PUBLIC ART GALLERY SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3034, 8 May 1912, Page 8

PUBLIC ART GALLERY SOCIETY.

ANNUAL MEETING. Tho annual meeting of the Dunedin Publio Art Gallery Society was held in Mr E. S. Wilson's board room in the Empire Buildings on the 30th April. The president (Mr A. Bathgate) occupied the chair, and there wore about half a dozen other members present. A number of apologies for al«ence were received 1 . The Chairman, in moving the adoption of tho report and balance sheet (already published), said that while the society had enjoyed a fairly satisfactory year, its proeress was not such ae they would like, lie referred to a number of the items in the balance sheet, and said that during the year four debentures had been redeemed', as against two in the preceding year. It was satisfactory that the indebtedness was coming down; it now amounted to only £ISOO. The falling-cff in subscriptions and receipts in the gallery boxes was a disheartening feature, because one would think there would be more persona interested in the gallery, and that the number of subscribers would increase rather than diminish. Last year the society received £SOO from the Government to be expei-ded upon pictures, and with portion of the money they had scoured from Home the oil-painting, " Tho Night Before Trafalgar," which was now in tho gallery. Ho aleo referred to Dr Colquhoun's donation to the gallery of a nice landscape. The sum of £350 remained unexpended out of the £SOO grant. It was hoped that a selection might be made from the Baillie collection now in Wellington. From all one heard, it was a very fine collection, containing many valuable pictures. He understood the Wellington City Council was willing to vote £IOOO for the purchase of pictures, provided £4OOO was raised by the public of Wellington with the same object. He thought the cfty fathers in Dunedin might do something in the same way, because the £350 the society had in hand would not go very far. It would be advisable, lie thought, to secure a picture or two out of tho collection. Tho gallery in Dunedin. according to arrangement, would ultimately become the property of the corporation. When the debt was paid 1 off tho city would bo tho owner of the gallery, with the very valuable collection of pictures already housed there. He trusted, therefore, the council would see its way to act on the suggestion. Mr John Roberts, C.M.G., seconded tho motion. He thought the chairman had covered the ground necessary, and probably when his remarks went before the publio some friend of the society might come forward and secure something from the Baillie collection. A member asked if the Jiailhe collection was being brought down he>-e, to which the chairman replied that only a portion of it was coming. Mr Roberts said there would, be an opportunity of buying works that would not occur again for many years, and some generous citizen might be inclined to make a purchase and seed it to the gallery. Tho motion was carried. Dr Scott. Messrs G. R. Ritchie, L. W.

Harris, and A. Bathgate were re-elected trustees, and Mr Peter Barr was rc-eleoted auditor.