FINANCE FOR THE MUSEUM.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20909, 17 July 1933, Page 16

FINANCE FOR THE MUSEUM.

RATE OVER PROVINCE PROPOSED. CONFERENCES TO BE HELD. An assurance that he would do his best to promote conferences between the finance committee of the Christchurch City Council and the museum committee of the Canterbury College Board of Governors was given by the Mayor (Mr D. 3. Sullivan, M.P.), the petition urging the council to grant financial assistance ' j the museum, thereby obtaining the benefit of a grant from the Carnegie Trust, was presented to him by a number of prominent citizens on Friday evening. The deputation was led by Mr George Harper, the other members being Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson, Mrs K. Macdonald. granddaughter of Captain F. W. Hutton, a former curator of the museum, Miss Cora Wilding, and Dr. J. Guthrie. Members of the deputation declared that if the Carnegie grant was lost it would mean practically the extinction of the museum, and among the suggestions put forward to obtain revenue for the rehabilitation and maintenance of the museum was the proposal that a small rate might be levied over the whole of the province. Mr Harper pointed out that the Botanic Gardens were maintained by a levy made over rural as well as city areas, which was so small as to be a burden to none. Country residents enjoyed the benefit of the museum as much as did those of the city. It would be necessary to set in motion legislative machinery to enable the Canterbury College Board of Governors to levy such a rate. Cultural Value of Museum. The Mayor expressed approval of the suggestion made by Mr Harper. He could see no other way of obtaining the necessary money. That was one of the questions that would have to be considered by a conference between the finance committee of the council and the museum committee of the Canterbury College Board of Governors. He personally appreciated thoroughly the cultural value of the museum, and mentioned that in his younger days, when travelling fairly extensively, he, like many other people, visited first the museum and art gallery of each new town or city that he came to. He was quite sure that as many country residents as city folk visited the museum.

Mr Harper, after reading the petition, remarked that the signatories were persons very well known and widely respected throughout Canterbury. Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson said that as a brother-in-law of the founder of the museum, Sir Julius von Haast, and also as the collector of many of the exhibits, he had an especial interest in the museum. Extinction Threatened. Dr. Guthrie stated that the museum was in a parlous state, and the loss of the Carnegie grant would mean practically the extinction of the institution. He said that the Canterbiiry College Board of Governors had one endowment devoted to institutions of public instruction, the museum, the library, and the School of Art. The last two were practically self-supporting, but the museum existed by stealing the shares of the others.

"It would be a disgrace to Canterbury if the museum were allowed to fall into decay," said Dr. Guthrie, who remarked that in the Buller collection of birds—one of the two finest in the world—the museum had a priceless asset. Part of this great collection had to be kept in the store-room, because owing to lack of facilities the whole collection could not be exhibited without deterioration. He said that the museum staff had carried on magnificently under most difficult and disheartening conditions. Only money could make the improvements that were necessary. The Mayor said that he understood that Mr S. F. Markham, the representative of the Carnegie Institute, who recently made an inspection of the museums of the Dominion, did not commit himself but left it to be presumed that assistance would be forthcoming if the conditions were complied with.

£IO,OOO Necessary. Replying to questions by Mr Sullivan,- Dr. Guthrie said th,at when the request was first made to the council a capital grant and a regular sum were both asked for. He understood that about £IO,OOO was required to augment ■ the building fund already in existence. It was intended to extend the museum along the Rolleston avenue frontage. Continuing, the Mayor said that Mr Markham had indicated that if the city council shared the control of the museum with the Canterbury College Board of Governors assistance would be forthcoming. The finance committee of the council had recommended that no action be taken, but at the time he had reserved his right to reopen the question. "It would .scarcely, be possible to come to the finance committee at a more difficult time than the present. The committee is faced with the biggest problem in the history of the city," he said. He thought it possible that conferences between the two committees concerned, at which the desirability of joint administration could be discussed, might be the means of solving the difficulty.