An important memorial has been submitted to the Prime Minister
bearing on the constitution of the Royal College of Art and its relation to the art schools of the country. In view of the fact that a Departmental Committee is now con- sidering the question, the signatories urge that before any scheme for reorganising the Royal College of Art which would affect its present constitution or its relation to national art education is proceeded with, a Royal Commission should be appointed to consider the co-ordination of the methods of art education throughout the country. They specially insist on the need of strengthening by every possible means the close connection already existing between the College and the Victoria and Albert Museum, and point out that, owing to the levelling up in machinery in other countries, our success in industrial art must in future mainly depend upon the tasteful use to which machinery can be put. On these grounds they reiterate their convictions that the whole question of art education should be dealt with by a comprehensive inquiry conducted by a Royal Commission. The memorial is signed by Sir Edward Poynter and some five-and-twenty R.A.'s and A.R.A.'s, representing painting, sculpture, and architecture.
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