Dr Hocken's Gift.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXXII, Issue 63, 9 August 1906, Page 8

Dr Hocken's Gift.

(Ciutha. Leader,)

There is now every probability of the unique library and valuable art treasures which Dr T. M. Hocken, a pioneer settler and much respected resident of Duncdin, has volunteered to hand over to the people of Otago on specific conditions, being safely housed and properly cared, for. That, in a nutshell is all that the worthy doctor asks; tho rest is entirely a question of ways and means. When the Hon. Mr Hall-J ones was in Dunedin leas than a fortnight ago, he was waited on by a deputation of representative citizens, who asked for a grant-in-aid, seeing the colonial nature of the doctor's gift, and that the bulk of his library would bo sought after by students of constitutional and colonising history from all parts of the Colony. But the Premier was Unresponsive and unsympathetic. He taunted tho people of Duncdin primarily and the people of Otago secondly with lack of patriotism. It was their duty, he said, in effect, to rise to tie occasion.; they should themselves find tho required money, and not permit the possibility of such a valuable collection of books and pictures beingdispersed or even removed from their own locality. We cannot but think that Mr Hall-Jones must have been in a very bad humour that morning or his memory must have been sadly at fault, for while-ho was lamenting the absence of authority or precedent for such a request, the very thing was at his hand. The Government intend to make a free gift to the city of Christchurch of the fine organ which will play a prominent part at the musical festivals in connection with the International Exhibition ; though at one time, it was understood that the Christchurch folk had undertaken to defray half of its cost (£3,000). And when Mr Seddon was at Auckland at the beginning of the year he willingly agreed to find £ for £ locally subscribed for the acquisition of some Maori relics of great historic value so that they might find a permanent resting place in the Auckland museum. In Auckland, as in Otago, as indeed in every part of tho col.my, we trust, there is an unquenchable determination to resist the "grab" policy of those who desire to see everything valuable deported to the seat of government, for it is an open secret that the Government have more than once deputed their officers to visit Duncdin and* report on Dr Hocken's library with a-view to its transferee 0 to Wellington. The Ministerial reply was chilling—almost freezing in tone—but it did not depress ; on the contrary, it had the effect of putting the Duaedin people fairly on their mettle. Though they have within a twelve-month voluntarily subscribed something like £20,000 for public purposes of a distinctly praiseworthy kind, to wit, hospital extension, an art gallery, a maternity home, sending a* Rhodes scholar to the Old Country, besides benevolent enterprises of a minor nature, and to-day stand practically committed to an expenditure of £15,000 for the acquisition of Forbury Park, with the intention of making it a people's park in tho best sense of the term, they did not hesitate to take up the Premier's challenge. Thanks to the splendid enterprise of the Otago Daily Times, cheerfully backed up by the merchant princes and captains of industry in Duncdin, the money required for "housing" the Hojken collections was in sight in three days !. The Evening Star, in its turn, has undertaken to provide the wherewithal for "furnishings," and to that end makes an appeal to the people of the Province for £(1,000, which will be employed in equipping not only the Hocken room, but the main hall of the Early Settlers' building. Our evening contemporary delights in popular movements, and has a profound belief in the potency of the nimble shilling. If the people of Otago—especaliy the descendants of old identity families—display a relative degree of liberality to the dwellers in the city, the aspirations of our two spirited metropolitan contemporaries will be fully realised, with the result that next year we shall have erected on Avhat is now a useless waste a handsome block of buildings, under whose ample roof will repose art treasures which will be a never-ending source of enjoyment and delight to the hundreds of thousands who will visit them. And in this connection we trust that' the original intention of grouping together the art gallery, the Hocken collection, and the Early Settlers' Memorial Hall will be steadfastly adhered to. The country people have some right to be considered, and their convenience and comfort ought to be studiously studied ; therefore, the site opposite the Triangle will meet with the most favour in their eyes.