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Annual General Meeting: 25th February, 1907.
Professor A. P. W. Thomas, Vice-President, in the chair.
Abstract of Annual Report.
The report stated, inter alia, that during the twelve months thirty-one new members had been elected, but fourteen names had been withdrawn from the roll, the net gain being seventeen, and the total membership at present 170. Among the removals by death, reference was made to the late Rev. Dr. Purchas, who was one of the founders of the Institute, as well as being associated with its affairs for many years. Other deaths were those of Messrs. James Adams, H. Campbell, and T. W. Kitt.
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In regard to finance it was stated the total revenue of the Working Account had been £1,849 13s. 4d., but deducting such items as £655 1s. subscribed for the erection of the Maori house and the purchase of the late Mr. Fenton's pataka, £95 temporarily withdrawn from the Investment Account for the same purpose, and £137 18s. received on account of the Mackechnie bequest for the purchase of groups of mammals, the total ordinary revenue was £961 13s. 6d., as compared with £982 5s. 1d. last year. The receipts from the invested funds of the Costley bequest amounted to £356 5s., and the Museum endowment yielded in rents and interest £338 19s. 8d. The expenditure totalled £1,824 2s. 9d., inclusive of amounts expended over the erection of the Maori house and purchase of the pataka, and the disbursements in connection with the groups of mammals. Excluding these items the ordinary expenditure was £898 1s. 8d., leaving a credit balance of £84 4s. 3d. The total amount of the invested funds of the Institute was £16,373 11s. 8d.
The chief advance made in the Museum has been in connection with the Maori collection, consisting of the Maori house “Rangitihi” and the pataka, or food-house, the latter being regarded as one of the most perfect examples of Maori art in existence. The Council recorded its grateful thanks to the citizens who gave such liberal and sympathetic assistance towards providing the means to make these permanent additions to the Museum. The cost of the house has amounted to £639 17s. 6d., and there remained a deficiency of £179 5s. 8d., which for the present has been borrowed from the Capital Account, and will be met by a Government subsidy of £1 for £1, not yet paid.
In the zoological department the principal addition is the third group of mounted animals provided for by the Mackechnie bequest, consisting of a polar bear and three musk oxen—male, female, and young; while a fourth group, which will comprise a zebra and several South African antelopes, is in preparation in London, and should arrive during the autumn. This will exhaust the funds of the bequest. The interest on the special bequest of £2,000 made by the late Mrs. Mackechnie in favour of the library has been regularly received and expended in the purchase of books, in all three consignments having been received from London. The growth of the library will soon make the question of additional accommodation a very pressing one.
In concluding the report the Council tendered its thanks to the numerous donors to the Museum and library, and referred to the generous action of the Shaw Savill Company in carrying free the large cases of mammals.
Election of Officers for 1907.—President—E. V. Miller; Vice-presidents—Professor F. D. Brown and Professor A. P. W. Thomas; Council—J. L. Bagnall, H. Haines, H. D. M. Haszard, J. Kirker, T. Peacock, D. Petrie, J. A. Pond, J. Reid, Professor H. W. Segar, J. Stewart, J. H. Upton; Secretary and Treasurer—T. F. Cheeseman; Auditoi—W. Gotrie.