FINANCING THE MUSEUM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19953, 23 May 1928, Page 10

FINANCING THE MUSEUM.

It is very clear, from the facts made public by the president; of the Auckland Institute, that the question of financing the war memorial museum must be faced without delay. About £6OOO will be required this year to complete the transfer of exhibits from the old building and set them up in the new, as well as to defray usual costs of maintenance ; and thereafter £BOOO a year will be needed. Members' subscriptions, together with a £2OOO grant from the City Council, made ends meet last year. For this year, the amount asked from the City Council is £4OOO, in view of the special expense occasioned by the removal and attendant expansion. The council has hesitated to make the increased grant; it has not finally refused, and there is reason to hope that the sum requested will eventually be forthcoming. But this will leave unanswered the question of an adequate, assured income in the future. There is need to review thoroughly the financial requirements of the museum, in order to place before all concerned a full statement of the irreducible minimum of maintenance expenditure. This task the council of the Institute should take in hand at once. It should also look more closely than it appears to have done into ways and means for meeting this charge. It can count on the sympathetic interest of the general public and the reflection of that interest in the attitude of public bodies. Auckland will not allow this project to fail for lack of requisite funds. It prizes the museum, and values its own honour, too much for that to happen. But it rightly looks to the authorities responsible for the management of the museum to give a lead.