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templated without a budget, independent of the interest from the endowment fund, at the disposal of the Curator, acting with the guidance of the Board of Directors if thought desirable. Money must be available not only for upkeep but also for the purchase of specimens. This is why a thoroughly competent Curator, qualified to discriminate between the genuine and the forgery, is absolutely essential.
6. There should be available a travel fund, to be used at the discretion of the Board of Directors, to enable the Curator or one of his assistants, or a visiting student or scientist working in the museum, to visit cities in China. The Curator must be encouraged to widen his experience of things Chinese and a man of the standing required would certainly wish to do this. When on home leave the Curator should be encouraged to study in European or American museums.
7. The annual budget should provide for the salaries of the Curator and of at least two Chinese assistants. These should be Chinese scholars who have had experience either in reputable Chinese museums or with the Academia Sinica. Knowledge of English should not be an essential qualification. These two men could train and instruct young Chinese as technicians whose wages would also have to be met out of the annual budget. The technicians, working under the direction of the Curator and his assistants, would prepare the specimens for exhibition and design labels, mounts, backgrounds, etc. We feel sure that there would be no difficulty in recruiting the right people for these posts.
8. Provision must also be made for the staff of clerks, coolies, messengers and watchmen as well as two or three technicians.
(e) Access of public.
In the old City Hall Museum access was free to all and sundry, in consequence it became a resting ground for illiterate coolies and the poorest of the Chinese who came in and out of the cold or rain in search of shelter. Under conditions of this nature the real students were discouraged. Whilst not wishing to exclude the poorer classes we yet do not think that the objects of the museum would be fulfilled if such were freely admitted.
We suggest that an entrance fee of 10 cents be charged, this would entitle anyone to enter. School children in parties of from 10 to 20 in charge of a teacher should be admitted free. We suggest that a Museum Association be opened to the public at an annual subscription of $1.00 which would provide free entry for one
year.
There is a further possibility that persons of means, who were interested in the objects of the museum, might be invited to become patrons by donating annually a sum of not less than $100.
V. SITE.
Since the use to which the Albany site should be put is due for re-consideration on February 1st, 1938, we suggest that the possibility of its adoption as a site for the museum be entertained.
The area would allow of ample space for a central block 100 feet by 40 feet and of two side wings 80 feet by 40 feet. These would provide sufficient space for the rooms which we consider necessary to house the exhibits.
Sketch plan, enclosure E*, gives a possible lay-out of such buildings.
• Not printed.
(Sd.) G. A. C. HERKLOTS,
12.1.38.
(Sd.) W. SCHOFIELD,
12.1.38.
(Sd.) A. D. BRankston.
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Appendix I
REPORTS ON THE MUSEUMS OF
CEYLON, BRITISH MALAYA, THE WEST INDIES, ETC.
*
THE MUSEUMS OF HONG KONG.
The Museum situation in Hong Kong.
Mention has already been made of the fact that Hong Kong represents the low-water mark in museum provision throughout the whole of the Empire, excepting only the smaller islands of the Pacific and some of the more backward African territories, but this statement, sweeping as it is, is not sufficient to give a general idea of the museum backwardness of this Colony. It is true there was a small museum in the City Hall building which existed precariously from 1874 to 1933, but even this has now disappeared, and the Hong Kong authorities generously presented part of the collections to a Portuguese Museum in Macao and to other institutions. In the same City Hall building there was a library consisting mainly of 19th century books in a very poor state; some of the more valuable books and many of the less valuable have been attacked by pests of all kinds, and even the recent attempt of the British Museum authorities to have proper precautionary methods taken may prove to be too late. The University, the Hong Kong Club and the Helena May Institute have libraries open to their members, and there is a fine Chinese library in the University, but apart from these there is little public library provision. When it is realised that the population of the Colony is 841,000 and its area just under 400 square miles, or three to four times that of Malta, it will be realised how lacking in certain cultural amenities is this Colony.
On the other hand the Botanic Gardens include a fine herbarium and a small, but good, botanic library. There are, of course, teaching collections at the Univer- sity, which has a fine Medical School. To these may be added the Sir Paul Chater collection of objects d'art which is to be handed over to the Government on the death of Lady Chater. The Government already own the Chater collection of pictures, which is temporarily housed in various public buildings and offices.
It would seem, therefore, that there is a need in the Colony for a cultural centre embracing a Library, a Museum and possibly an Art Gallery, and there are indica- tions that such a proposal is at the moment being considered by the Government. Such a scheme would obviously command approval if there were some indication that the Government would recognize and assist such an Institution on terms at least comparable with the Colombo Museum or the Raffles Museum at Singapore. If some such guarantee were forthcoming, if there were definite indications that a first- class librarian and a first-class curator would be appointed, then without doubt Hong Kong would soon be as advanced in museum and library services as the best of the other Colonies.
At the moment the Hong Kong University is becoming an authoritative centre of information on the Biological Sciences for the whole of China, and comparatively large quantities of fauna and flora are being collected and sent away to Universities These authorities and Museums throughout the world for classification and study. not only return named specimens, but also write up the data in the form of articles,
Hong Kong Naturalist "- -an the best of which are published in the
excellent quarterly publication now in its fourth year. But nowhere in Hong Kong is there any adequate public museum of Chinese flora or fauna to supplement this excellent work, and it would seem as if the University itself should take the lead in founding a Museum of Natural History (archaeology might be added later) in order that its work on these lines may be more adequate.
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