IN SORRY PLIGHT

Northern Advocate, 22 May 1928, Page 9

IN SORRY PLIGHT

FINANCIAL ■ AID. IMPERATIVE

MUSEUM WITH CLOSED DOORS,

“DISGRACE TO AUCKLAND.''

(Special (to “Northern Advocate'') AUCKLAND, This Day.

Unless the financial position of the Auckland Institute and Museum :is improved immediately, Auckland will be in the position of having a War Memorial Museum with the doors closed to the public. The building, in the Domain, is expected to be out of the contrac* tors' hands in about two months, but The Institute has not the means which will enable it to arrange the exhibits in the new home.

“We have been up against a fearful position in regard to finance," the president, Mr H. E. Valle, told members at the annual meeting* last evening. “With our own subscriptions and a grant of £2OOO from the ■City Council, we have managed to get over th* past year. This year we have asked the City Council for £4OOO and it has stood aghast, but we must have the money or otherwise we shall not be able to open the doors of the new building. We have asked the suburbs to assist, and if we do not get money, Uien the building will have to remain closed. That will be a disgrace to Auckland.

“Wo do not say this in any capping or defiant spirit,” Mr Yailc added. “The position is simply tills: We have to get out of our present building, sot up the exhibits in the now museum/ and wo have not tinmoney to do it.”

The Institute must have a total of £6OOO this year and thereafter £BOOO :i year. Ho mentioned that the Wellington Museum was maintained by the Government at the expense of the general taxpayer. It east £7OOO to maintain that museum last year and the people of Auckland were contributing a third of the amount through taxes.