MUSEUM FINANCE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 38, 14 February 1945, Page 6

MUSEUM FINANCE

LOCAL BODIES' SHARE

CONFERENCE TO-MORROW

The need of the Auckland WaiMemorial Museum for additional finance will be discussed at a conference in the Town Hall council chamber to-morrow afternoon. The conference, which has been called by the Mayor, Mr. Allum., will be representative of those local bodies which contribute to the maintenance and support of the museum. Submissions by the Auckland Institute and Museum Council to Mr. Allum revealed that the additional annual income required is £4968. Under the Auckland War Memorial Museum Maintenance Act, 1928, the amount payable by local bodies towards the maintenance of the museum is limited to £5700 a year. The museum council desires to obtain the sanction of the local bodies concerned to increase this amount to such an extent that it will be able to meet the growing needs of the public. Eleven local bodies, including the City Council, have so far notified their intention of being represented at to-morrow's conference. One of those which will not be represented is the Takapuna Borough Council. This body considers the method of financing the museum from ratepayers' money to be "unjust and inequitable" and believes that the responsibility of providing the maintenance should be met from the revenue of the central Government. It has protested against any action being taken to increase contributions of local bodies from funds provided by the ratepayers. Following are tne representatiyes of the ten suburban bodies which have so far responded to the Mayor's invitation to be present at the. conference: — Mount Eden Borough Council, Mr. P. R. Burton; Devonport Borough Council, Mr. A. W. Joughin; Manukau County Council, Mr. F. M. Waters; Waitemata County Council, Mr. H. T. Gibson; New Lynn Borough Council, Mr. H. Brown; Onehunga Borough Council. Mr. W. Pickering; Newmarket Borough Council, Mr. C. Mountain (Mayor) and Mr. F. Phillpott; Mount Albert Borough Council, Mr. E. O. Faber; Birkenhe?.d Borough Council, Mr. E.'.J. Osborne (Mayor); Ellerslie Borough Council. Mr. H. J. White (Mayor). The City Council will be represented by the Mayor. An explanation of the proposals will be given by the president of the museum council, Mr. J. C. Rennie, Mr: A. G. L,unn and Dr. Gilbert Archey.