“THE GREATEST THING”

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 302, 21 September 1928, Page 10

“THE GREATEST THING”

NATIONAL ART GALLERY AND MUSEUM WELLINGTON’S MONUMENT TO CULTURE £lOO,OOO IN VIEW The guarded announcements so far made as to the financial position respecting the National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum campaign are distinctly encouraging. They convey the news that Wellington is on the eve of doing the magnificent thing—the raising of litoo,ooo for an object purely cultural. New Zealand is a young country, and its people are apt to be materialistic. The common ways of life, they say, must be ensured before artistic refinements are considered. Wellington is coming to that consideration at last. The assurance was given by the Government that if the city raised £lOO,OOO the Government would subsidise it £1 for £1 in order to provide for a national art gallery and a Dominion museum worthy of the name. Whilst the £70,000 is assured, there is still another £30.000 to be subscribed, but the Mayor does not anticipate much trouble in raising that amount.

“This is the greatest thing Welling ton has ever done,” said Mr. Troup yesterday, “and we want everyone to be in it. There is to be a meeting of the public on Tuesday evening next to initiate tlie £30,000 campaign. The slogan will be: “Every citizen a subscriber!’ That says what it means—we want every person who lives or earns his livelihood to have a real personal in terest in this fine scheme. We want everyone to be able to say: ‘Well. I gave my bit towards it!’ and they will be proud to say so. because this great monumental structure that is to overlook the city from its most elevated site is going to be something to be proud of. We want every citizen to visit the site off Buckle Street, and whilst there to visualise the place as it will be when Buckle Street is widened (and lowered), and becomes a section of the great east to west highway: to thing of a redesigned Te Aro flat. and then, crowning all. this great edifice devoted to art and science—two of the great aids to advanced civilisation. As far as art is concerned Wellington has been very backward, not because the people have no artistic leanings, but because we have never had a gallery of sufficient pretension to encourage those leanings. We have been led even by a small town like Wanganui, which has a very beautiful art gallery, and now Christchurch is to have a splendid gallery, thanks to the liberality of Mr. McDougall. Scotsmen and Jews. “It is a curious thing,” said the Mayor, “that most of the big personal benefactions made in New Zealand have been made by Scotsmen and Jews. Auckland is particularly indebted to the late Sir Arthur Myers, who gave the city its centrally-situated Myers Park, besides other substantial gifts, but they also have to thank the late Sir John Logan Campbell and Mr. Binnie, two Scotsmen, for great benefactions of vast present-day value. Mr. Tlieomin has been not unthoughtful of Dunedin, but that city has much to thank the late Mr. John Ross and Mr. Robert Glendining for. And now ‘McDougall tops the score’ at Christchurch. “I. Wellington the nationality of its benefactors has not been so markedly clannish. The late Mr. T. G. Macarthy was an Irishman, who left a large estate, and a wonderful will by which the public benefits in a very extraordinary manner. Mr. George Shirtcliffe, who came back from the Old Country the other day, made a timely gift of £5OOO for the furnishing of equipment to children’s playgrounds, whilst Sir Harold Beauchamp’s generosity to Wellington will go down in history. There are others, such as the late Hon. Chas. Izard, Mr. W. H. George, and others, who have given well and wisely, and there may be other to mention later.” In the meantime there will be news of moment for all who attend Tuesday’s meeting. A meeting of the general committee has been convened for Monday next.