A CANTERBURY CENTENNIAL MEMORIAL

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22509, 17 September 1938, Page 22

A CANTERBURY CENTENNIAL MEMORIAL

TO THI EDITOR Or THE PRESS. Sir, —A well-equipped museum is an educational necessity ih every large community, and it is certainly not to the credit of Canterbury, that through lack 'of funds, our museum has lost the proud place it occupied 30 or. 40 years ago. Then it was commonly said that it- was *'the best museum southof the line." Are our people not Rub-lic-spirited enough to raise the necessary funds to restore and equip the museum in. -Christchurch in keeping with modern developments? This work would be a most fitting centennial memorial, and would mark our appreciation of the fine efforts of ■ the pioneers, who so long ago provided the province with an institution which then ranked far above any other museum in this ;paft of the world. It would be a thousand pities if this opportunity of honouring our pioneers were allowed to pass. "The Press" of September 15 reported thus:. "If the extension of the' Canterbury Museum is approved as _a Centennial memorial for the province the contributions will be eligible for a Government subsidy: This was made clear by the Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. •W. E. Parry), in a letter to the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr R. M. Macfarlane)." -, If the City Council and other local bodies unite to help, with the Government subsidy and the nucleus already set aside for the purpose, the project will be accomplished, and in years to come our citizens and the people of the province will have a memorial which will redound to their credit. • Surely, the spirit of the' stalwart founders of this province has not departed "front us.—Yours, etc.,. - -' ; ; -; •■ -'• E.A'C. September 16, 1938. .