.MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 71, 17 December 1937, Page 13

.MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY

Problem Of Finance

LOCAL BODIES TO CONTRIBUTE

Conference Yesterday

Support for the proposal that local bodies in the Wellington province should contribute to the revenue of the National Art Gallery, Dominion Mjjseum and Carillon, was given by a conference of local body delegates yesterday on the understanding that the Government would increase its grant by £lOOO. A basis for the apportionment of the quotas was submitted; delegates considered it equitable and agreed to recommend its acceptance by their respective local bodies.

The conference was summoned by the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, as chairman pf the board of trustees, and he presided. Also present were Sir George Troup, chairman of the finance committee; Sir George Shirtcliffe, chairman of th'e management committee; Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, mayor of Wellington; Mr. J. W. Heenan, Under-Secretary of the Department of Internal Affairs; Mr. D. A. Ewen, president of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts; Dr. P. Marshall and Professor AV. P.,Evans. Lasting Foundation.

Man could not live by bread alone; he desired the things of the mind and spirit to make life what it should be, said Mr. Savage, paying tribute to those who had been responsible for the establishment of the museum and art gallery. The purpose of the conference, he explained, was to justify the work of the pioneers and put the institution on a firm and lasting foundation, so that the trustees would be able to carry on successfully in the future. A sound method of finance was essential, as they did not want to have to go about with a collection-box every time they wanted money. Mr. Savage stressed the fact that the institution was a national one, although it svas situated in Wellington and urged the desirability of extending its advantages to the country districts. It was not intended to bind the representatives of local bodies in any way, but it was desired that they should learn, the position of the institution and what was required, he said. £13,000 Required. Mr. Hislop said that up to the present the museum and art gallery had been managed without loss, but now more money was needed if the institution was to be maintained in a proper manner. The revenue was £B5OO a year, but the trustees could not manage on less than £12,000. Reallf, £13,000 was required. At present the Government gave £l'ooo and the city council £lOOO toward the expenditure. The idea now was that there should be a permanent, fixed revenue for the proper maintenance of the institution, and they .felt justified in bringing the matter before local bodies. He was confident that when he brought the proposal before the Wellington City Council it would receive unanimous support. The museum and art gallery symbolised the highest ideals of national life, and would be an inspiration for generations to come. The proposal merited tee whole-hearted support of the people of the country. Sir George Troup said that the building housed the nucleus of two great institutions which, he felt, would be greatly extended in the future. One great thing was that the building did not carry one penny of debt. So far the finance committee bad managed to keep its head above water. Last year it had scraped bard and made its income meet the expenditure, but there was one account outstanding, and had that been included they would have been on the wrong side of the ledger. That was not a position for a national institution to be in. There was not a penny set aside for maintenance or for sinking fund. There had been some discontent among the trustees, for there was not a penny to purchase exhibits either for the art gallery or for the museum. They thought, therefore, that the best thing to do was to call all the local bodies and explain the situation. Value of Institution, That the institution was serving the purpose for which it was established had been proved, and the attendance had never been less than 3000 a week. Sir George pointed out that the idea of co-operation was not new. When the Hutt bridge was erected, the Wellington City Council did not say it was the Hutt’s affair, but, because Wellington people used the bridge, a contribution was made toward the cost. Last year the Auckland museum was subsidised to the extent of £7OOO by local bodies.

Sir George then explained the basis on which it was proposed that local bodies should contribute. The city council was to pay an extra £lOOO, making its annual contribution £2000; the harbour board £500; boroughs within 25 miles of Wellington, 3d. a head; boroughs beyond the 25-mile limit, 2d. a bead; counties. Id. a head. That would mean the following return : Wellington City Council and Harbour Board, £2500; boroughs within 25 miles, £440; boroughs beyond 25 miles, £830; counties, £275; total, £4045.

As £5OOO was wanted he was going to ask the Government to contribute another £lOOO, he added, pointing out that the increase in wages and the shortening of hours by legislation had brought about a 20 per cent, increase in expenditure. Sir George said that, in order to extend the benefits of the institution to country children, the trustees proposed to secure the use of two large motorvans, and use them to take exhibits from the museum and pictures from the art gallery round the country, up the Walrarapa and down through the Manawatu, calling at the schools on the way. With these vans would go an education officer to explain the pictures and exhibits to the children in language they would understand. Perhaps in the evenings the exhibition of these treasures of art and science might be made the centre of a social evening to be attended by the people of the locality. At Wits’ End. Sir George Shirtcliffe said that the museum committee was at its wits’ end to carry on the museum as it should be carried on. The generosity of the Carnegie Corporation of New York had made possible the appointment of an educational officer who would spend his time in lectures on the museum and art gallery exhibits. The institute had .

also sent a taxidermist from the Arademy of Sciences in California, and investigation showed what could be done in the preparation of examples of fauna for exhibition.

In conclusion Sir George expressed regret that there was no country representative on the board of trustees.

Phar Lap’s Bones.

Mr. Heenan said that there was a provision in an amendment to the original Act providing for a representative from contributing local authorities outside the city, but they had to find the contributing local body.

Was the museum to be a museum or a mausoleum? asked Mr. Heenan. They had exhibits that they could not display, including the bones of Phar Lap. The stuffed hide of the horse was in Melbourne, and accounted for attendances of hundreds every day. Referring to the rivalry between “the Queen City of the North” and “the City of the Pond,” Mr. Heenan mentioned that the Auckland City Council contributed £5OOO a year to the War Memorial Museum. "Need <for More Interest.

In Wellington in 16 months people visiting the museum and art gallery had paid £77/8/3 in cloak-room fees, and had left £44/12/6 in collection boxes, so it was apparent why the trustees had to do something to stimulate interest in the institution.

Mr. T. Jordan, mayor of Masterton, moved that the local bodies support the proposal. Others who spoke in support were Mr. T. Collins, mayor of Feilding, who seconded the resolution; Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., Wellington City Council; Mr. G. L. Page, mayor of Nelson; Mr. J. W. Andrews, mayor of Lower Hutt; Mr. C. L. Bishop, Eastbourne Borough Council; Mr. J. H. Perrett, Manawatu County Council; Mr. A. Scholefield, mayor of Petone; Mr. J. Hodgens, M.P., Palmerston North Borough Council; Mr. G. Al. Spence, Blenheim Borough Council; and Mr. J. AV. Card, mayor of Featherston.