Correspondence. 



THE ILLUSTRATION FUND. 



Sir, — I see that our Editor's recent appeal lias not as yet produced 

 an expression of opinion from our members, so perhaps I may be permitted 

 to say a few words with regard to this matter, in the hope that a discussion 

 will result. 



I am sure that it must be a great cause of satisfaction to all of us to 

 see the wonderful strides that our Magazine has made under Mr. Page's 

 able editorship. It is certainly no exaggeration to say that the Magazine is 

 now second to none of its class, whereas only a few years since its scope 

 was very limited. This success is the more remarkable when we consider 

 what difficulties our Editor has had to overcome. However able a man 

 may be, he requires time to establish himself in the Editorial chair and to 

 put matters into working order, yet hardly had our Editor gathered up the 

 reins of office when he had to face certain defections of some of our 

 original members. 



Yet. in spite of these resignations and in spite of lack of support in 

 the matter of literary contributions, the Magazine has continued to increase 

 in interest and usefulness month by month. 



Personally I think the outlook quite a hopeful one. In the first place 

 we have the very satisfactory increase in membership. Secondly, we have 

 the very remarkable increase in the number of aviculturists throughout the 

 country. Thus we see that there is now sufficient support for two weekly 

 cage-bird publications and that each of them has been much improved by 

 the competition. 



Lastly, I must say that I think that we are most fortunate in the matter 

 of our Editor. Mr. Page is a genuine enthusiast, and he cheerfully, ably, 

 and gratuitously performs on our behalf an amount of work that many a 

 literary man would shrink from undertaking even for a handsome salary — 

 and this in addition to the ordinary routine of his profession. 



The only cloud on the horizon is the matter of our finances. The 

 deficit is not in itself a serious one, but the question whether we should cut 

 down our expenditure to the level of our present income, or whether we 

 can increase our income to the level of our present expenditure, is a crucial 

 one and I think that all those who have views on the matter should state 

 them. Personally I do not quite see eye to eye with our Editor in this 

 matter and am inclined to think that the more cautious policy would be to 

 deny ourselves the luxury of coloured plates until we have wiped out the 

 deficit (in view of the fact that a coloured plate cost £6 and a photograph 

 10/-) ; but at the same time I quite understand Mr. Page's argument that to 

 lower the standard of our Magazine, even for a time only, might cause us 

 to lose some members, and I think we ought all to support his progressive 

 policy and raise the required sum of ,£lS. 



