AUCKLAND INSTITUTE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 49, 27 February 1901, Page 3

AUCKLAND INSTITUTE.

ANNUA!. MEETING

The annual meeting of the Auckland Institute was held in the Museum Buildings on Monday. The President (Prof. Eegar) presided over a fair attendance of members. The annual report was read by Mr T. F. Cheeseman, the secretary, as follows;—

Members: Seventeen new members have been electd since the last annual meeting, a number considerably above the average of the previous eight or ten years. The losses have been by death four, by resignation six, and by non-payment of subscriptions for more than two consecutive years four, making a total of 14. There is thus a net gain of three, the number on the roll at the* present time being- I.G. The Council have much re-grot in announcing the death of Mr E. A. Mackechnie, who for many years had been intimately associated with the affairs of the Institute.

Finance: The total revenue of the working account, excluding' the balance of £61 6/1 in hand at the beginning of the year, has been £897 7/4, a very close approximation to last year's amount, which was £900 18/2. The receipts from the invested funds of the Costley bequest have been £436 5/,

as against £32_ 5/ for the previous year, the apparent increase being mainly due to the receipt of interest, which if paid in time would have appeared in last year's accounts. The Museum endowment has yielded £333 11/7, the amount for 1899-1900 being £444 1/4. The decrease has been caused by the paying off of several mortgages, which have not yet been reinvested. The members' subscriptions stand at £11----13/, the same amount precisely as that credited last year. The total expenditure has been £322 11/11, leavings a. balance 0£136 1/6 in' the Bank of New Zealand. The Council have no change of importance to report respecting the capital account of the Institute, the total amount being the same as last year, £13,590.

Museum Endowment: No change has taken place under this head. The interest on the capital sum invested has been regularly received, and from time to time the Crown Lands Board have paid over the rents received from those endowments that are leased. How to utilise the remainder of the endowment is not an easy question to solve, there being little demand for country lands except under perpetual lease.

Museum: The attendance has been satisfactory, although a little below that of the two previous years. On Sundays the visitors have been regularly counted, the total number being 12,371. or an average of 237 for each Sunday. It is difficult to estimate the week-day attendance, but judging from occasional counts the daily average cannot be far from 100, making a total of 31,300, or of 43,761 for the whole year. Last year the number was estimated at 49,082. The greatest attendance on any one day was 520, on May 24 (Queen's Birthday). The chief work done in the Museum during the year has been the rearrangement of the greater part of the invertebrata. The New Zealand shells have been re-mounted and relabelled, and a considerable number of additional species placed on exhibition, the collection being now as complete as any in the colony. The foreign shells have received considerable attention, with the view of rendering the collection tolerably representative of the chief families. Several minor pieces of work have been carried out in the mineral and ethnological departments, and at tho present time good progress is being made in overhauling and relabelling the collection of New Zealand birds.

Little Barrier Island: The management of the Little Barrier Island as a reserve for the preservation of the avifauna of New Zealand still remains in the hands of the Institute, the Government contributing an .iiinual grant to defray the necessary expenses. The curator, Mr Shakespear, reports that no attempt has been made to interfere with the birds', and that no unauthorised persons have landed on the Island. Tho usual annual inspection was made a few weeks ago, when everything was found in a satisfactory condition. The secretary reports that birds are everywhere plentiful, and are apparently increasing in numbers. During the course of a week's stay he observed the whole of the species recorded by Professor Huttou and Mr Ileischek. Now that the visits of collectors have ceased, and the birds are not molested, they have become much tamer, and frequent the lower parts of the island, which was not the case four or five years ago, when the Institute first assumed control. Several wero even noticed nesting in close proximity to the curator's house. Altogether, there, is every reason for believing that the island will'long remain a secure homo for the avifauna of New-Zealand.

In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet the Chairman congratulated the members on there being an increase in the number for the first time in many years. A less pleasant fact Was the decrease in revenue. The falling off was inevitable owing to the decreased interest rate, when mortgages had to be renewed. It was to be regretted that in a growing community such an institution should find itself yearly in possession of a smaller Income. He suggested the aid of the Municipality in the matter of supporting the Museum, considering that Auckland was well able to contribute something to the support of a scientific institution and to scientific education. .

Mr T. Peacock seconded the motion for the adoption of the report.

Mr J. H. Upton said the President's suggestion of municipal help Was not likely to meet with acceptance in Auckland. They must look for increased revenue from subscriptions. He was confident that the number of subscribers was not what it should be. He had the greatest respect for our local administrators, but did not think the representatives on the City Council would make the most successful .managers of a museum. The Chairman said he was not really advocating municipal management, but considered that the support given by corporations in England might well be copied here. Mr Upton pointed out that under the. Municipal Corporations Act the Council could not give money away except for specific purposes. The report and balance-sheet were then adopted. On the motion of the President, a motion of sympathy and condolence with the relatives of Mr E. A. Mackechnie was passed. ' Mr James Stewart was elected President for the ensuing year, and the following Council was elected:—Prof. Talbot-Tubbs, Dr. H. Haines, Dr. H. Swales, JVlessrs E. V. Millar and Ashley Hunter. Mr W. Gorrie was elected auditor. Mr Upton moved a vote of thanks to Prof. Segar for his services as President during the year. In seconding, Sir James Hector congratulated the Institute upon itt success in the past 33 years. He had now managed the New Zealand Institute for 33 years, and it could not be denied that Auckland' had done its share in contributing most valuable material. He thought that in future.times it would be found that during the past 33 years the Institute had amassed a;record of a period in the life history of New Zealand which would be exceedingly interesting and instructive to future ages. Professor Segar returned thanks and the meeting concluded. At a special meeting of the Institute Professor Brown was elected trustee in place of the late Mr E. A. Mackechnie.