard does Janus want today ?-
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