The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-03-01
MUSIC and ART
Proposition That Congress En-
dow a National Institute.
ENOUGH GOOD SCHOOLS HERE
The Hard Headed Man Of Affairs
Would Wonder Why Their Pro-
fessions Should be Subsidized in
Preference to Dozen Others.

preference to a Dozen Otners.
BOSTON, Feb. 2o.--Let us have
plain talk about the proposition I
create an Institute OF Music an,
Art" at Washington by means of
governmental appropriation. Let u
discard all cant and humbug abou
soul values. We won't spell art witt
! capital A or pretend to think tina
the 10000 Americans who are said I,
be studying piano and singing anS
painting abroad are all of them in
spired youth possessing genius ant
the soul for art and music" Enough
that a project is now afoot, with how
serious support it would be hard &c
say, to get Congress to endow at the
national capital an institution for the
home culture Of arts" The notion
seems to be that long before the big
ditch at Panama has been opened OF
Secretary Loeb has accepted his posi-
ton with the street car company
there ought to be lodged the corner
stone of Americas temples of arts.
Now, in the language Of the day,
What's the use? If Congress could
create money by fiat, if there were
not a million possible uses for every
dollar that is contributed by the Am
erican people through taxation for the
supports Of their national institutions,
there might be feeble excuse for
trying to induce Uncle Sam to du-
plicate at Washington facilities for
education which already exist else
where. Yet, even then, as matter of
cold hard fact, many people would
ask why the government should un-
dertake to train musicians and paint
ers to earn living any more than it
should undertake to prepare butchers,
and bakers, bricklayers and engine
drivers, doctors and lawyers for their
respective callings. Musicians and
painters are very useful and perfect
~ reputable members Of society, but
the hard headed man of affairs would
wonder why their professions should
be subsidized in preference to dozen
others.
The whole project for creating
Americans Temple of Arts" at
Washington seems to start on the
false assumption that nothing is be-
ing done in this country for students
Of the musical and graphic arts;
whereas, as every we'll informed per-
son ought to know, great deal has
been done and is being done for
them through private munifcence and
enterprise. A natural question to ask
is What's the good of putting on the
government burden of doing what
has already been accomplished we'll
on large scale?
Take the example of musical in
struction in Boston, which for many
reasons has been the leading Ameri-
can center Of musical education for
many years past, or of art instruction
in New York and Chicago, which
have thus far supported the most i'm
portant schools of drawing and paint
in the Western Hemisphere. The
schools in these and other cities have
become big affairs, with expensive
and well equipped plants. Even if it
is true that 10000 American sturents
abroad are spending Sl4,40000O a year
they are not there for lack Of as good
in their own country but
either because they have already
acquired the elements Of their pro-
fessions here and want the benefit of
the broadening influence of residence
and travel abroad, or because, like
many Americans, they are not yet
FULLY aware that the ground work
can be laid as we'll in the United
States as in any country of the world.
Neither is it true, as the argument for
4 congressional appropriation has
to imply, that if Congress
should tomorrow start up an institute
Of music and art, all the exile band
of American students in Paris, Lei
osic, Berlin and Milan would straight
way quit the intolerable barracks in
which they are housed, pawn the few
remaining clothes in their gripsack
and engage steerage passage to take
advantage of the instruction offered
'or the first time by Uncle Sam.
European boarding house keepers
would probably continue to get few
IF these fourteen millions.
In the city Of Boston alone, to say
nothing Of opportunities offered in !
New York, Chicago, Cincinnati and
'ther centres, are almost countless
reasons why such national