THE HOCKEN LIBRARY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 72, 4 July 1910, Page 5

THE HOCKEN LIBRARY.

I GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE ASKED. By Telegraph—Press Association. j x Wellington, Last Night. A N deputation of Otago members of both Houses, headed by Mr .J. F. Ar--1 nold, M.P., waited on the Prime Minister this morning with a request for Government; assistance to local efforts tio provide a fund to maintain the Hocken library at Dunedin. Mr. Arnold stated that if £OOOO were raised, its interest would suffice to pay the salary of a librarian and add any ■new discoveries that might be made from time to time. It was therefore decided to ask the Government, for a pound for pound subsidy on public subscriptions up to £3OOO/ Members of the deputation laid stress on the fact that the late Dr. Hoeken's gift was to the Dominion, and not merely to Dunedin, and the Hon. J. TJ Paul mentioned that if the collection j bad been located in Wellington the Government would probably have borne the whole coiit of its housing and maintenance. Mr. Craigie, of Timaru, also supported the request of the deputation. | In reply. Sir Joseph Ward said that he would be pleased to lay the matter 'before Cabinet at an early date, and give an answer as soon as possible. Hei fully recognised the good work done by the late Dr. Hockey and his liberality, j and he thought that the Government had shown its sympathy with Dr.; Hoeken's efforts by contributing £2BIO 14s fid towards the building i« which it was housed. He mentioned that the! matter of granting a further Government subsidy towards its maintenance! would have been simplified had the col-j lection been nlaced in the Dunedin Pub-' lie Library instead of in one of the! buildings attached to Otago University.