COMBINED PROJECTS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 110, 5 November 1926, Page 8

COMBINED PROJECTS

HOUR IN ONE SCHEME

ART GALLERY AND MUSEUM

NATIONAL MEMORIAL AND

CARILLON

■ALL ON MOUNT COOK SITE.

' A large and influential deputajtion, headed by the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. C. J. B. Norwood), Tceently waited upon the ActingOPrime Minister (the Hon. W. |Downie Stewart), and urged upon ;the Government the wisdom of [combining (1) the National War '.Memorial, (2) tho Dominion Mu•Beam, (3) the National Art Gallery, and (4) the Wellington War (Memorial Carillon in one scheme, jand erecting the whole as one group of buildings on the Mount [Cook site, at present occupied by Jthe Defence Barracks. The representations made by the deputation, f whieh was held in camera, have since been embodied by the Mayor an & letter to the Minister, and this 'letter has now been released for /publication. ..' The letter, which is dated Ist Novora/|»r, is as follows: — % ''Dear Sir, — " , "A meeting of members of the ' deputation which waited on you on .-. .Thurtday, 23rd September, was held in • the Mayor's room on Thursday, 14th , October, and it wa3 decided- to comrinunicate ■with you setting out in writling the position as urged by the deputation, and also referring to comments in course of your reply. "Dealing first with the objects of the deputation, it is perhaps unnecessary „to remind you that the deputation was .^representative of all the specially interested organisations as well as of the citizens generally, and the case placed before you is one agreed upon after xn&ny "conferences. The absence of pub- , lieity was the result of an early deciflion. and it is intended that the Government's reply to the deputation ! be the first matter to go to the Press. i THE OBJECTS STATED. "The objects in view, and which Troro the subject of the representations made to you, may be set out as follows: 1... The vote for the National War \ Memorial of £100,000 to be rein- ; •tated. , ■ ' 2. The National War Memorial to \}>? designed to carry the Wellington jj,Wa.r Memorial Carillon, and that it 'form part of a group of national pbuildings to include the Museum and I'Art Gallery. 3. The Mount Cook site to be ali lotted as a site for such group of national buildings. 4. That interested public organisations bo allowed to share in the subsequent control of these projects. 5. That a joint committee be set up forthwith to arrange all preliminaries. 6. That the scheme be planned so that a definite ultimate result may be achieved by working to a plan. 7. The vote of £100,000 for the National War Memorial and the similar vote for Museum and Art Gallery i( £100,000 on present estimates) form .the Government's contribution in money to a fund to be made up to at least £300,000 by the public subscribing a further £100,000 in addition to tho cost of the Carillon already subscribed. ■ 8. Tho total expenditure to be \ spread over a number of years. : 9. The Government's contribution of each year's allotment to be made ■when the public have subscribed their corresponding share. "In connection with the general control of the Museum and Art Gallery and the Carillon, the suggestion is that appropriate local organisations be inTited to establish boards of control, the property in the land and buildings, however, to remain vested in the State. , PAST HISTORY OF THE MOVE- ; MENT. "The members of this committee feel that, judging by the general tenor of your reply to them, cither they were over-sanguine of your acceptance cf promises previously made by the Government, or that the past history of the movement had not been adequately placed at your disposal. In order, therefore, that tho position be jpiade quite clear, the committee desires to point to the following matters bearing on the subject:— 1. The Government had previously decided to erect a National War ! Memorial, the site to be in Welling.ton, and the:cost named at £100,000. »<Bee "Hansard," vol. 187, p.p. 314 'to 316,) . 2. Making i^rovißion of £ 100,000 for a Museum and Art Gallery under the Science and Art Act, 1913, the 1 cost to be borne by th-e: (a) State L£100,000; (b) public subscription /■■£, 100,000. ' "The decision of the Government in '; thig connection was conveyed by the • late Prime Minister, the Right Hon. -W. F. Massey, to the Mayor of Wel- " lington, and announced in the 'Evening Post' of 6th November, 1924, as fallows:— . Information was cenvevod to the . Mayor (Mr. R. A. Wright) to-day I that the Government had decided to meet the Tequest made by a represen- ■! tativo deputation of citizens which the Prime Minister (the 'Bight Hon. W. F. Mas3ey) and the .'• Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. ' R. F. Bollard), in July last, to inI crease to £100,000 a subsidy of previously granted for the ' erection of a fireproof building in : Wellington to house the Dominion's fart treasures. The decision of the will be received with :•. gratification by the citizens who >"*ormed the deputation, and by art- '■ lovers generally. .■■"The Government's subsidy of £'£100,000 was on the basis of £ for &£ on an amount to be subscribed by ■the public. "Ur/.'ss, therefore, there is a question of reviewing what has already been- agreed upon, the matter of finance discussed by the deputation had already been agreed to by the Government. "What the deputation rsally asked for amounts in effect to a request that the arrangements in connection with the National War Memorial and the Museum and Art Gallery be carried into effect. In view, however, of the more recent circumstances, and of the activities of other local organisations interested in war memorials, the deputation urged that the necessary preliminary steps be taken forthwith with a view to amalgamation of all projects into one group scheme, and setting up a special combined committee for preliminary purposes. "Yours faithfully, ]■ ("Sgd.) C. J. B. NORWOOD, '' Mayor. ' f'The Hon. the Acting-Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, ■ Wellington."