GIFTS TO MUSEUM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20076, 13 October 1928, Page 14

GIFTS TO MUSEUM.

OVER 200 IN THE YEAR.

WIDE VARIETY OF ARTICLES. MR. MARSHALL'S GENEROSITY. The recent generous gift of £550 to tho museum funds by Mr. John Marshall, of Remuera, was mentioned by the president, Mr. H. E. Vaile, at a meeting of the Auckland Instituto and Museum yesterday, who stated the money would be added to tho endowment capital. It was resolved that the donor be thanked.

The president also reported upon the visit lately paid by himself, Mr. George Graham, Mr. A. T. Pycroft and the

curator to Princess Te Puaea at her village at Ngaruawahia. The carved bailer formorly belonging to the great canoo Toki-a-tapiri, now at the museum, and the fine canoe paddle, which she had presented on that occasion, were shown to members. Mr. Vaile said that on behalf.of the museum ho had presented Te Puaea with a huia feather and some amokura feathers, gifts which had evidently pleased her very much. v Tho curator, Mr. G. Archey, reported that nine groups of largo mammals and native birds had been erected in their respective halls. Tho herbarium transferred from the Town Hall had been placed in the special room allotted to it. Tho report stated 215 gifts had been received in tho past year, including 32 sinco tho last monthly meeting. Apart from those given by Princess Te Puaea, tho following had lately been received: — Tho president, an old pigeon-snaring trough, a bono thatching spike and a greenstone pendant of an unusually pale shado.

Mr. T. A. Chappo Hall, an old canoebailer, a five-sided Hoanga, or grindingstone, and a cannon-ball used by the French vessel Port-au-Princo in Tonga. . Mr. George Graham, Maori adzes, Melanesian articles and a moa bone. Miss L. M. Browne, a chief's club from Pentecost Island and an example of maewa plaiting. Mr. R. Maskell, carved artifact; Mr. A. D. Seabrook, grooved-sinker; Mr. W. F. Wallis, of Morniisvilie, sinker and several adzes; Mr. Gillen, of Puriri, three fine large old ko, or digging-sticks; Mr. lioseman, several adzes from Kaipara Heads; Mr. W. Blomfield, Maori and Island ethnographical specimens; Dr. Frith, fishing kito and line; Messrs. Goodsell's Antiques, ancient Greek oil bottles; Mr. Henry Winkelmann, adzes from Great Barrier Island; Captain Hewitt, German colonial Hag captured in tho Cameroons; Mr. Spencer White, German drinkingcup from Flers; Mr. Kohn, ceremonial basket, ornamented with locks of hair. It was resolved that the donors bo thanked. A vote of thanks was passed to tho University College Council for granting the use of its buildings for the Now Zealand science congress in January. Messrs. A. J. Entrican, A. G. Luiui and J. Kenderdine were appointed a finance commitinittee, and Sir Edwin Mitchelson, Mr. W. Cecil Leys and Professor J. C. SperrinJohnson a social committee, preliminary to tho congress. Tho president was included, ex oflicio, in both committees.

MUSEUM MAINTENANCE. PASSAGE. OF THE BILL. PRAISE FOR MR. VAILE. Members of the council of the Auckland Institute congratulated each other yesterday on the passago of the Auckland War Memorial Museum Maintenance Bill. The president, Mr. H. E. Vaile, moved a vote of thanks to Mr. J. S. Dickson, M.P., and Mr. 11. M. Rogerson, the institute's solicitor, for their services in the later stages of the negotiations. Mr. A. G. Lunn suggested that Mr. Vaile should also bo thanked for the extraordinary amount of work bo had done in persuading Auckland local bodies to agree to the financial proposals. Ho had gone out with Mr. Vailo to visit some of the bodies, and he realised how largo an amount of time and trouble Mr. Vailo had given to the task of placing the case before them and answering criticisms that had been levelled against it.

Mr. Vaile, in replying, said he had incurred a good deal of work and worry, but there had been some amusing incidents to relievo tho monotony of the task. Some very absurd suggestions had been made against the scheme, such as one that he was drawing an income of £IOOO a year as president. Professor A. P. W. Thomas: Well, you have a great reward, even if you have not got tho £IOOO.

Mr. Vailo added it was most satisfactory to know the finances of the museum had been placed on a more or less satisfactory footing. The local bodies would provido £5700 under tho Act, and the other resources of tho instiluto yielded about £2OOO, making £7700. This should just about meet leqiiirements. Tho motion was carried by acclamation. A letter was received from tho ITelensvillo Town Board, stating it had resolved, by six votes out of seven, to protest against tho inclusion of its district in the area comprised in tho bill. The president remarked that unfortunately, from tho town board's point of view, tho, protest had been made too late.