[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.1 SIR,—Sir: Harold Bellman's "
vivid reminder "- of " Uncle Dick's philosophy " supplies an instructive . example of the distortions common in the " columns of the stunt press," from whoSe rich pastures his own communication might appear to have escaped. His letter implies that another correspondent had proposed-. that the Government contri- bution of £50,000 towards the purchase of the Codex Sinaiticus should be distributed among the odd 2,250,000 unemployed in this country—a suspicion which study '-of the letter in question would haVe dispelled for any student of elementary logic. In point of fact,' it was suggested—and rightly so-- that such a grant (a.satiiiiing, in the 'first place, that the Governinent can afford to make such payments) could be more appropriately made to such -causes as cancer treatment and research, or to " provide employment for Many men- say, building houses- and "clearing slums." Sir 'Harold' has delicately avoided these points, preferring to align himself with the ‘-` stunt-merchants." It is legitimate to remind him, however, that the small sum already subscribed .for the Codex is presumably commensurate with public _enthusiasm for its acquisition, with- the. assumption that the man-in-the- street prefers to subscribe to an organization which exists for the betterment of conditions for the impoverished majority rather than for the purchase of bibliographical luurieS for a minority whose constitution is as yet undefined.-4 am, •Sii, , AUDREY GARNETT.
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