170 THE AYRTON EPISODE 



a curt and vague announcement. The First Commissioner, 

 to whom alone he was responsible, had officially subordinated 

 him to the Secretary of the Board and the Director of Works 

 in London. In the eight months which had passed since the 

 appeal was made to Mr. Gladstone, four of them under the 

 assurance that a measure of effective relief was under con- 

 sideration, the aggression had continued, and the Director's 

 position had become not better, but worse. 



This answer was inconveniently uncompromising in reply 

 to a message which he had been told was official and final, 

 but which was later defined as a private and friendly com- 

 munication. As an official answer was now to come from the 

 Treasury, Hooker was begged to let this letter be regarded 

 as non avenue. Since, however, he had shown it to his friends 

 and counsellors, he felt that Mr. Gladstone should see what 

 had been seen by others, and the letter remained as part of 

 the correspondence. 



The Treasury's official reply, dated April 25, merely repeated 

 the message, with the addition that 



they anticipate no difficulty in the regulation of the relations 

 of that important establishment (Kew) to the office of the 

 Board of Works, in which the duties and powers of manage- 

 ment are vested by statute. 



The vagueness of this statement is only equalled by that 

 of the final paragraph. 



The present form of estimate for Kew Gardens laid by 

 their Lordships before the House of Commons cannot now 

 be altered, but it will be acted upon, and will in future be 

 framed in accordance with this letter. 



Hooker therefore (on May 1) begged an interpretation of 

 these generalities, without which he could not understand his 

 position, in regard to the original points at issue. But to this 

 letter no answer was sent. 



So far the Government had admitted the essential justice 

 of Hooker's case by trying to effect his release from an 

 injudicious superior. If this could not be effected at once, 



