Museum seeks rewritten act

Press, 16 July 1982, Page 4

Museum seeks rewritten act

The Canterbury Museum Trust Board favours the complete rewriting of the Trust Boards Act, as recommended by the member of Parliament for Christchurch Central, Mr G. W. R. Palmer. Any such move would depend on the outcome of the Canterbury United Council’s policy and resources committee meeting on Monday, which will discuss the handling of the museum’s affairs, the board agreed yesterday. A meeting of the Council last month was told that the financing of the museum, partly by levy under- the museum’s 1947 act, and partly by ex gratia payments from contributory local authorities, was unsatisfactory.. ' A draft Museum Trust Board Amendment Bill, proposing a ’ local body levy formula to; finance the museum, has been delayed by a suggestion that the United, Council administer the museum. The board and Mr Palmer have been invited to the policy and resources committee meeting on Monday afternoon.

The trust board’s finance chairman, Mr A. M’ Henderson, said the matter could not be discussed by the board until it knew the outcome of Monday's meeting. Until then the board was “in limbo.” The chairman, Sir Hamish Hay, said that a special trust ■board meeting might be

needed after a United Council decision. The council realised that it was an urgent matter from the board’s point of view. A board member, Mrs M. Duff, said . the museum should keep, its autonomy and many other people felt the same.Vandalism Two recent incidents where glass panels in the museum s front doors were kicked in by. vandals were of concern, members agreed. Staff , will consider ways to prevent further such incidents. Staff will also examine the museum’s smoke doors. Mrs Duff said that it would be better if they, were left open, so that people could walk freely from one hall to another. Too much light The board agreed to replace perspex skylights in the Pacific Hall with an enclosed and insulated roof, with provision for artificial lighting. Too much light through the skylights was damaging collections, and causing temperature fluctuations. ’ Additions

new additions to the museum include a silver polar medal with four bars awarded to Ernest Edward

Mills Joyce; handwritten letters from the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to Mr and Mrs J. H. Grigg, of Longbeach, after the Royal visit in 1954; and a collection of five albatross eggs from the Philosophical Institute expedition to the Sub-Antarc-tic Islands in 1906-07. . The museum has'received almost 100 items from the estate of Miss V. E. Billens. These included a pianola, a three-quarter bed, cutlery, books, a 1914 driver’s licence, clothing, accessories, and jewellery.