Page 54 - Studio International - November 1971
P. 54

The State and                                It has become increasingly clear that during   forthcoming finance bill which was to be
                                                the past year the Paymaster General is    submitted for enactment by Parliament.
     the arts in                                interpreting his duties in a different way from   Though various institutions, and in particular
                                                that of his predecessor, and fears are being   the two which are the subject of my
      Great Britain                             aroused that, instead of acting as the champion   Memorandum, made clear their objections in
                                                and representative of the arts within the   principle and sought to obtain agreement for
      Andrew Faulds MP                          Government, he is tending to arrogate to   free days and exemptions for various categories
                                                himself and so to his office powers which would   of visitors, it was recognized that if this measure
                                                constitute a new departure—a new precedent—in   became the law of the land in a finance act it
                                               this country.                              would naturally be necessary to conform to it.
                                                  In Great Britain there is no written      The whole project was, however, given an
                                               constitution, and this is symptomatic of the   entirely new aspect when no financial legislation
                                               way in which public business is conducted.   was tabled or passed, and the fact was gradually
                                               Everything depends on respect on all sides for   extracted from the Government that they were
                                               accepted conventions and for previous      relying on a number of autonomous non-
                                               precedents. But this does not result in rigidity if   governmental bodies (the Boards of Trustees) to
                                               changes take place openly and by general   take the responsibility of imposing the charges
                                               agreement. If, however, such a system is not to   on their own authority. At this juncture it must
                                               be abused, vigilance is necessary to perceive   be explained that several Boards of Trustees
                                               when these conventions are not being treated   (among which those of the National and Tate
                                               with sufficient respect : and then it becomes   Galleries) have power to impose admission
                                               necessary to publicise them and resist them.   charges to raise funds for their own purposes.
                                                  It would appear that the growing        And in fact, though this power has remained
                                               apprehensions concerning the Paymaster     dormant, it was exercised for a brief period in
                                               General's conception of his role as expressed in   1921-4, when the proceeds were added to the
                                               his actions are not just confined to members of   Galleries' funds for the purchase of pictures.
                                               the political party now in opposition. Mr Denys   But it was made clear as early as November of
                                               Sutton, the editor of Apollo, could not be   last year that the present project provided for
                                               claimed to be such; and yet his editorial in the   the proceeds to go straight to the general funds
                                               June issue of that periodical (which is widely   of the Exchequer.
                                               read all over the world) was a powerful exposé   This awoke a particularly sensitive nerve in
                                               of the Minister's apparently dictatorial   British constitutional practice. Ever since the
                                               inclinations.                              loss of the American colonies, great pains have
                                                  We may now turn to some explanation of the   been taken to avoid any opportunity whatever
                                               context of the issues raised in the Memorandum.   being given for the cry being raised of 'no
                                               The majority (though not all), of the national   taxation without representation'. And it was
                                               museums and galleries in this country are by   arguable—so an eminent lawyer implied, who
                                               law under the authority of independent Boards   had until recently held the office of Lord
                                               of unpaid and non-political Trustees, who are   Chancellor—that what was proposed was
                                               Trustees for the nation as a whole and not part   tantamount to taxation. But taxation cannot be
                                               of the Government machine: not, therefore,   imposed other than with the approval of
     The Memorandum which follows was sent by   mere appendages of a Department of State.   Parliament, and if bodies which were in no
     myself, as Opposition Spokesman for the Arts   There is, of course, the problem that the running   sense governmental took it upon themselves,
     in the House of Commons, to the Chairmen and   of the national museums is supported from the   even though at the behest of the Government,
     Trustees of the National and Tate Galleries, to   public purse, and this means of course that the   to do so, it seemed that it was open to any
     members of the Government, and to Opposition   Department very properly has some say (but not   ordinary citizen to challenge the propriety of
     leaders. Although your readers in Great Britain   the only say!) in the way in which the affairs of   such action in the Law Courts.
     will understand the points at issue, it seems to   the institutions are conducted. For such a   Though one would assume, for the time being
     me that some preliminary explanation may be of   system to work, tact, understanding and   at any rate, that the Government would not wish
     use in a periodical with an international   continuous consultation on both sides is   gratuitously to run any risk of this kind over
     readership and contributors from all over the   required; and it has worked well in the past   what, after all, in financial terms is a very minor
     world.                                    precisely because these have been forthcoming.   matter compared to their immense present
        Unlike many countries, Great Britain has   The Department responsible for the National   preoccupations, their scheme, which it is
     never possessed a Government Department   and Tate Galleries until 1965 was the Treasury,   charitable to regard as too hurriedly thought out
     specially qualified to deal with the arts. And   which was always careful to respect the   (if; indeed, thought out at all!) has a further
     it is only very recently that a Minister has been   autonomous powers of the Trustees, and not to   demerit from the point of view of many who
     appointed to look after the interests of the arts,   interfere with the prerogatives naturally   have at heart the best interests of the national
     the present Minister, Lord Eccles, being the   attaching to bodies which, on behalf of the   institutions. If the Boards were to acquiesce in
     second to carry this responsibility. It should be   nation, were the collective owners at law of the   imposing charges in this particular way, they
     explained for the benefit of foreign readers that   national treasures entrusted to their charge.   would be consenting to the establishment of a
     the nominal post which he holds, that of     Just a year ago the announcement was made   new precedent which would amount to a
     `Paymaster General', is merely a historic office,   by the Chancellor of the Exchequer that   renunciation of their independent status in an
     the holder of which is assigned special duties by   admission charges were to be imposed at such   important respect. Whether or not it is desirable
     the Prime Minister. In practice Lord Eccles is   national museums and galleries at which   that a Government Department should assume
     one of the Ministers within the Department of   entrance was hitherto free, and it was implied   more and more the powers which have hitherto
     Education and Science, at the head of which is   that this comprehensive and uniform scheme was   been exercised by quasi-autonomous bodies is
     a Secretary of State.                     to be a financial measure embodied in the    no doubt debatable. But at any rate it should
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