MUNICIPAL TELESCOPE

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 25, 30 January 1924, Page 10

MUNICIPAL TELESCOPE

ERECTION OF BUILDING

DEPUTATION TO N.Z. INSTITUTE

£3000 FROM CARTER BEQUEST.

A request was made to the Board of Governors of the New Zealand Institute yesterday by a deputation from the .astronomical section of the Wellington Philosophical .Society, that a sum of money be out of the Carter bequest, made 28 years ago for the purpose of establishing.' an observatory in Wellington, for the erection of a building in which' to house the telescope recently purchased by the Wellington City i Council. The sum requested was £3500. I The Carter Fund now amounts to about | £5450, having grown by accumulation of interest from a sum of a little over £2000, which represented the residue of Mr. - Carter's estate. The object of the bequest, as set out in the -will, was "to form the nucleus of a fund for the erection in or near Wellington, and th* endowment of a professor and staff, of an astronomic observatory, fitted with telescope and other suitable instruments for the public use and benefit of th. colony." ' . . * £3000 DESIRED. I The Hon. Dr. Newman explained the object of the deputation. He said that the site of the observatory had been guaranteed, and their trouble was to get sufficient money to erect a building to house the telescope. Without the building they were unable to proceed. If they were able to get £3000 from the Carter bequest moneys they could make a start, and in that object they sought the assistance of, the institute as trustees of the fund. If the, institute "provided the building, they anticipated further support from other sources. He felt sure Mr. Carter would have been quite willing to have a portion of his bequest devoted to the purpose of an observatory. Sir Robert Stout said ha' knew Mr. Carter had been exceedingly anxious to do something to assist astronomy. The object would be a popular one, and would be of great ethical value. He submitted that as the telescope and the ■ site had teen secured, the money should be. devoted to the obejct of erecting a building to "accorrimodate the instrument. "NOW OR LATER ?" The Mayor (Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P.) said' that the crux of the, matter was the interpretation of the will. It might be contended that the money should lie idle until sufficient interest had accumulated to enable the full wishes of the testator to be carried out , If that were done the money would lie idle about 150 years before being put to use, and generations would pass before benefit would be derived from it. On the other hand, the money 'could be utilised now. The deputation; contended that the institute could deVoto £3000 from the accumulated fund without violation of the wishes of the; testator. If the money was made use of now, possibly other people might subscribe further sums ..to provide for the employment of ' a professor of astronomy. The question was whether a portion of the testator's object should be given effect to, or whether nothing at all should be done until sufficient money had accumulated to enable his full wishes to be; carried out. So far as he knew, the testators belief that other people would be stimulated to make similar donations had not been fulfilled. Mr. Wright said he doubted if. anything further would be bequeathed or donated until, some move had been made to carry out the testator's intention. If £3000 of the money was spent how, the balance of £2000 could mature, and an immediate start could be made to carry out the testator's wish. Other phases of the bequest were discussed by other speakers. I Professor Soramervills said there was no question of the fund becoming crippled..He'stressed the urgency of an ade- -- quate observatory, and spoke of. the demand for such an institution in Wellington. If the scheme was rejected, it was unlikely that' a Carter observatory, would ever be established. LEGAL DIFFICULTIES. T)r'. J., A. Thomson referred to legal difficulties with which they were confronted. Dr. Newman said that if that was the only barrier the deputation was prepared to assist in a friendly action in the Law Courts, paying the costs of the action. 1 They wanted the matter settled, so that the object could be gone on with. Professor Kirk, chairman of the board, asked if the deputation and the City Council i would consider donating tho land^ and the telescope to the institute. Such a course would facilitate _ny friendly legal action that might be taken. \ Sir Robert Stout asked if it was proposed that the institute should become owners of the land ,and telescope. Professor Kirk: "Yes;" ' Sir Robert Stout replied that that would be outside the functions of tho institute. After further, discussion, the deputation '_ withdrew, promising to obtain an opinion upon the legal position. . The board proceeded to discuss the request. As a necessary preliminary, on the motion of Mr. M. A. Eliott, a previous resolution bearing upon the matter, passed at last year's annual meeting, was rescinded. Several motions' were then put forward, which the meeting proceeded to : consolidate. - - ' Professor Kirk said that if the deputation would agree to the telescope and the site secured being made an accession to the Carter Fund, he could see ho difficulty about going ahead with the building. Dr. Farr suggested that the site, the telescope, and the erection of the building should be administered by a board consisting of representatives of the institute, the City Council, of the astronomical section of the Philosophical Society. . . Professor Kirk thought it inadvisable' to hand over any of the moneys in the fund without retaining control over it. THE BOARD'S DECISION. After further discussion, a resolution was framed by Professor Kirk, and seconded by Mr. M. A. Eliott, and adopted as follows: : — "That, provided all legal difficulties are removed, that the tenure of the site is assured to the institute, and that the City Council donates the municipal'telescope to the institute as trustees of the Carter Fund, there be built a Carter Memorial Observatory at the expense of the Carter Fund; that the observatory be under the control of the New Zealand Institute, exercised through a joint committee of the institute, the Wellington City Council, and the astronomical section of the Wellington Philosophical Society; that not more than £3000 be spent on the building of the observatory, the remainder of the Carter Fund being allowed to accumulate until it is sufficient to found a professorship of astronomy; further, that the standing committee^, empowered to take such.action as may be necessary to carry out, this resolution."