AUCKLAND INSTITUTE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 51, 29 February 1916, Page 8

AUCKLAND INSTITUTE.

,'f JO! SATISFACTORY TEAK, ■MUSEUM GROWS IN POPULARITY. i.. JIMPORTANT .WORK DONE. CITY XQ BE ASKED FOR 'A GRANT. At the annual meeting of the members of the Auckland Institute, held last evening in the Museum buildings, Princes Street, the Hon. Edwin Mitcnelson presided. In the annual report of the Council, read by the curator and secretary, Mr. T. P. Cheeseman, it was mentioned that the roll of members had been reduced during the year from 356 to 335, this email reduction not being surprising considering the war. Among the members removed by death were Mr. A. E. T. Devore, Mr. W. C. C. Spencer, Mr. A. Wiseman, and Mr. W. Colemau. Jlr. S. 13. Bowyer hadibeen killed in action at the Dardanelles, and Mr. T. Copeland Savage had also died while on active service. FINANCE. During the year the total revenue of the Institute was £ 1483, of which members' subscriptions * amounted to £30S, receipts from the Museum Endowment accounted for £550, and the income from the Costley Bequest was £441. The total expenditure was £1420, but that did not include £501 on account of the fitting up the Foreign Ethnological Hall of the Museum, which had been met by an advance from the Investment Account. The cash balance in hand at the present time amounts to ,£282. The total of the invested funds of the Institute now amounts to £21,----457, almost the whole of which is invested in specially selected mortgages or in Government, debentures. VISITORS TO MUSEUM. Last year was a record for attendance, the number of visitors being 93,1)20, as against i)0,51il tho\ previous twelve months. The register kept by the attendant shows that 22,701 entered the building on Sundays, an average of 431 i on each Sunday. The greatest attendance was 961 on Easter Sunday, and the smallest 41 on November 21, au unusually stormy day. On the nine chief holidays of the year the total number of visitors was 5864, an average of 051 for each day. The greatest attendance for any one day was that of Easter Monday, 1407, the next being 1155 on the King's Birthday. A GOOD EXCHANGE. The, report gave details-of the arrangement by whieli the Rueeell collection of statues had been placed in the City Art Gallery and the Grey Maori collection, had been transferred from the Gallery to the Museum, and also of the placing on exhibition in the Old Colonists' Museum a series of pictures, documents, etc., bearing on the early history of Auckland. There could be no doubt, said the report,' that the agreeanent arrived at between the two bodies would be of mutuaJ advantage, and ■would tend to the convenience of the public. The hall where the Russell statues were kept had been used first for the display of the Grey collection, and, secondly, for housing the fine foreign ethnological collection in the possession of the Museum. The hall had been admirably fitted up, and would be ready in about a month's 4' rae - ne change would also lead to several other improvements in the a-rrangement of the Museum. ADDITIONS TO THE MUSEUM. ' There 'Were many valuable additions to the Museum during the year, the number including a special group of the North Island kiwi, set up with great care by Mr. Griflin, and a valuable old carved gateway, 21ft high, of a Maori pa from Laike Okataina, which was well over 100 years old. A donation of sipecial value during tiie year had been received from Mr. Henry Slaw, well known in Auckland for his Ibenefactions. It consisted of 131 Japanese ivories, bronzes, and cloisisone work, and contained many examples of indisputable age and of much ethno/graphic and artistic value. Other donations had been received from Mr. Campbell, M.r. W. Bonella, Mercury Bay, Mr. G. A. Hodge, Mr. G. Graham, Dr. Bucknil], of Tauranga * A JUST COMPLAINT. In moving the adoption of the report, £ho President said it was satisfactory to see that the financial position waa austr lutcly sound. The income was comparatively small, but it was astonishing how much was done with the money. In Mr. Cheeseman (the curator) and Mr. Griflin (the taxidermist) the Council had two worthy officers, who conserved the finances in every way possible. The members owed them a great deal. Com* pared •viih the expenditure on the Colonial Museum in Wellington the amount spent by the Auckland Museum was very small. The Colonial Museum ihad an annual grant of £3000, but where it went the speaker could not say. The Auckland Museum got far better value for its money. And the Wellington curator had reported that when the building was completed it would require an annual vote of £8800 to etart with. ■ Auckland was the premier city, and its population was more than a quarter that of the whole Dominion. Was it fair that they should be taxed to contribute ' towards a Colonial Museum in Wellington that they would never see? If anything were wanted for- the Auckland Museum they had to go round with the hat. When the war was over some attempt should be made to get the Government to give the Museum am annual ivote. The Museum , wanted enlarging, "' and provision would have to be made for a lecture hall. After referring to .the satisfactory exchange of the Grey collection, Mr. Mitehelson suggested that . it was time the Auckland City Council , wae asked to give the Museum an annual gramt. The Museum was a public , institution, and it was also a popular ; one. When the new nail was opened in , a 'few weeks, and thd public saw' what i was being done, it would be even more i popular. He would like to Jrapreee on 1 members the necessity for enlarging the i membership. In a city like Auckland i *hey should have at least 1000 members, i Mr. T. Peacock seconded, and the re- 1 port was adopted. ; i A VALUABLE GIFT. On the motion of the President, secionded by Mr. C. J. Parr, M.P., hoik of E whom spoke very highly of tho donor, ] the meeting carried, with acclamation, j the following motion: "That the.'mem- j Ibere of this Institute tender to Mr. Henry Shaw their hearty thanks and'ap- j jpreciation for the very valuaible dona- J tions he has from time to time made; f end. a special vote of thanks for the re- t cent gift of Jajponese bronzes amd other I Itforks." t • t

"GRAOT PROM THE CITY. Mr. T. "W. Leys, referring to the President's remarks about-a subsidy from < the City Council, eadd it was quite usual at Home for boroughs to allot a. portion of the library rate to such institutions as the Museum, which, however, would ■be in the entire management of the borough council. Under the Municipal ■Corporations Act there was power to make grants to such institutions, but if that were done the City Council would , want some sort of representation. If idea that the Institute was a close that wore granted he did not think there s would be any hesitation om. the part of i- the City Council in granting a substans tial sum, say, not less than £500 a year. !- He would suggest that the new Council of the Institute taike into consideration 1, the widening of the scope of the Council .". 60 as to give representation to the City t Council. d The President said he intended to 5 have raised the same point. The mat--5 ter simply wanted am alteration in the i- rules. Mr. Parr said there had been some .. some idea, that the Institute was a close t. corporation, but that was now changed, c He thought the council would get a d good 'hearing from the City Council, i! With regard to the Government vote he understood that if the war had mot intervened there would have been a grant { made for the Museum in 1914. The President said he would ask the I Mayor and City Council to inspect tin. new hall when it was opened, and when c they 6aw what was being done 'he was sure it would help in Retting a grant. It was agreed to follow up Mr. Leys' i eusgestion. . '" OFFICERS. I Mr. Mitehelson was unanimously re- . elected President for another year. Proj fessor Segur and Mr. C. J. Parr were j elected vice-presidents; Professors Owen 3 and A. V. Sv. Thomas, and Messrs. J. A. Pond and J H. Upton were ve-slected to the council; and Mr. S. Gray was reelected auditor, with a special vote of thanks for his services in the past.