DOMINION MUSEUM

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 178, 23 April 1920, Page 8

DOMINION MUSEUM

GOVERNMENT MUST ACT "POSITION UTTERLY UNTENABLE" The Government, through the Under Secretary for Internal Affaii?, has prohibited the export from the Dominion of the collection of New Zealand-insects made by the. lnte Major T. Broun. This collection, the best ever made by a New Zealand entomologist, is considered by the Government to be of poculiar iuterest to this country, and the UnderSecretary states that it ought to be placed in the Dominion Museum for reference purposes. This action of the Government has given added point to the demand that a Dominion Museum worthy, of the ' title, should be erected. Tho, national collections at present are packed, rather than displayed,; in tho old, cramp ed and worm-eaten building in Museum Street. Articles of great scientific and historical valuo are deteriorating because they cannot be protected from tie weather and the borer. Important sections of the collections cannot be shown Jo the public at all, since they must remain in storage. The building contains the most important; scientific library in New Zealand, that of tho New Zealand Institute. The whole museum 19 exposed to the danger of .fire. "The' Government has made position utterly untenable," said a local scientist yesterday. "The Broun collection of insects is of high scientific value. Major Broun bequeathed it to the British Museum. The New Zealand Government says the collection ought to be placed in the Dominion Museum. Well, where,.is it going to be placed, and how is it going to be-protected?. It cannot be placed in the present museum without removing other exhibits. If it is nhicod there it will not be safe. The Ministers, who virtually, commandeer an important collection and who have not got anything better than insecure storage to offer it are making themselves a laugh-ing-stock. After this, there should bo no delay in starting the erection of a new Dominion Museum." a visitor^slmpressions Dr. Stokes, Registrar of Yale University, said during his address:at .Victoria University College last evening, that ho had visited the Dominion Museum in Wellington, and was- greatly impressed by the/wonderful precious collection of Maori curios it contained. Ho was amazed, however, to find that such n priceless collection should bo housed in a wooden building, and thought it very perilous. Sir Robert Stout, in moving a vote of thanks, reverted to the samo subject, and said that the references Dr. Stokes had made to tho Dominion Museum should stir the peoplo of Wellington up to end a state of affairs which allowed so many valuable relics to bo housod in a wooden building. In Otago, 47 ~ years ago, they had built a brick museum, and surely tho people of Wellington could ouiulato this.