The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-08-30
MUSEUM NOT
FOR THE PUBLIC
CONTINUED from Page one.)

/
is taken up in protecting the museum
/ during the days it is open to the pub
/ lie. The museum is either altogether
without store rooms, work rooms, labor
atories and library, or needs additional
room for the purpose. The trustees
recognize this and have determined to
keep the expenses down and 20 set
apart the entire surplus income of the
trust for the purpose of providing
these needs The museum is open regu-
larly on Fridays and Saturdays and
! tourists on through steamers may visit
the museum during the time their
steamers are in port. The museum is
open not less than three days a week
on an average during the year. When
the museum is open il requires the at
tendance of nearly every member Of
the staff including two janitors to pro-
teet the property of the museum. II
the exhibition halls were not used for
work rooms when the museum is closed
it would be possible to open the mu-
scum on additional days by employ
ing three or four more caretakers, but
this would cause an additional expen-
diture which the trustees are not justi-
fed at this time in making for the
purpose of increasing the number Of
open days.
Until the new work rooms, etc, arc
erected and equipped, for which the
trustees have not yet the necessary
funds. they would not be justified i'm
mourning any further expense The
trustees can not ignore the fact that
the museum is primarily a scientific
institution.
I believe I am right in saying that
the opening of the British Museum
or the South Kensington Museum in
London, referred to by your CORE
spondent Kamaaina, does not pui the
trustees of these institutions TO any
cost. as the collections there are wholly
guarded by the London police. The
request that was made sometime ago
for police to aid in guarding the col.
lections of the Bernice p. Bishop Mw-
scum was refused.
IT must not be supposed from he
leading articles and letters that have
appeared that the museum is not visit
ed by the people of this Territory. Last
year-an average one-the attendance
of such people exceeded 5000. A very
large number of these were Japanese
and Chinese 1t seems strange that
people of these races, who work zl-
most daily and earn bat few dollars
week, can find time to visit the mu-
scum, and that the other inhabitants,
all in comparison very much richer
in time and money, are unable to do
so. Over year ago the trustees de-
termined to have the museum opened
on holidays and ADVERTISED tie fact,
but the response was not eneouragcd
and they have determined to cut down
the number of holidays on which the
museum viii be open in the future.
That the notice of the opening On
holidays had been seen was apparent
from the fact that on the first two
holidays after the advertisement first
appeared, about two hundred and fifty
visitors were present on each day. The
number during last six holidays was
never in excess of six; it did not aver
age four.
There is no rule compelling visitors
to register and person has TO be
someone of Importance to be invited
to do so. The rule requiring the re-
movaI by men of their hats is one in
The interests Of decorum and order. To
obey it is a small price to pay for
the great privilege the people have OK
visiting without cost a museum found
ed and endowed solely from private
source.
1t is true some Of the government
property is stored and preserved at the
museum, and this fact is not forgotten
bv either the trustees or those imme-
diately in charge of the museum. When
the public provide a place for the
safety of this property. the knowledge,
skill and means necessary to keep ~
in a state of preservation; and opPor-
tunities for its inspection and exam
nation, all Of which is furnished today
by the museum without cost 20 the
government, 1 do not think the trus-
tees will grieve at being relieved OF
the responsibility of its custody.
HENRY HOLMES
August %, 1908,