FINE ARTS SOCIETY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1966, 24 January 1914, Page 6

FINE ARTS SOCIETY.

SUBSIDY SOUGHT. DID THEY FORCO'THEIR CLAIM? When the Baillie collection of pictures was on view in Wellington, tlie City Council was asked by tho Art Socicty'to make a donation to a fund for the purchase of pictures. Eventually the City. Council voted £1000, but, at the same time, decided to discontinue, the payment to the society of an annual subsidy of £50. A deputation from the Art Society, consisting of Messrs. C. Wilson, A.' T. Bate, and L. 11. 13. Wilsdn, waited upon tho Finance Committee of tho City Council yesterday to urge that the city should make some annual .contribution to the society.

Mr. C. Wilson said that, -siiicc the society was established in 1906, it had received £50 a year from the city, but, on the other hand, iiad paid to the city £30 a year in rates. It was understood that the city had no power to remit the rates. Lately the society hiad gone outside its ordinary functions, and had becomo the custodian of a very valuable collection of paintings, which, however, would be handed over to tho Government as soon as accommodation was provided in the proposed National Art Gallery. This imposed an additional financial burden, and tho society felt tho loss of the £50 subsidy very severely. Ho would probably be reminded of the generous grant of £1000 mado by the council at tho time tho pictures were purchased, but that grant was made for a. specific purpose. Now the society cared for the valuablo collection', and it was 011 free exhibition to the citizens of Wellington every day. An art gallery was a valuable educational institution, and he claimed that the city was doing uothing permanent to encourage a taste for art in Wellington. In Auckland, the City Council provided 0 building, and also raado a yearly grant for upkeep, as well as special grants for tho' purchase of pictures. Ho trusted that tho council would show some -generosity, and help the society by an annual grant.

Mr. L. H. B. Wilson said that the position was that in other places the council maintained the art gallery. Hero the council drew revenue from it by way of rates. ■■ Mr. A. T. Bate pointed out that the fact that tho pictures for tho national gidlery were housed in tho society's rooms caused the society loss of revenue, becauso they could not- now; let their ,r(.-oms for any purpose. This had become a serious burden to tho society.

Councilloi Barber pointed out that when tho £1000 grant was asked for a condition attached to the_ donation was that the £50 annual subsidy was to be discontinued. The council's grant on that occasion " Was really the subsidy capitalised. i Mr. C. Wilson and Mr. L. H. B. Wilson both replied to tho effect that they did not remember any definite understanding that this grant of £1000 was to be final. In reply to a question it was stated that the revenue of tho society was d'orived wholly from private subscriptions. - , . The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) said that tho matter liad been before the council 011 urovious occasions. Hie information beforo it had always been that the grant of £1000 had been intended to take tho place of the annual r.ubsidv. . The deputation now denied that this was so. Personally lie did not know what view tho council would tako of tho question. His own opinion was that an art trallery was essential in a citv like Wellington, and that, if the national gallery proposal had not been put forward, tho citizens would have taken un the matter beforo now. If the council could be assured that the £1000 gran t'was not to boj regarded as a capitalisation of the subsidy, 110 thought the council should consider the request now made by tho deputation.