MAORI RELICS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11512, 19 February 1903, Page 6

MAORI RELICS.

SUGGESTED FORMATION OF A NATIONAL MUSEUM.

(special to "the tbess.")

AUCKLAND, February 18.

The "Herald" says:—"Tie Tisit of the Premier to the Auckland Museum and tihe semi-official Conference he held there yesterday with the gentlemen interested in the collection of Maori relics were eminently satisfactory. There has been some fear that there was in tie mind of tie Government a vagao idea of setting up a national collection of mementoes of the most interesting though barbaric people who preceded us in tihe dominion of New Zealand,, and that this collection would be established and maintained in, some centre where the Maori was not greatly in evidence, and where traces of his sovereignty do not, abound. Ihis misconception appears to be completely removed. Mr Seddon frankly expressed himself as surprised and pleased at the splendid work of collection wfaich has been done by the Auckland Institute, and has explicitly promised to use his influence to have placed on the Estimates a provision for subsidising Buch work wherever it may be undertaken in the colony. We presume that the amount raised recently in Auckland for the purchase of the Mair collection will !bs allowed Ho claim ismier any soibsidy scheme that may be passed. We cannot, and do nof, take any exception to any and every locality which may seek to collect end "safeguard Maori relke being p.'aced on an equitable footing, but we may be very ■g*in the future, as in the past, b£ ; assistance as without it, the f the Auckland province will con[asily lead in this matter. In fact, confidently forward, now tJiat tho ged export of Maori relics has bten and a national interest has been aroused in them, to the formation in Auckland of a great Maori nvueeum, which will ba a lasting memorial to the noble aboriginal, and a worthy attraction to the tourists who pass tlwougii to the wonderland wa inherit.

"Auckland, is the natural eeat of such a museum, and will become so under the equitable conditions which Mr Seddon wif.l propose to Parliamenf. It- would be altogether in keeping with the traditions of this old Maori country we had in our keeping, not merely the Maori house, which lack of funds alone prevents the Auckland Institute from fittingly exhibiting, but a complete model of a Maori fsh. Around Auckland are several sites* anciently dedicated to Euch use, and most conveniently situated for the purpose in question. We might weU go further and revive in an attractive and educative permanent fcrni numerous phases of the native life, for the whole country around u« is as full oJ history as the Heme Land itself. It has had its villages and its fortifications, its canoeing grounds and its cultivation areas, its battlefields and its meeting places, and although much could never he permanently restored, there ie Borne littte which could be done with good results. Tho encouragement promised by Mr Seddon may help in this direction. '