INSTITUTE AND MUSEUM

Evening Star, Issue 21751, 20 June 1934, Page 6

INSTITUTE AND MUSEUM

CLOSER CO-OPERATION URGED UNIVERSITY COUNCIL APPROVES PRINCIPLE The principle of closer co-operation between- the Otago Institute and the Museum was approved by yesterday’s meeting of the University Council, but the Chancellor (Mr W. J; Morrell) said that the committee of management of the Museum had reserved the question of fusion to a later date. The committee reported that it had before it the report of a conference between representatives of the committee and representatives of the Otago Institute in connection with the question of a fusion of the two bodies under the control of the University Council. The conference affirmed the desirability of fusion between the Otago Institute and the Otago University Museum under the authority of the University Council, it being understood that the proposed Joint Committee of the Institute and Museum would function in the same manner as the present Museum Management Committee, being simply advisory to the University Coun-. oil. The reasons in support of this proposal were that the proposed fusion would: —(a) Provide for a more corporate life for the Museum: (b) extend educational facilities to tne public; (c) provide for increased financial support from, the public; (d).tend to fulfil the ideal indicated in the Markham report, where it states “ the Museum should be a meeting place for various clubs and societies, an encouragement to all seekers after knowledge, and an educational centre for the town and province.” The committee reported that the report had been received, and that it had carried a motion heartily accepting the principle of closer co-operation between the Institute and the Museum, and requests the sub-committee previously appointed to confer again with the sub-committee of the Institute and to prepare a tentative general scheme in regard especially to management, control, and finance. Moving the adoption of the report, the Chancellor said that the committee had affirmed the principle of closer cooperation between the Institute and the Museum, and the scheme referred to would be before the committee at the next meeting. Mr L. Deans Ritchie said he wished to make it clear that the council was merely adopting the principle of cooperation and not the principle of fusion whatever might be the position in future.

Mr Morrell said that the committee had reserved the question of fusion to a later date.

The council adopted the report