A GROWING FUND

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 121, 25 May 1931, Page 10

A GROWING FUND

THE CARTER BEQUEST

HISTORY OF NEGOTIATIONS

NO TELESCOPE YET

For many years now what is known as the Carter Bequest has been steadily growing in value. Starting as a modest sum of between one and two thousand pounds, it has grown now to about £8000. As it is increasing by £.500 or so yearly, the time is not far short when the original sum will have swelled to £.10,000, and in a comparatively few years' time £20,000 will be in sight. "Then," said Professor H. B. Kirk to the recent meeting of tho New Zealand Institute, "we shall have a sum capable of worthily carrying out the wishes of our benefactor." The idea has always been to purchase a telescope—a really good one — and to erect an observatory with the money from the Carter Bequest. Negotiations with the City Council on the subject have been frequent, but abortive. Now, apparently, there will be no more, not for many years at any rate, as the New Zealand Institute, after hearing Professor Kirk's report on the latest of these negotiations, decided to disband the committee in charge of affairs, and to cease further negotiations. "It will be remembered," said Professor Kirk in his report, "that the Carter Bequest was regarded by the testator as the nucleus of a fund by means of which certain objects should be achieved, noticeable among these being the provision of a telescope: an observatory staff, under a Professor of Astronomy, was also envisaged. The institute for some years held that the fund should be allowed to grow until at least a memorial telescope of good size, housed in an adequato observatory, could be provided, constituting a memorial of some grandeur. After the Wellington City Council had bought tho Meanee telescope, an eight-inch refractor by Grubb, representations were made to the institute that it should, as Carter Trust Board, acquire this telescope and erect an observatory to house it. In finally deciding to do so, provided that legal difficulties could be overcome, tho institute was guided by the clearly-expressed opinion of the Dominion Astronomer that the city telescope was as large a one as could be used in Wellington efficiently. Negotiations were begun, and, in 1924, had advanced so far that a joint committee of tho City Council and tho institute, with representatives of tho Wellington Philosophical Society, was set up to consider the terms of arrangement that should be acceptable to the council and to the institute. In April of that year the proposals agreed upon were submitted to tho City Council. "The proposals were: That, provided there were no legal difficulties incapable of being overcome, tho institute should vote up to £3000 from the Carter Fund for tho erection of an observatory to house the telescope, tho City Council to donate the telescope to the institute, and secure to tho institute the tenure- of the site in the Botanic Gardens referred to in the City of Wellington City Empowering and Amendment Act, 1922; the observatory to be under the control of a joint board representing the City Council, the institute, and the astronomical section of the Wellington Philosophical Society. The letter contained this paragraph: 'It may seem that-the institute is asking for a gift of the municipal telescope, but that is not the case. It is stating the terms on which it is prepared to erect an observatory at the expense of the Carter Fund, provided that the law allows it to do so. It would be glad to bo able to utilise the Carter Fund for the purpose for which the fund was originated, but it is fully of the opinion, that the Carter telescope must form an integral part of any establishment, that is set up.'" OFFERS AND COUNTER-OFFERS. The City Observatory Committee then recommended for consideration by a conference of the institute and tho Observatory Committee proposals to the effect .that the city should give the site and telescope and that an independent trust board should be set up to administer the Observatory, the board consisting of three members of the City Council and.three members of the institute. "Thus it would seem," said Professor Kirk, "that, provided the City Council agreed to the recommendations of its Observatory Committee, the only point of difference was as to the joining of representatives of the City Council in the trust, instead of their being, conjointly with representatives of the institute and of the astronomical section, members of the administrative board. Much discussion took place on this difficulty and on the whole position, and finally it seemed best to offer to buy the city telescope at the price paid for it by the council. A letter was sent to the City Council stating that the institute . would apply for legislative sanction to proceed, providing that the City Council would donate the site of one quarter of an acre to the institute and would donate the city telescope or sell it at a price not exceeding £500. The City Council, on its side, found much to consider, and it has now replied that it will grant the institute a lease in perpetuity of the site at a nominal rent, provided that the institute erects an observatory at a cost of not less than £3000; that it will hand over on loan the city telescope, vith the proviso that the institute shall buy and erect the reflecting mirror (18in). belonging to the Ward Estate; and further that the City Council should be represented by one member on the board controlling the new Observatory. "With regard to the last proviso, your committee has no doubt that the institute would be prepared to agree to the City Council being represented on the controlling board at least to the extent it proposes.. "With regard to the other two provisos, the committee thinks that very careful consideration is necessary. Th 6 providing of a telescope, which we regard as a memorial telescope, is of necessity an integral part of the plan. A telescope placed with the institute on loan could not be tho memorial telescope. The reflecting telescope that the City Council stipulates should be bought by the institute could be so regarded. I.OAN NOT WANTED. "As has been already said, one of the reasons that induced the institute to agree to tho urgings of the astronomical section of the Wellington Philosophical Society to buy tho city telescope was the expressed opinion of those that should know that a larger telescope could not efficiently bs used in Wellington. It was recognised, however, that experience might show that a larger telescope could be made use of. Tho institute, therefore, was prepared to erect an observatory to house a Carter telescope (tho city telescope if acquired by gift or purchase), but, with an extra dome . for a large telescope in case experience with the smaller one should show that a large one could be used with advantage. In case experience should confirm the opinion that a large telescope could not be used, the dome could be used for another small telescope. "The City Council now makes it a condition of lending the city telescope and giving tenure of the site that the

institute shall, at great cost, buy a mirror and erect a reflecting telescope without the experience that has been contemplated.. Tho committee does not see its way to recommend tho institute to agree to the conditions, and it does not recommend that negotiations should be continued." The Board of Governors of the New Zealand Institute accepted this report and endorsed the following resolution: "That the City Council be informed that the institute does not regard itself as justified in agreeing to tho proviso that it should at this time buy a particular mirror and construct and mount a telescope at very great expense to the Carter Fund; further, that it does not see its way to construct an observatory primarily to house a tele-' scope that is not, whether through gift or purchase, a Carter memorial telescope; that the proviso as to representation of the City Council or tho body controlling such an observatory as was contemplated is one that the institute would readily have agreed to; that the City Council be thanked for its consideration of the proposals submitted to it, which proposals the institute regards as now definitely disposed of." So the Carter Bequest will apparently go on growing for a few more years yet, until it reaches such dimensions that with it can be bought any telescope and. site for observatory that the trustees may think best, and there will be sufficient money to do this and to build an observatory regardless of any City Council which may then be in power.