PLIGHT OF MUSEUM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19952, 22 May 1928, Page 10

PLIGHT OF MUSEUM.

URGENT NEED FOR FUNDS. ANNUAL UPKEEP CHARGES. SUM OF £6OOO REQUIRED. "LOCKED DOORS" A POSSIBILITY. 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 doors closed to the public. The building in the Domain is expected to be ou: of the contractors' hands in about two months, but the institute has not the ireans 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 of the institute, Mr. H. E. Vaile, told the 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 the past year. This year wo have asked the City Council for £4OOO, and they have 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 the money then the building will have to remain closed. That will be a disgrace to Auckland. "We do not say this in any carping or defiant spirit," Mr. Vaile added. " The position is simply this, that we have to get out of our present building, we have to set up the exhibits in the new museum and we have not the money to do it." Money Goes to Wellington.

Replying to Mr. J. C. Entrican, Mr. Vaile said_ the institute must have a total of £6OOO this year, and thereafter £BOOO a year. He mentioned that the Wellington museu.n was maintained by the Government at the expense of the general taxpayers. It cost £7OOO to maintain that museum last year, the people of Auckland contributing a third of the amount through the taxes. Another financial difficulty mentioned by Mr. Vaile was in connection with the new showcases, half of which had arrived. The institute had been under the necessity of borrowing the money to pay for them, pending the completion of the sale of the present museum, which would become an accomplished fact on its evacuation, In all other respects, the year had been a very satisfactory one. Many of the exhibits had been transferred to the new museum, and the institute was indebted to the contractors for the facili- | ties they had placed at their disposal for ! housing the treasures.

Maori Memorial Groups. Turning to the future, Mr. Vaile mentioned that it was intended to reserve space in the ethnological section for two memorial groups to the Maoris. One group would depict the Maori at home and the other the Maori at war. They would cost about £IOOO each if they were done properly, and he expressed the hope that some generous citizens would assist the institute to that. end. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. Mr. Vaile was re-elected president and, in accordance with the rule which provides that the three immediate past presidents shall be vice-presidents, Sir Edwin Mitchelson, Sir James Parr and Sir James Ounson were re-elected to that office. Mr. C. R. Ford, Mr. A. G. Lunn, Professor A. P. W. Thomas and Professor F. P. Worley, retiring members of the council, were re-elected without opposition.

ATTITUDE OF LOCAL BODIES. ONEHUNGA COUNCIL'S DECISION. At a conference held on May 8 of members of the City Council Finance Committee, representatives of suburban local bodies and of the Museum Council, the principle was endorsed that the support and maintenance of the Auckland War Memorial Museum is a matter of metropolitan concern and not one for the City Council alone. It was decided that all the authorities concerned be asked to join in promoting legislation during the coming session of Parliament to enable them to make an annual contribution of up to £6OOO, the respective shares to be determined on a population basis. A decision to adhere to the previous resolution not to contribute toward the upkeep of the Auckland Institute -and Museum was made by the Onehunga Borough Council last evening, when advice was received from the town clerk of Auckland that Onehunga's share was £lB4. The Mayor, Mr. W. C. Coldicutt, said any vote could come only out of unauthorised expenditure, which was limited to £IOO for the year.