“WITH FOLDED HANDS”

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7140, 30 May 1910, Page 8

“WITH FOLDED HANDS”

U lIILE THE OBSERVATORY WAITS. tjj. POWLKS MAKES VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS. iTo tuc Editor “X.2. Timci. ) x was very glad to see the ac--00011;’ of foe interview your reporter had v-;th Ur Kennedy about an observatory for Wellington ami to veto iliat be did i-c.t up such an extravagant view of the requirements of an observatory as the i member of the Pltilcsopliieal Society [(Ik! to whom the reporter went on the matter of the Carter bw.ucut He is rcla.ited to have said that that bequest iiould comparatively speaking hardly pay for the lirst course of bricks, a moot absurd statement, and then he goes on t- 1 "talk of the tiydney observatory at ■ XIMUO, and the Melbourne one v.-ir.cn (_..")e;fi OUO. There js no need ior.Uctliiigton to begin 1:1 such ru extravagant va,v, wo could have a much more modest equipment at lirst, to be added to as tt .e'g. e-, on The Carter bequest is a very m„ d beginni eg of a inud, it ainounted at December 131st, 190!). to the rum of-.£2«5« 10s, invested with the Publi-. Trustee. This money is in the Itands of the governors of the Kew Zealand Institute, and they are sitting witit folded hands apparently waiting till by accretions of interest the fund will be largo enough to do what Mr Carter wanted, liv his will ho left “the residue of his estate to the governors for the time being of tho New Zealand Institute at Wellington to form tho nucleus of a IT;nd for the erection in or near Wellington, and tile endowment of a professor and staff of an astronomical observatory fitted with telescope and the suitable instruments for the* public use and benefit of the colony, and in the hope that such fund may be augmented by gifts from private donors and that the observatory may be subsidised by the Colonial Government." The governor!! cf the institute have, as I said before, folded their hands and done nothing. I think they might have brought prominently before the public the fact of tho existence of this fund, and of its purpose; they might have approached the Government to seo if they would give a subsidy on any moneys collected; they n ight have approached the City Council' for a site. The amount of the Carter bequest is ample for building an observatory and placing in it a very good equatorial telescope. In Mr Carter's will ho said he would wish (without in any way binding tho governors of the institute) that the telescope be obtained from Sir Howard Grubb. I wrote to Sir 11. Grubb in If Of. and ho tAnt me a catalogue of telescopes, etc., and in his reply said ho could supply a standard international strvey equatorial with 15 inch visual re-' I'raotor and dotnio 25 feet in diameter of very best form for .£2OOO, and for another .£SOO could include a photographic doublet of about 10 inch aperture with camera and adjuncts: but would like to furnish an 18 inch visual refractor with 10 iuelt doublet for x’hotographic purposes and a dome 27 feet in diameter for about (£3OOO. But wo need not go quite so far; a 10-inch refractor would cost vESSO, a 12-inch .£I3OO, and the domo could be constructed hero at less cost than one imported. Of course 'the'' building and equipping of an observatory is not all; that can easily be done with tho Carter fund, but if one is built and established it will be necessary to provide a yearly sum for its upkeep. Some work must bo done with the telescope, and an observer must bo put in charge who would require a salary, unless someone were found competent for the work and willing to give Ills time gratuitously. Wanganui has set a good example, its observatory being built and equipped by private enterprise and its observers are honorary officers and are doing good work. The governors of the institute- were approached by the council of the Victorian College and were willing to expend tho Carter fund on a telescope and accessories if the observatory buildings wore erected out of other funds, and ;f a-> professor of astronomy and staff were appointed and maintained out of other funds, and they would do this provided they were advised that the expenditure were legal.. A legal opinion was obtained, which was to the effect that tho duty of tho governors was to retain tho fund until it is so augmented that they can build and endow an observatory and furnish sufficient funds to pay a professor and staff, the observatory to be nrder the control of the governors. The \ ietoria College Council found that they could do nothing, having no funds, and so tho matter stands. Unless something can bo done to place funds in tho hands of the governors of the institute to supplement the Carter fund manv years must elapse before that fund will increase by additions of interest to a sum sufficient for tho establishment of an observatory. There are wealthy people in Wellington and in the neighbouring country, but they have not yet shown any enthusiasm or I might say any thought at all for the furthenanco of scientific pursuits. It may be that the influence of Halley s comet is yet to be felt and that moneys may find their tray to augment tho Carter fund. I earnestly hope that this may prove to be the case. lam sure the governors of the institute will gladly receive such moneys and add them to the sura -already in their hands; at the same time I wish they would wake up and make some attempt towards carrying out flic wishes of the late Mr C. R. Carter. I hope, sir, you will en-d-eavuur to stir tho xmblic up to assisting in this matter. Wellington fehould have an observatory.—l am, etc., GHAS. P. POWLES. Wellington, May 27th.