Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-30
BARBER PAINT Err
OF FINE PICTURE
Did It in Six Hours and It Gets
Place of Honor il Royal
Academy.

London, England, May 3o-Amoni
the artists who had their pictures &C
cepted for ths royal academy is Frank
Cowley. a village barber. His picture
Is hung or the line. the ambition of
every artist, and not "skied" or cor.
nered." as happens to the great major
+ity OF pictures.
Mr.. Cowley took 10 painting before
he began to shave the inhabitants of
Hadlow Kent, for a living. and his
academy picture was painted in six
hours. II worked on IT," he said,
about eight years ago, and in two
s,ttings. between > and s in the morn
ing, had completed it
The picture is a green and grey
scheme, showing a smiling country
side, with a girl and two white goats
standing near a tree Five times pre-
viousIy Mr. CowIey has sent pictures
TO the academy. Thrice he has been
rejected, while on the other two oc-
casions he was among those whose
work was crowded out
He was entirely self-taught. and only
recently took first lessons in tech
nique Barbering, he explains, is an
annoyance
But I cant run the old trade
down." he added. for Il has been
good friend to me. Barbering gave
me splendid opportunity of studying
types OF faces, which ! used in my
pictures And, besides, l sold good
many TO customers for 4 few shil-
nngs-"
Mr.. CowIey, who is still in his 3Os,
prefers to regard himself primarily
as an animal painter. and he has the
use of a private zoo IN Kent for his
models
England may lose one OF its most
ancient rights OF appeal II the pro
posal to do away with town meetings
meets with the favor OF parliament
The town meeting is the best method
local taxpayers have OF restricting
the operations of local governing
bodies
: bill IS now before parliament to
amend the boroughs fund act so that
Taxpayers who disagree with the acts
of their councils will lose their
chance OF calling town meetings and
demanding polls. Most Of the provin-
cial local authorities and those OF
London are supporting he bill, for
many OF their plans for improvements.
which would mean increased taxation.
have been defeated as the result of
town meetings. which have been
called at the demand Of stubborn tax
payers The irony OF the present
situation is that the local council pro-
posing such legislation must. on the
petition OF a dozen taxpayers, call a
town meeting and pay he expenses
of advertising and holding IL And I
while the campaign IS in progress the |
council by law is not permitted TO ,
make any fight for the ordinance.
which the town meeting has been I
called 10 protest against. So 1t hap
pens many times that the most care
fully laid plans of the local legislators
are ruthlessly swept aside by the tax
payers in meeting assembled, and
often with the mayor himself presid-
ing over the obsequies OF one OF his
own pet projects.
The threat OF the militant suffra-
gettes to disturb the social season
has led society leaders TO take very
strict precauti rs. Weddings in which
people Of political importance are in
terested are marked for attack and
already several have been interrupted
by women throwing leaflets from the
galleries onto the wedding process
zion. These pranks, while they cause
much annoyance to the wedding party.
are easily stopped by the refusal of
admittance TO any but friends holding
The big political receptions given
by the wives OF the party leaders are
not so easy to protect from the atten-
tons of the militants. Hundreds of
Invitations are issued. and no hostess !
likes TO ask her guests TO present /
heir tickets before allowed TO enter ]
Ter reception rooms. The result Is {
hat many unlimited persons attend, {
md amony these the sufIragettes in [
END TO have their representatives, I
prepared 10 make the lives OF cabinet I
minister's and other unbeaTable. O
Churches. too. it is feared. are being a
marked. Several old edifices in Lon Il
Ion have been specially insured a
lgainst the risk OF damage by suffra- g
cites