4 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY cHAP. I 



I had no intention (he writes) of expressing any 

 enthusiasm on behalf of the establishment of a vast 

 permanent bazaar. I am not competent to estimate the 

 real utility of these great shows. What I do see very 

 clearly is that they involve difficulties of site, huge work- 

 ing expenses, the potentiality of endless squabbles, and 

 apparently the cheapening of knighthood. 



As for the site proposed at South Kensington, 

 " the arguments used in its favour in the report would 

 be conclusive if the dry light of reason were the sole 

 guide of human action." But it would alienate other 

 powerful and Avealthy bodies, which were interested 

 in the Central Institute of the City and Guilds 

 Technical Institute, "which looks so portly outside 

 and is so very much starved inside." 



He wrote again to the Times on March 21 : — 



The Central Institute is undoubtedly a splendid monu- 

 ment of the munificence of the city. But munificence 

 without method may arrive at results indistingiiishably 

 similar to those of stinginess. I have been blamed for 

 saying that the Central Institute is "starved." Yet a 

 man who has only haK as much food as he needs is 

 indubitably starved, even though his short rations consist 

 of ortolans and are served upon gold plate. 



Only half the plan of operations as drawn up by the 

 Committee was, or could be, carried out on existing 

 funds. 



The later part of his letter was printed by the 

 Committee as defining the functions of the new 

 Institute : — 



That with which I did intend to express my strong 

 sympathy was the intention which I thought I discerned 



