THE MUSEUM SHOWCASES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19719, 19 August 1927, Page 14

THE MUSEUM SHOWCASES

Sir, —May 1 be allowed to express my fullest sense of approval and appreciation of your editorial reference to the action of the Museum Council in rejecting the local tender for the museum showcases. Some other public bodies have extended to England substantial preferential treatment ; it would surely be quite in order to extend some measure of preferential treatment to a New Zealand product. I was trained in Birmingham, and had many opportunities, in the art schools, and officially, to become familiar with the industries, concerned in the production of cases of .the kind under consideration, and have visited the works at Brornsgrove, and others. There is no mystery in the like. The drawing of the bfonze sections is a highly specialised industry and the assembling and building of the cases are quite distinct. Both tenderers would probably get their sections from the same source of supply, and there remains then the building of the cases, requiring precision, care r accuracy and thoroughness, as well as artistic appreciation in the matter of finish.-. Now, all those qualities appear to be fully centred in Mr. Parsons and there is abundant evidence that he can command the services of skilled men to carry out his behests. True, there is need for experience, skill and care in the making of the doors, frames, hinges, hold-fasts and locking gear and those are the very datails that Mr. Parsons would stress. Dust removal, and dust exclusion, are of like importance. The decision in favour of bronze is one bordering on extravagance, seeing that the architects .were content with steel, metal sprayed, for the windows. Teak, for instance, might have sufficed. However, Mr. Parsons and the council and curator have determined otherwise. I am hoping there is yet time to reconsider the tenders, and may I earnestly suggest, that the two tenderers be invited, each to make a complete sample case, exact in every detail, and particular, as determined upon and as tendered for, so that the council and curator may have u proper opportunity to inspect the same, and thereby make quite sure as to what the whole series of cases shall be like when executed; the sample, to be made an instrument and basis in the contract, to which disputes, if any, could be made referable. Presumably Mr. Parsons and Messrs. Edmonds would expect, say, 15 per cent, or 20 per cent, advance upon the tender rate for the sample case, but the one accepted would be merged into the total at tender rates. This, I am certain, is the only way to secure ultimate satisfaction to the council, the curator, and the subscribers, and presuming the local example compares quite favourably with the Birmingham sample, then the £2OO will be more than compensated for in collateral advantage, and human satisfaction to the livr ing, and honour, to the dead. John Mitchell.