DOMINION MUSEUM

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 166, 9 April 1920, Page 6

DOMINION MUSEUM

NEED FOR A NEW BUILDING

THE QUESTION OF CONTROL

A suggestion made by The Dominion that Co billet's decision to pay a subsidy of JJ25.000 for the erection of a new museum at Auckland should be followed by a grant for the building of a new Dominion Museum in Wellington is, endorsed heartily by the Director of the Dominion .Museum, Dr. Alan Thomson. The inadequate and, indeed, unsafe ncct ii'.modiition provided for the national collections at the present time lias been the aubject of protest periodically for many years past. A sum of not l<ss thin .£100,0(10 is required for the erection of a Dominion Museum worthy of its name nnd purpose. But a grant of ,£25,000 would enable a start to be made nnd would provide within n year or two eecuro housing for some part of the collection < now contained in the old wooden building in Museum Street. Tli. l Dominion Museum differs from Hie museums in the other centres in that it is a national institution. It is in effect a branch of the Internal Affairs Department and its liiuinco is drawn from the public funds. The Hoard of Science and Art, which directs and controls the Dominio'i Museum, is a national body, 011 wliij.n the other cities are represented. Dr. Thomson points out that tlio staff of the Museum is engaged to a large extent on Government work, and that Wellirgton people have 110 more control ove- the institution than havo the people of Auckland, Canterbury and Otago. While this arrangement .continues, the onus of providing for the needs of the Dominion Museum rests upon the general Government and not upon the citizens of Wellington, who cannot be expected to regard the institution as a local one. '

The need for the erection of a new building is urgent. The Dominion Museum at present is much overcrowded. A grew quantity of exhibits is stored in packing cases because .there is no space for display. The tin shed to the north of the Museum building is packed like a gr;U lumber room with articles that tho public has no opportunity at all to see. Valuable exhibits admittedly are suffering deterioration owing to bad housing. The late Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. G. W. Kusseli, made tentative suggestions for the erection of a new building of adequate size, in fireproof material, adjacent to the present building, but no practical move appears to ha'O been, made. • The director has suggested that the Board of Science and Art should be constituted a Museum Trust and given control of the Dominion Museum apart from the Department of Internal Affairs. National museums in other countries are managed successfully by trusts, which are in a position to appeal for public support. "I have little doubt," snid Dr. Thomson, "that if the board v.ero constituted a trust, and an appeal made i:v the first place in the Wellington province, very substantial support would be forthcoming towards the building of a new Dominion Museum. At the same time the Government has postponed its duty in this matter of building for a numbe" of years, and a vote of ,£IOO,OOO is it; simple duty."