OBJECTIVE OF £150,000

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25741, 1 March 1949, Page 4

OBJECTIVE OF £150,000

Funds Needed For Centennial MUSEUM DESIGN CONTEST The money that will have to be raised for the memorial of the centenary of Canterbury and the holding of centennial celebrations was fixed at £150,000 by the finance committee of the Centennial Association at its first business meeting last evening. The amount to be raised in Canterbury will be £llO,OOO. The Government subsidy for the Otago centennial was £1 for £3. A recommendation to the executive that the local bodies of Canterbury should be asked to co-operate in raising £50,000 on the basis of the mean between capital value and population was made on the motion of the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr E. H. Andrews), seconded-by Mr W. S. MacGibbon, chairman of the finance committee. The share to be found by the City Council will be between £22,000 and £25,000. The endorsement of the Canterbury Museum rebuilding and additions scheme as the centennial memorial was recommended to the executive. - The appointment of Mr Horace L. Massey, of Auckland, who is president of the Institute of Architects, as professional adviser and assessor for an architectural competition for the museum by the Museum Trust Board was announced by Mr Mac Gibbon. Mr Massey, he said, had already made two visits to Christchurch and a Christchurch architect had drawn the preliminary for the rebuilding and equipment. The proposal was to offer a first prize in the competition of £5OO, a second prize of £3OO, and a third prize of £l5O. As envisaged by Mr Massey, the scheme would cost £187,000. said Mr Mac Gibbon. The Trust Board realised that the help of local bodies already contributing to the maintenance of the museum was necessary, and it was hopeful that the Government might make some contribution, apart from the subsidy to the centennial funds, as a recognition of the educational value of the museum. The raising of £60,000 towards the memorial and celebrations from business firms was suggested by Mr MacGibbon. Canterbury had an example in the response by Otago firms to the appeal for funds. In Canterbury, at least 12 firms could be expected to give £lOOO each and 50 £5OO each, these groups contributing £37.003. Donations of between £l5O and £5OO could reasonably be expected to total £lO.OOO, and those from £lO 10s to £lOO another £lO,OOO. Smaller donations of £3OOO would bring the subscriptions to £60,000. Only three committees have so far submitted their budgets to the finance committee. The fireworks committee has asked that £3OOO be allocated, £6OOO is wanted by the processions committee, and the musical committee has presented a budget for £l5OO. The early appointment of an organiser for the centennial will be urged on the executive at' its next meeting.