NEW MUSEUM—SOME DAY

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 138, 7 December 1918, Page 4

NEW MUSEUM—SOME DAY

The war affects the Museum adversely in postponing the erection of a muchneeded new building (states the Director in his annual report). Not only do the existing collections run the risk of fire in the present wooden building, but they are in largo part inaccessible to tho public, owing to lack of space. It has become necessary during the year to place in etore the largo and attractive Maori canoes, in order to make room for war trophies coming to, hand. By its failure to provide fire-proof storage and exhibition space, the Museum loses many valuable specimens that would otherwise como to it. I feel it my duty to repeat the remarks I made on this' subject in 1916: "The existing building is not only slowly decaying, but is unsuitable in design and lighting arrangements for the proper display of any collections, and is totally inadequate in floor-space for the existing material. So long as it is in u«e the Museum must not only come far short of its full usefulness to the present generation, but is losing many opportunities of becoming the storehouse of material which will bo unobtainable in the future. As a national institution, visited by most of the travellers to these ehorcs, it must surely undo much of the reputation for enlightenment and efficiency which the Government of the Dominion has «o successfully created. It may therefore be questioned whether the postponement of a new building is a true economy."