DOMINION MUSEUM

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 231, 24 June 1920, Page 6

DOMINION MUSEUM

NEW BUILDING POSTPONED

THE QUESTION OF CONTROL

BOARD OF TRUSTEES PROPOSED

?'.,'"'■■' The erection of a new Dominion ','■'. /Museum is to be postponed indefinitely, ;'.. '*''according to a. statement made by the :/,"- Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. G. ,1. ;■■'.■' Anderson) at tho meeting of the Board ;.':• of Science and Art yesterday. The Y.' : \ Minister said that tho Government had very little money now.for anything hut : '■■■..■ ..purely-utilitarian works, such as the !...■ building of roads' and railways arid the '■■-';... 'erection-of homes for the people. The '•,'■_ erection of new- Museum buildings in v.'"' '.-.; r Wellington must be further postponed. ;■;. ;: ; : .This was regrettable, but unavoidable. \' y - .. It was true that the Government had tc ?:■■■■?■■> ;cently voted .£20.000 for the Auckland ;",' : Museum, but that was, by 'way of sub-, £'.:," ..;•;sidy.Y, The Dominion Museum .was a' ! ■■ institution, supported by the i- YYY country as a whole, and• it could not. ;.,'-■: " ■ hope to receive local donations of the f.i '■■■;' kind that.were given to a local museum. sY' I '•':.■.';' .He suggested that the Dominion Museum !; i,. --^wo'uld-do;-better if it were placed under i ■■'■ ;■'■■■■:. the control of aboard of trustees. There ; :'Y ought to be people in Wellington Proi ■■•'.■ ". vince who would come, to the assistance j:..-; "..of the Museum. ':• Y "■"■...(.:'.<•.> Professor Easterfield said the difficulty j. ■■' 'was, that ihe Dominion Museum was a ;■;,'". .Government, institution. ■ > The people of j ; Wellington had no greater inducement to •;.. . -put money into it than into any other \ ..:■■ Government Department. ' j.:Y."-,;. : Mr'yAnderson said that if a board of j. ' -trustees were established, tho people of {.'.v'..-..'. Wellington would then have a prior > ■;■ ~'.r , 'right ,to it." I ■ "'...The'Hon.' G. At. Thomson.agreed that iy .a board of trustees might heiVp matters. ■':'.;.' Y The need of the'erection of a (,' ■' capable of housing the national 'j/ ;■-■ '■' collections was very great. He would !:■ ;■ like to see people Inking a [■;•. .. '■ ; greater interest in the institution. But j:--, '■■; •.'•the i Dominion Museum Would remain a' r■.;..'••■' flatjonai! institution, since it housed Y;..;■•■ y-national collections. -Many more imY-. ..v\portant gifts would'be made to it if it f "had.adequate fireproof accommodation. jY ■ Y.« .'The"Minister said the creation of a Y !• "■:'■ board of trustees seemed to him to be.tho ;; o„.most practical way cf getting-a neiv ;." '•'•»' museum building within, say, five cr six Y :'.;. Y' years. If .the Dominion Museum stayed ■;. ..'Y'.Y.on:. its present basis, he saw no chance.of Y -a new building within ten years. r', <;'■ ..," Mr. H. F. Von Haast suggested that tho j... '",," cruestion was whether or not the Domin- ;■ ■■''''. ion Museum was to remain a Government ?•'•' ■'■ ;• institution. .:,..,.,,:'' j) r , iHan .Thomson thought this was ;■'■'"'■■' . not the correct view. National museuniß

» ' ■ '. in'other parts of the world'had boards of r.;... - trustees, which, worked under the govern-' "V. -ments. '■ The Auckland Museum had a : : -; ' "• ■ board of trustees, and was able to bring , ..pressure upon the Government, to sub-,. '■/• ■'■ ■ . Bidiso local bequests ah,d donations. The j: ■ Dominion. Museum had no board. " : It r. .' : .Was»controlled directly, by; the Govern- ;.''.'-.' ment, and could make no appeal .to the . L -public. ' ;- f ■:,".-•■■ .;,. Professor Easterfield said it-would be' ;■-■ :.- a sad confession-that the Government was ..:' : not sumcienlCy interested in the rational a museum in the capital city to give it e-■-.'•.','reasonable support! ': ;._ .''.'. The Minister said the present system had :■:' not beenasuccess. ; - A business .arrange-' { . ment would be to put the museum under I'-■-.'■"• a.board of trusteed which could seek to ;■',': raise funds from tho public. The' Do- [:'•'• . minion.Museum was a.Wellington insti- ';: tution as well ns a national one. ; The ;'■ ii, British Museum had a board of trustees, '7. .which had-full control of the. annual !'':•'..■ '7. Government grant. • ■ , ;; .::■;-■ ft The board, on the motion of' Mr. von i. ■ Haast, adopted a motion urging the Gov- ;-■' ernmenl to proceed at the earliest pos- • '■ Bible moment with the erection of a new ;.' ■> iflreproof Dpminion Museum and Library, : in view of tho danger fe which the na- • tional collections were, now exposed, and the ■ impossibility of displaying the collections in the, present inadequate tuild-j-.v:>-ings.:. <■•....' . . j.: ,v..'After considering the matter in conw ('■ .'"mittee'the board decided that a committ, tee should be directed ■■■to report to the \y ■ nest meeting on the question of placing. J -.'•• the Dominion the ;TunVbun i':'. ■• - Library, - and. the National Art Gallery ! : . underthe control of a board of trustees. : -' ,'-TA'o" bqgrd also-resolved:—"That this \\;." ■■-' bc&rd fepeats its recommendation, that it f ■ ..-■-.'-' is desirable that- the National Art -'Gal-. .■'.-'' ;'...,lery should be placed underseparatecon-/'-'•;'•-:!'"trbl from the Dominion Museum and the '-. ' ~v , pominion Library," . '