EXPORTING SPECIMENS

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 108, 3 November 1926, Page 21

EXPORTING SPECIMENS

SHOULD IT BE ALLOWED?

MUSEUM CURATORS CONFER

THE RETENTION OP TYPES.

The operation of the Maori Antiquities Act under the provisions of which Maori antiquities may not be exported from the Dominion without a permit came in for considerable discussion at yesterday's conference of museum representatives. The question also arose as • to what should be done with specimens confiscated under the Act. In opening the discussion Dr. J. Allan Thomson said that the Act forbade export without a permit. The owner had first of all to offer the specimen to the Government, but the general practice was to'ask an exorbitant price so that no sale was possible. This was done in the hope that a permit might then be granted. As" often as not articles were, sold to tourists,.* who removed them from the Dominion either in defiance of or in ignorance of the Act, but occasionally someone with a conscience went to considerable trouble to get a permit. Much work was entailed in examining articles of modern Maori manufacture to determine whether they were Maori antiquities within the meaning of the Act or not. Other delegates pointed out that it was comparatively easy to export Itaori antiquities in defiance of the Act; in fact some very valuable specimens, which should 'never have left New Zealand, were to be seen in certain foreign museums. One speaker said that it was now too late to.do anything, as all the best things had gone, and that there was no market for New Zealand specimens and curios. ' This view, however, was contradicted; by others; who maintained that there waa still a demand for : Bueh things. The biggest museums outside New Zealand seemed to want larger exhibits, such, as complete moan, rather than small specimens. _ During the discussion on the subject it waa suggested that the export of Maori antiquities, provided that they were not required by local museums, might be a good thing from the point \>f view of exchange, and that it would also encourage the.Maoris to continue working at their old-time arts and crafts. It was finally decided to recommend the appointment of expert officers in each of the four centres, and at Botorua to examine articles offered for export and to make recommendations on them, to the Minister of Internal Affairs, a board of .three having ex-' pert knowledge in Maori matters to deal with doubtful eases. CONFISCATED SPECIMENS. Arising from the discussion was the question of' what should be done with specimens confiscated. A remit from Auckland suggested that confiscated specimens should be placed in the museum of the district to which they belonged. Mr. C. P. Newton, representing the Department of Internal Affairs, pointed out that a confiscated specimen became the property of the Crown;, it was not a question as to which museum should Jim it, but as to which should have the custody of it. As the Crown, was the trustee of the ratepayers, who supported the Dominion Museum, it might seem as if that institution had first claim. But it might be that the board of experts' above referred to might make recommendations as to which museum the specimen should be loaned. After considerable discussion the following resolution was passed ;— "That it be a recommendation to the" Minister of Internal' Affairs that when an article ia confiscated under the Maori Antiquities Act or the Animals Protection Act, or when an application is made for permisr/n to export a specimen, the museum of the district to which the specimen belongs should be given first consideration in connection with the custody thereof." TTPE SPECIMENS. Mr, G. Archey, curator of the Auck-. -land Museum, introduced a remit suggesting that the Maori Antiquities Act and the Animals Protection Act should be amended so that no natural history specimens could be exported from New Zealand for examination by scientists in other countries except, under the conditions that the type specimens of any new species must be returned to New Zealand. It was admitted that it might be difficult to enforce this rule, but mc mover of the remit thought that if it was passed it might lessen the loss. Mr. Newton pointed out that no export was allowed without the permission of the Minister, and he could fix condition* about tho return of types. The remit was adopted with the deletion of the words referring to the two Acts, the remit reading "That it is desirable that no natural history specimens, etc." An amendment was passed advocating the desirability of amending the Act to prevent the export of type specimens altogether.