50 years ago

HAMILTON Art Gallery’s finances would deteriorate markedly if visitors were charged admission, gallery director, Mr. John Ashworth, said yesterday. Charging people, particularly tourists, had been proven a major failure in British and other Australian art galleries, he said. Hamilton people crying for introduction of admission charges were poorly informed about the administration, finances and regulations of a gallery such as Hamilton’s. Many of these people were over-stating the role of the tourists who visited it, Mr. Ashworth said. Mr. Ashworth strongly defended the gallery’s policy of free admittance and use of a donation box for tourists who wanted to give money towards it. In the latest salvo of criticism against this policy, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce has written to Hamilton City Council, asking it to reconsider.