THE COLONIAL MUSEUM.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 47, 24 February 1906, Page 6

THE COLONIAL MUSEUM.

f A KEW BtJILDINt? ENQUIRED, SLOMT PROGRESS, "v * "They bid now k ffue Town Hall; Victoria College", money was* being set apart for a new Public Library, and shortly they were 'to have a very fine Moseum, ' «tiid Dr.- Fell nt ye*terday'« meeting called to' consider 'the' (juestlori of estAb'Hshjng ai> Art (Mlery in Wellington. "0 far as tii» "very fifla Museutn" is eoneerii' ed, enquiries lflftde go to show that Dr, Fell was more optimistic thnu ulrictly «c curate, It is quite true thnt the sum of £2000 wa« voted by Parliament last sesnion. on account for offices and laboratory, Geological Department, and it wn* at the time, and still is, understood that that sum was 'Jut ih<£ purpose- of erecting •» Kttbstantlal and flre-proof building to replace thd*old structure which i« now dignified by the name of Colonial Mtuetim, Vor years pbtl teptesefiitttioni} h«d been Wade to the 1 Government that the Museum trail not only utterly inadequate for such a purpose, bur that thef valuable- collection stored within its; crumbling' walls whs jit daily ganger of being destroyad by. flre,> nod at I 'limb" the abov«-ttientioned sum of, £2000 me voted oft' uccoutit, It has been generally understood that tho new atrucktre.- ivh«n ettjcted, would contain nlarge hall, which would bo used for tho display not only of pictures but of work? of art generally and those who take an interest in our national collection of art «fl<l, Other treasures w«pfe .hopeful that nn «arly start would bs unme in providing v tnore and s«fer and more suit* able home for them. So ffurr r however, it would appear that their confidence has teen misplaced. Enquiries made by a Va«b reporter on the subject failed ia elicit any information which would tend to a ' contrary opinion, In some cases officers ©f the public service who* were flpproacheddeclined td impart any hiformation. We assume that their reticence wax dictated t>y a studious observance of the 1 Civil Bervlce regulation^, ttiough 'why thfere should be tiny lecrecywithTeguru t» a matter ■whfch so, closely affects the public generally m are at a lofts to understand, In other case* .failure to obtain information appeared to arise from' a lack of knowledge, but the general impression conveyed was that the proposals of the Oov« «rnment in regard to tho erection of a • new Colonial Museum had scarcely assumed definite shape, and that there is v, general lack of interest in tho 'subject, The only step taken U tho preparation of ifcetch plan*, which have been provisionally approved, nnd it aeems to be highly probable that there will bo a large unexpended balance of the £2000 At the close ot tbe financial vena. ,