FINANCE FOR THE MUSEUM.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20904, 11 July 1933, Page 8

FINANCE FOR THE MUSEUM.

♦ PETITION TO THE MAYOR. COUNCIL URGED TO GRANT ASSISTANCE. A public petition asking that he reopen the question of financial as- ' sistance by the City Council to the Christchurch Museum, in order that J that institution should not lose the j benefit of a grant from the Carnegie Trust will be made to the Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.). Many . leading citizens and educational authorities have already signed the ! petition, which states that the receipt of a grant from the Carnegie Trust would not only enable the museum to be brougnt up to date, but would provide a number of men with employment in the renovation of tne building. Tiie petition will be open to the ' public ior signature at the premises I of Fisher ana Son, 275 Hign street, 1 and J. W. Gibb, 105 Cashel street, for the next few days. The text is as follows: "We, the undersigned citizens of Christchurch, request that at the next meeting of the City Council you will reopen the question of the council's voting financial assistance to our museum, and thus qualify pur ' city to benefit by the Carnegie Trust. The stipulation made by the trust is that before bestowing a grant, which will not exceed £20,000, the city must first help itself. Although ( we realise the present stringency and financial stress, yet we strongly urge the council to give this proof of its sense of civic responsibility. ; This offer may never be repeated; , possibly it will be bestowed else- ; where unless immediate action is , taken. "The founder of the Christchurch Museum, Sir Julius von Haast, fully realised the immense educational value of the museum; so, too, did Captain Hutton, who followed him. Both men, possessing high educational ideals, gave our museum an excellent start, and in their time it was the finest in the Southern Hemisphere. That was some 40 years aco. How has this generation fulfilled the trust bequeathed to it? During the last 15 to 20 years, a period of immense progress in museum development, our museum has been comparatively at a standstill through lack of funds. Scientific and Educational Value. "A well arranged, properly housed, and up-to-date museum is an immense asset to a city, on account of its great scientific value. This is realised abroad by scientificallyminded people, as the wonderfully arranged museums in England, the United States, and Denmark bear witness. Crowds visit? these museums, consisting - not only of classes of interested school children, students, but also the general public, who combine enjoyment with instruction. In Germany, at Munich, the transverse of the museum is actually nine miles. The Hygiene Museum at Dresden is controlled by an association of which the Mayor of Dresden is president, and its managing committee includes representatives from the Reich, the Freistart Saxen, and the city. "In New Zealand the educational value of museums is also fully realised by Auckland and Dunedin, both cities possessing beautifully-ar-. ranged up-to-date museums. The annual income of the Auckland museum is £BOOO, of which the Auckland City Council contributes £5700, while ours last year was £ 1700. Although very proud of our beautiful ( museum building in its lovely setting, we deplore its many internal drawbacks, which money alone can rectify. It is overcrowded, it is inefficiently lighted, the contents of some glass cases cannot be seen because of the many reflections, while other parts of the building are so dark that the objects cannot be seen either. Example of the Pioneers. "If the Carnegie grant were to be accepted the money would be brought into this country, while the building renovation to the museum I would give employment to a considerable number of men. "We trust that the council will decide, as did the pioneers, that the museum, on account of its great educational and cultural value, is worthy of support, and therefore will help it financially and so enable the Carnegie grant to be bestowed on our city." Among the signatories to the petition so far are Archbishop Julius, Bishop Brodie, Professor J. Macmillan Brown (Chancellor of the University of New Zealand). Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson. Mrs E. M. Rolleston. Mrs Cracroft Wilson (president, of the Christchurch branch of j the Plunket Societv). Lady Clifford, Mrs Charles Clark, Mrs J. Deans, (president of the Christchurch branch of the Victoria Leaime), Professors E. Percival, J. Shelley, and T. G. R. Blunt. Dr. C. E. Beebv. and Messrs George Lawn, L. F. de Berry, and Edgar Stead.