Other Estimates evoked more healthy criticism. Sir FREDERICK BANBURY was
eloquent upon what he called a "hotel for gardeners" at Kew. Mr. HOGGE was
for rooting up the Royal Botanical Gardens, since they were hardly ever
visited by Scotsmen, and Captain STANLEY WILSON inveighed against the
extravagance with which the British delegates were housed in Paris. Sir
ALFRED MOND admitted that they "did themselves very well," but pleaded that
they could hardly be expected to go to Montmartre--at least not
collectively--and pointed out that some of the criticisms should be
addressed to other Departments. He was not responsible, for example, for
"clothes of typists."
_Wednesday, March 3rd._--Among the things that they do better in France,
according to Lord SUDELEY, is the popularisation of picture-galleries and
museums. He instanced the pictures on French match-boxes. But were they
always confined to reproductions of Louvre masterpieces? My recollection is
that at one time they took a wider range and were distinctly more striking
than the matches.