THE HOCKEN COLLECTION

Evening Star, Issue 12900, 24 August 1906, Page 4

THE HOCKEN COLLECTION

THE QUESTION OF SITE. A. conference between .the Hocken Collection Committed and delegates from the Art Gallery Trustees and the Executive of the Early Settlers’ Association was held at the Town Hall this morning. His Worship the Alayorjyas in the chair, and there were also present Messrs Dona'd Reid, D. E. Thcomin, G Speight, M. Cohen. L. Langlands, J. Duthie, G. C. Proudfoot. G. L. Denniston, A. Bathgate, G. Fenwick, C. R. Smith, J. A. Burnside, Dr Benhaxn, Crs Crust and Loudon, and the Town Clerk. The object of the meeting was to discuss the question of erecting the Art Gallery, the Hocken Collection-house, and the Early Settlers’ building on the block of land between Rattray and Stuart streets, where the Art Gallery is to be. The Mayor mentioned that the architect’s plans were before the meeting. He suggested that it was for those who had waited on Dr Hocken to let the meeting know how the position stood. • Dr Bcnham said that the Committee that had been appointed had ascertained the accommodation that was required fCr the collection, and also Dr Hocken’s conditions, which were very slight. He gives the collection to the citizens on the condition that it is properly housed and cared for, and he leaves the question of site open. Mr Denniston said that the' Committee would shortly have to report tp a general meeting of subscribers. The main body of the Committee favored the site by the railway station, and there was a suggestion that the three collections should be placed under the same roof. As they thought that the Art Gallery Trustees wanted the matter settled, they considered it well to call a meeting, and try to arrange for a building that would servo the triple purpose. It was impossible to state the sum available for the Hocken building, because there was the question of Government subsidy yet to decide. But it would nob be unreasonable to say that with the Government subsidy they would-have somewhere about £4,000 or £5,000.

Mr Cohen asked if th© position was not rather that the land had been given for the Art Gallery primarily, subject to the condition that a portioh of it be given to the Early Settlers’ Association; and that the Art Gallery people had so far forwarded their plans that they were in a position to build on their portion, which was marked plainly on the plan? The desire now was that the Hocken collection should occupy a permanent position between the Art Gallery and the Early Settlers. *He could see no reason why th© Art Gallery plans should he delayed any longer, so long as it went forth to the public that room would be made for the Hocken collection between the two buildings. ‘ Air Smith, as a trustee of the Art Gallery, said that Mr Cohen’s statement was practically correct. Owing to the shortness of the notice received' it had been impracticable to refer this matter to all the trustees, or to arrange for their attendance, but Messrs Bathgate, Fenwick, Theomin, and he had responded to the invitation as individual trustees, though without any power, of course, to commit the trustees definitely to any course of action. He could only say that if the Hocken Committee finally concluded that the site near the present railway station, which had been leased to the Art Gallery trustees, was where they wished to erect their building, and also let the trustees know what they required in the matter of space, he was quite certain that the Art Gallery trustees would not only be willing to favorably consider the proposals, but would do all in their power to assist in bringing the whole to a satisfactory issue. As far as their buildings were concerned, they had already approved a plan, and the leading members of the Early Settlers’ Association had also approved the same design, so that if the Hocken Committee wished to put their building on the trustees’ land the plan would have to be in harmony with the other buildings. Mr Burnside had shown him a rough plan that he had prepared, and he assumed from this that the Committee had arrived at certain conclusions. And if the plan referred to represented the space required, he felt quite satisfied that it would be acceptable to the trustees, and the same plan was also brought into the general design of the other buildings. However, as he had said before, they could not do anything until the Hocken Committee arrived at their own conclusion, and laid their wishes' before the trustees. But of this one fact they could be quite sure, that the trustees were altogether in sympathy with the undertaking, and anxious to do anything in their power to co-operate with "them, so long as the interests of their own undertaking in connection with the Art Gallery were not prejudiced. Air Reid said that the Early Settlers had expressed their wish to assist in this matter, and, if need be, to provide the space required out of their own share of the land—that was assuming that the Art Gallery people could not spare any of their land. Their difficulty was, however, that they did not know what the position was in regard to the Hocken collection. Their offer was still open, but there was a limit beyond which it could not be kept so. They did not want to gain anything by the transaction. It had been suggested that they were desirous of having control of the collection. That was not so. They were desirous of seeing the collection properly placed,, though it might be detrimental to their own chances of contributions. The Mayor said that th© Committee appointed to go into the question of site had recommended the position to be occupied by the Art Gallery, and it seemed to him that the matter should he decided as soon- as possible. The Hocken Committee were not unanimous in this recommendation, but he _saw_ no difficulty about putting the collection in this place. The Art Gallery trustees and the Early Settlers were favorable to the collection going there, and that- was all they had to decide now. Mr Smith said that of course before the trustees could complete any arrangement they would have to get the consent of the Government to leasing any portion of the land. But he did not anticipate any difficulty about that. Dr Benham desired to know whether would he any communication between the Early Settlers’ and Art Gallery buildings, andrtnder what control the collection would be. The Mayor said that that was a matter for arrangement after the site had been fixed. Cr Crust said that they had at any rate taken one step in advance. They had discovered that the Art Gallery trustees and the Early Settlers would help them in the matter, and he thought the next thin<r to do was for the Hocken Committee to meet and decide whether this was to be the site. . Air Irtnv. ick pointed out that final decision did not lie with the Hocken Committee, but with the subscribers to the fund. He intended to circularise those subscribers with whom he had to do. Air Denniston agreed with this. He thought the next step was to call a meeting of subscribers, and put the matter before them. After some further discussion it was arranged that the Alayor should call a meeting of subscribers for next Thursday evening, Messrs Cohen and Fenwick to communicate meantime with those with whom they were individually concerned.