Advisory Art Committee.

At the recent meeting of the Board of Overseers, an important vote was passed to the effect that the creation of what may be called an art commission for Harvard should be recommended to the President and Fellows. The form of the vote was:

Resolved. 1. That in the opinion of this board it is very desirable that a complete scheme for the future development of the college property be formulated and adhered to in future work as closely as the progress of events makes possible.

2. That in the opinion of this board greater harmony and excellence in the design of college buildings would be obtained if all artistic questions where University property is concerned were submitted to a standing advisory committee composed of several competent professional men and partly members of the governing boards of the University.

3. That these votes be communicated to the president and follows.

A committee similar to the one suggested in this vote has existed in Boston, having only a veto power except in such instances as they may be asked by the city or by private bodies, to undertake voluntarily the task of deciding on the merits of certain locations or designs.

The Harvard committee would exercise no veto power. It would have only the initiative, mapping out, planning, examining proposals and designs, and recommending; but there can be little doubt that its recommendations would have such authority as to be almost always accepted. Whatever general scheme for the future development of the college property might be adopted, it would be carried out in detail by the committee, - a body far better fitted for the task than any which now exists in Harvard.