A PLEA FOR THE PAST

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 241, 11 April 1912, Page 6

A PLEA FOR THE PAST

WANTED, A MUSEUM! WHAT DELAY MEANS. (By "The Antiquary.") "I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wine." So much for the poet Goldsmith's sentiment; but does New Plymouth ever, midst the hurly-burly of the all-absorb-ing present, stop for one moment to reflect on those lines? If her inhabitants did, then the natural sequence is to look for some embodiment of their sentiments, say in the shape of a museum. One may, unfortunately, vainly search far and wide for any exterior evidence that Taranaki's capital has any thought for the past, except on rare and spasmodic occasions. "Let the dead past bury its past" seems to be a phrase which has peculiar application to New Plymouth. The years slip by, and Time's ever-changing loom continues to steadily efface one by one the records and landmarks of the town and its environs, but still nothing definite is done in the direction of establishing a museum, or some similar institution, in whieli to treasure up the remaining memorial® of generations gone by. It is surely a curious paradox that New Plymouth, as representing Taranaki, a district which is perhaps the richest in New Zealand as far as old and historical associations with the early pioneer growth of the I country are concerned, should be one of the last and most lax to appreciate this fact. Burke has it that "veneration of antiquity is congenial to the human mind," but living in New Plymouth it is difficult to realise that this is so. Ia it that with the advent of oil and the anticipation of iron her Inhabitants are too much engrossed with things material to care for those sentimental? "'Tis , but the tendency of the age," some will cry, but that is surely no excuse for New Plymouth's laxity. Peradventure the burgesses prefer to stifle the oualms !of their artistic consciences until such time as the province waxes rich, and then, but not till then, turn a listening ear to the passive call of the past. A WIDENING BREACH. The fallacy of a doctrine such as this is that each year places a still wider breach between the past and the present, with the inevitable result that much of the former, unless stored up, is irrevocably lost. Under adverse circumstances the local Carnegie Institute has done what it can to lay its hands on old documentary records of the early history of the town, but the Jabors have been eonJ fined to a few. What is wanted is a ) much larger measure of public support, j At present its hands are largely tied through not having any building suitable to store their treasures, much less to display them so that all may see. If the public will subscribe the initial funds for the purpose of erecting a museum, the Institute will doubtless do the rest. Once the building is up, exhibits in plenty will not be lacking.' It ailready possesses a valuable and comprehensive collection of proclamations issued at New Plymouth during the Maori war. These were described earlier in the year in an article in the News. In addition it has a number of rare editions of books relat-

ing both to local events and to the general history of New Zealand. UNABLE TO ACCEPT PROFFERED EXHIBITS.

1 Another pleasing feature is that Mr. Skinner lias offered to lend the institute his extremely valuable collections of curios and old records, which he has gathered during the past fyO years. Like other promised donations, however, his offer is contingent upon proper accommodation being provided for the colleci tion. In fact it is no exaggeration to j say that scores of Taranaki residents i would follow suit once a museum was j established. Meanwhile the opportunity ; has to go by the board. One can forej see, too, that it is only a matter of time 1 before many private collections will, if j they have not already done so, pass into | other hands, perhaps those 'of strangers, upon whom New Plymouth has no claim J fi om the point of view of sentiment. 2 There are many old pioneers in the district who possess an odd Ma*ori curio or old record or two which they would readily hand over to a local museum. Their ranks, however, are fast diminishing, and the auctioneer's hammer will, in many cases, place their possessions beyond the reach of the Institute. ON WHOSE SHOULDERS?

Danger from fire is another reason why the erection of a museum should be proceeded with without any further delay. At present the Institute stands on this account to lose much of what it already possesses or has in view. Natu- : rally the Institute has to turn towards some responsible and recognised body for a lead in the matter. In this connection the borough council has been mentioned. Indeed, it is understood that adthough the matter has not been broached officially there is more than a likelihood of a scheme for the erection of up-to-date municipal building, in which provision would be made for a public museum, being seriously discussed in the near future. A museum could then easily be run in conjunction with the Carnegie Library. _ WHERE THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY COMES IN.

Incidentally it is interesting to note that a claim for a museum need not necessarily be based on sentiment only. Such an institution could, with advantage, be made to include a permanent agricultural section, which would be both interesting and instructive. For instance, in Palmerston North recently Mr. T. W. Kirk, Government Biologist, in addressing a meeting of the Philosophical Society, urged the desirableness of establishing in that town an agricultural museum, where could be exhibited a carefully prepared and described collection of types illustrating the different processes of agriculture and the manufacture of agricultural products, differof soil and their treatment, the enemies to be combatted, and the best methods of dealing with them. He pointed out that Palmerston was peculiarly adapted for such a museum, and promised that his department would assist in every way the establishing 'of such an institution. The society decided to do all in its power to carry out the scheme, and to invite the Manawatu A. and P. Association to co-operate. Now, turning to our own case, if Palmerston, why not New Plymouth? Summed up. it is not unreasonable to suppose that the New Plymouth district is keenly alive to the present, and also has—as is seen in the development of oil and ironsand—a very keen eye to the future, will not, if given that lead at present wanting, entirely neglect the past! •;