THE MUSEUM

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 11, 8 October 1919, Page 8

THE MUSEUM

PRICELESS TROPHIES IN MEAN QUARTERS A new museum building is urgently necessary for the following reasons (.says the Director of the Dominion Museum in • his annual report): !• irstly, the existing building is' riot fireproof, and cannot bo ; made fireproof. Collections of priceless value are stored in this building and the storo shed, which is also not fireproof. Jlontion need only be made or '.. the Lord St. Oswald collection of Polynes- '. ian curio 3 brought back l>y Captain Cook ' on-his voyage of discovery. Now Zealand owes''a ""duty not only to herself, but to the-iwhole world, in regard to. this and other' collections. No commercial corpor.ation would hold such valuables without the- beat possible insurance, and for the ' / Government the best insurance is a fires' proof building. Secdndly; the existing building is badlj riSled by boring-beetles, which it is .. impossible, to "eradicate. This constitutes ; , a ■ .continual danger to the many fine :''■'■ pieces of Maori Wood-carving housed ii» ; " the building. ■ Thirdly, the existing building is too small by many times for the collections, ■.•'•' which aro consequently badly overcrowd ed. As a result the display of specimens :■■■ has"little educational value, and is in- :.'• e.vitably creating amongst youthful vis- ■'■■■ itors and school teachers tho idea that a museum is a heterogeneous collection of curios, whereas under proper condi- ' tiona it is capable of creating idoas of natural law, order, and beauty, and of supplementing the historical and geo--.1 graphical teachings of school and university/ '.' Further, the overcrowding in both museum and the store-shod hampers '.;. the study of the accumulated material and is retarding many branches of scien- '■■■■ tific-research in New Zealand. ','To him .that hath shall be given' is a.\maxim that holds especially true in 1 ■■ museum experience. The failure of the : museum to house Jxsyond danger of firo and to display suitably the collections it already possesses inevitably tends to discourago donors of valuable collections. ':'■ Thus, for instance, the failure of the .Government to display suitably the Maori collection donated by the trustees of Sir "Walter Buller has prevented tho donation of his invaluable bird collection, and it now appears probable thai I his collection has been lost to Now Zea- ,"• land. .

Dr. Thomson refer* to other reasons quite as important, and submits this ono last of nil:— Finally, if what has been said above is not convincing as to the .immediatenecessity of a new building, the position In regard to New Zealand's part in tho war should overeome all doubts. The Imperial Government have founded an Imperial War Museum to record for nil time the valour of the Empire's fighting services, tho sacrifices of the Empire's peoples, and the ability of the inventors,, scientists, and manufacturers. In its small way the Dominion Museum has pursued the samo objects in tho foundation of <i War Section, which nevertheless has grown to such dimensions as io exhaust all the available exhibition and store space. Meanwhile th" War Records; Section of tho Defence Donnrtment in London has mado largo collections of all kinds, including many pictures and sketches, and had influenced the Allied Governments to send to New Zealand collections illustrating their equipment. The existing accommodation is utterly inadequate oven to store this material, now coming to hand, "nd further buildings are imperative. The planning and commencement of a new building should not bo delayed a singlo month