AUCKLAND INSTITUTE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 49, 26 February 1918, Page 2

AUCKLAND INSTITUTE.

FIFTIETH ANNUAL MEETING. VALUABLE GIFTS TO MUSEUM. , The annual meeting of the Auckland t Institute, marking the completion of the ( fiftieth year of that body's existence, t was held last night in the Institute's < library. The president (Mr. J. H. Gun- ] son) was in tne chair, and there was a i good attendance of members. i The annual report stated that largely i as the result of a special convass SS new 5 members had been gained during the , year. Twenty-nine names had been ; withdrawn, 14 by death. The number ; at present on the roll was 450—rn_oru , than double the membership of the next j largest society incorporated with the \ New Zealand institute. The report re- ; fered to the deaths of Colonel Burton, ■. Dr. Hope Lewis, Lieut. H. A. E. Millies, , and Messrs. S-. J. Xathan and Murdoch j .McLean, all of whom had taken con- , siderable interest in the work of the \ Institute. It also mentioned that 22 j members of the Institute were at present , on active service. j The total revenue for the year was , £1827 10/7 as compared with £1741 ', 12/6 for the previous year. The total included £420 from members' subscriptions, rents, and interest from Museum endowment £713. Costley bequest in- , vestment £ 153. The expenditure • amounted to £176S 11/4. It was ex- . pected to be able to pay off- the loan . borrowed from the investment account two years ago for the fitting up of the new ethnographical hall, by a payment ■ of £200 next year. Small sums re- , ceived from the sales of Museum endowments had raised the invested funds of the Institute to a total of £2-.569. Seven meetings had been held during the year, at which lectures were deliv-1, ered and papers read by Profs. J. "4\ Grossmann. A. P. W. Thomas, and .T. C. ! Johnson, Miss A. C. Tizard (by deputy). l Messrs W. R. B. Oliver. F. E. Powell, j C.E.. T. G. Price. H. Caree. H. B. De-j vereux, D. Petrie, and Rev. W. G.I Monckton. The papers written for pub- j lication in the "Transactions" of the New Zealand Institute had been forwarded to Wellington. 57.000 VISITORS. Dealing with the Museum, the report j stated that the attendance for the year ; had been excellent, and was estimated i at over 57.000. as compared with 59.700 j (estimated) in the previous year, an average of 40 on Sundays and 200 on week-days. The Maori hall had been rearrangeS. enabling many articles not previously displayed to be placed on view and suitably grouped and labelled. Mr. Griffin, the Museum's taxidermist, I had nearly completed a very realistic j group showing the breeding habits of the black-pouted tern. Gifts and additions to the Museum included three historical bone meree, purchased and presented by Hon. A. M. Myers, Mr. Henry Brett", and Mr. R. H. Abbott. Mr. H. E. Partridge had donated ten plaster bas-reliefs of Maoris and Hawaiians by Allan .Hutchinson. Another valuable addition consisted of ten limestone slabs ! from North Otago bearing pre-Maori rock paintings or pictographs. .Single Maori articles of note'had been given 'by Messrs. F. R. Hutchinson. R. W. Duder, and Percy Monk. By arrangement with j the Gizeii Museum. Cairo, a collection of about 100 ancient 'Egyptian articles had been obtained and placed on exhibition. Mr. Henry Shaw had made a further presentation of more than 50 articles of Satsuma and Kioto porcelain, and the Bishop of Melanesia had given j an outrigger canoe. Other donations I had been made by Messrs. L. J. Steele, i F J. Hutchinson, and G. Graham. Mr?. J. Kirker and Colonel Gudgeon. Owing to war risk*, the purchase of books for the library had been temporarily suspended, but periodicals continued to arrive by mail with little loss. The Institute was grateful to Mr. R. Logan for the gift of a copy of Rothschild's costly and magnificent work on extinct birds'. A QUESTION". OF FINANCE. The president, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, said that the increase in membership was encouraging, and the financial position was thoroughly sound. In view of the necessity for development, however, j the Institute's finances mu*t be regarded as inadequate. Its capital was about £23.000. and its revenue CI.SOO, while in addition it owned the Museum pro- [ perty. which, being unencumbered, was ! worth probably £12.000. The whole matter of finance -would nave to be considered later, but in the meantime it was to be hoped that citizens would j follow the example of past benefactors by remembering thr Institute when they thought of making bequests. Ho had no desire that the constitution should be altered so as to bring the Museum under purely municipal control, but he felt that while the public library was supported by a penny rate, yielding £4.,->OO per annum, it seemed rather unfair that the Museum, which also did a valuable educational work, received nothing from the municipality. It was sl?o snoirmious that the IDolnimon scum at Wellington should receive between £3.000 and £4,oft per annum from the public funds while the other museums got no more than the income from the endowment* which the Gov ernment had given -them years ago. The report and balance-sheet were adopted, after a lengthy discussion (reported elsewhere) on the question of a. new site for the Museum in the Domain. Mr. J.. H. Gunson was re-elected as president for the ensuing year, as were the retiring members of the council: — Professors C. W. Egerton and H. \V. Segar. and Messrs. T. W. Leys and T. Peacock. Mr. S. Gray was re-elected auditor. A vote of thanks was passed to the Curator (Mr. T. F. Cheeseman) and staff j for their services during the past year.