PEACE MEMORIAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 237, 1 July 1919, Page 8

PEACE MEMORIAL

NATIONAL ART GALLERF

PROPOSALS SUBMITTED TO MINISTER

In February last a deputation representing the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts interviewed the Minister ot Internal Affairs (Hon. G. W. liussell) to urge that a National Art Gallery should lie established in Wellington as a peace memorial. The Minister subsequently promised that upon the deputation submitting a concrete, proposal in, writing he would place it before Cabinet tor favourable consideration. The Academy, has given considerable attention to the subject, since the deputation. waited on the Minister, and the following communication has been drafted and presented to Mr. liussell:— "1: The Government to give an undertaking that so soon as we liavij i' ais ™ by public subscription the sum of £10,000 as a minimum towards the cost, the projected art gallery will be erected as a national" memorial to the valour and self-sacrifice ot' our soldiers, and to the splendid part they have played in thefight for liberty, for justice, and tor a lasting peace. "2, The work to be put in hand as soon after the declaration of peace as practicable. . , "3. The art gallery to lie in a separate building with provision for future extension as set out in our memorandum or February H. ~ , "i. On receipt of a favourable repl> from the Government, wo, the undersigned members of tho Academy anil otlier bodies, and citizens, will use every endeavour to raise as large a sum as possible over and above .'the said m' l } l " mum of mOOO towards the cost ot the building, so that it may be worthy Qt the Dominion and of its great, and lasting significance as a memorial. "We submit that, apart from the question of n memorial, lhe otter we now make is one worthy of the most serious consideration. It. will ensure tjiat the Dominion Art Gallery, for which pipvision has already been made by lvgisUiuon, will do an institution to winch New Zealanders may point always witlt Miiisfacvioii aiul with priue. a galiei.* located on some lioor a wove the Museum would not, we teel, nitet tno lequneuients oi hie Dominion ior more than ag very lew years to come, and it is possible that such an opportunity .as we now urtord the Government ana the people ot ine Dominion may never again present itself. ' . , , . 1 "Wo havo refrained lrom touching upon the question of a site lor the buildiu", at) we reooguise that is « matter tor the Govenimeut. : On receipt, • however, ot a favourable reply to our proposal wo shall l» ghid to assist the Government in any way possi'ole in the selection of (i silo. Jn thanking you for your promise to place this proposal before Cabinet, may we ask that our Memorandum of H be attached for the information of Ministers." In addition to the signatures of the president and council uf the academy, the proposal! is endorsed by tjie Mayor, Messrs. W. 11. Field, and It, A. Wright, M.P.'s, the Hon. J. G. W. Aitken, chairman of the Education Board, Technical Education Board, College Hoard of Governors, Harbour Board, Chamber of Commerce, Wellington branch of the Institute of. Architects, War Relief Association, Victoria University College Council, President of the Trades and Labour Council, Director of Education, Public Service Commissioner, .Superintendent ot Technical Education, Government Architect, President of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce, president of the Law Societv, the Chief Justice, president of the Commercial; Travellers and Warehousemen's Association, and a number of prominent citizens.