THE OTAGO MUSEUM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19505, 13 June 1925, Page 9

THE OTAGO MUSEUM.

NEED FOE EXTENSION. £60,000 REQUIRED. A conversazione was held at the Otago University Museum yesterday afternoon, when a large number of supporters and friends of the museum were present. The visitors were taken through the basement store rooms in which were displayed a great many articles which it is impossible to exhibit at the present time owing to lack of space. The articles exhibited, together with others stored on the shelves in these rooms, number many thousands. Particular interest was displayed in the collection of Oriental arms and armour. After inspecting the collection the visitors gathered in the picture hall of the llocken wing where afternoon tea was dispensed. Mr T, K. Sidey, M.P. (Chancellor of the University), spoke, setting forth the needs of the Museum and the inability of the University to meet them on its present finances. Dr Renham (curator of the Museum) sketched the history of the institution and compared it with the museums of the three northern cities. The Mayor (Mr IT. L. Tapley) expressed the view Hint from what he had seen of the collections a new wing was urgently required. lie. stated that the citizens of Auckland were collecting £250,U00 for their museum, and already had in hand a sum approaching £200,000. Of this £25,000 had been contributed by the Auckland City Corporation, which had, in addition, declared by legislation passed in 1024 power to make grants to the Museum up to any amount and to levy a rate for the support of the Museum up to one penny in the £. In Wellington the Museum was a Government institution, hut the plans were now drawn for a new building to cost £200,000, of which sum half was to ho contributed by the Government and the remaining half by the citizens. The City Corporation had promised £20,000 to lie paid in four annual instalments. At Christchurch the Museum was very heavily endowed. That city had a very largo building and an income between three and four times that of the Otago Museum. At Dunedin the City Corporation had contributed jn the last IS years £725, some £4OO of which bad conic in the last throe years, indicating perhaps a growing but by no means complete of its obligation in this matter. Mr Tapley intimated that a sum of some £OO,OOO was required, partly for building and partly for endowment, and lie promised his very strong support in any steps which might lie taken to secure, this sum.