MUSEUM FINANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25129, 16 February 1945, Page 7

MUSEUM FINANCE

WCAL BODY PAYMENTS

PROPOSAL for inorease A resolution agreeing in principle to the necessity for obtaining additional finance for the Auckland War Memorial Museum was carried unanimously at a conference of representatives of contributing Jocal bodies in the Town Hall council chamber yesterday. Submissions in support of a request for additional contributions amounting to £4968 annually were made by members of the Institute and Museum Council, and the delegates resolved to submit the matter to their respective local bodies for early consideration.

. The Mayor, Mr J. A. C. Allum, presided. Statements outlining the museum s needs were made by the chairman of the council, Mr J. C. Rennie, a member, Mr A. G. Lunn, and the director of the museum, Dr G. Archey. It was pointed out that under the War inio 101 ! 3 ' Museum Maintenance Act, 1928, the amount payable by local bodies toward the maintenance of the museum was restricted to £5700 a year. Any agreement come to by the local bodies to increase the amount would have to be confirmed by an amendment of the Act.

Growing Demand lor Services Mr Rennie said that if the growing public demand for the' museum's services was to be met extra financial support was necessary. Unfortunately interest on the invested funds of the institute and Museum had decreased owing to the general reduction of interest on gilt-edged securities, and the contributions from local bodies remained fixed. Mr Allum said the work of the Auckland Museum was recognised and valued throughout the world/ "A policy in running public institutions is no good," he added.. "What the public wants from us is wise spending and not false economy." He was sure the City Council would support the proposal in principle, and he did not think the members would object to the extra amount which the city would be called upon to provide. Mr A. Murdoch (Otahuhu borough) said that, while agreeing with everything that had been said favouring the proposal, he regretted that contributions should be obtained only from ratepayers, and thought that some other system should be devised. He believed also that some support should be obtained from the Government, although he did not agree with Government control.

Agreement In Principle Mr I. J. Goidstine (One Tree Hill borough) said he thought an unanswerable case had been submitted by the representatives of the museum, and he did not think the local authorities would raise any difficulty. He did not agree that they should go to the Government for # help, as he believed Auckland was a large enough community to support the museum on its own.

Several other favourable speeches were made before the resolution agreeing to the proposal in principle was adopted. The City Council's share of the proposed additional contribution would be £2112. Amounts provided by other local bodies would range down from £413 in the case of Mount Albert to £8 in the case of Panmure.