CARTER BEQUEST

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 124, 27 May 1937, Page 11

CARTER BEQUEST

FINALITY POSSIBLE

AFTER FORTY YEARS

After long negotiations bStween the G»/ernment and interested parties, finality is apparently likely to bo realised in the matter of the Carter Bequest and Wellington will be the site of a. new astronomical observatory. ■ One. of the. chief items on the order paper of today's annual meeting of the Council of the Royal Society of New Zealand was consideration of a report 4nd a committee's recommendation on the.subject.

Before this was discussed, the president, the Rt. Rev. Bishop Williams, referred to the subject in his presidential address. , Dealing with the history of the bequest, which now extends over forty years, Bishop . Williams said that Mr. C. R. Carter, died in July, 1896. He made.the New Zealand Institute trustees of. his residuary, estate, amounting at that time to £2240, this to be held as the nucleus of a fund to establish,' equip, and maintain the staff, of an astronomical observatory in or near Wellington; and the testator expressed the hope that the fund would be augmented by private and public donations. ■

"It is obvious," said' Bishop Williams, "that' without such augmentation nothing worthy of support could be done and the council of the society invested the money' and allowed it to accumulate. ■ This policy has, from time to time, called forth much criticism both from within and without the society, and since 1920 the bequest has been the subject of much deliberation and activity on the part of the council and standing committee. Resolutions have been passed, committees set up, reports considered, conferences held with the1 City Council, the Government, and others, legal opinions obtained, and the result has been a considerable amount of friction— at .'times developing heat—and the. incurring. by the society of no little obloquy. "UNJUSTLY BLAMED." "In my opinion the society has.been unjustly blamed. The terms of the trust,' while very wide, are in some respects distressingly ; vague. The testator imposed no conditions as'to the time in which the proposed observatory was to be erected, nor did he indicate 'the magnitude of the scheme which he had in mind, and the trustees could only offer such solutions of these questions as ' satisfied themselves. After about a year's .quiescence, interest in the bequest was revived.last year by the circulation of a foolish rumour that the council proposed to give such, an interpretation to the expression 'near Wellington' as would allow them to erect an observatory in Central Otagp. This led to representations being made to the Government, and, as you are now aware, a further conference has been held and .this has resulted in the proposals now befpre you. which you will presently be invited to discuss. I. commend this scheme to your favourable consideration. It provides for the absorption in buildings and equipment pf about half of the £12,000 now available; to'meet which the City Council will provide a site and a 9-inch telescope, while the Government, and the ; city together will be responsible for the maintenance. The balance of the fund' will-be,, held available if or,-fur-ther development. - "It is proposed that the institution ■ should":be under,the control of aboard to be set up by Statute, on which the society would have representation, and the society as such would.be relieved of any further burden or responsibility in the matter. If you give, as I hope you will, your approval to, this scheme the necessary legislation will be introduced by the Government. And it is hoped that with the equipment. proposed an observatory will be founded in which something more than mere amateur stargazing will be carried, on. This I imagine to have been the wish of the testator." -.-■■■.-_ The council's consideration or tne proposals is taking place in committee. ■ . • ■