TAURANGA MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IV, Issue 332, 13 November 1875, Page 3

TAURANGA MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE.

The annual meeting of members of the above Institute was held in the Heading Room on Wednesday evening. There was a tolerably good attendance. The President (Mr E. Q. Norris) having opened the meeting in the usual form, proceeded to read the following report of the retiring committee for the year ending October 31, 1875:

REPORT. Your Committee in presenting their report for the past year bare but little information to give beyond the statistical statement of the affairs of the Institute during that period. There has, however, been a slight increase in the number of subscribers, but as yet there have been no means available for giving increased accommodation to members. Your Committee can, however, compliment the members on the financial position of the Institute, as the balance sheet annexed to this report will show, there being a cash balance in the hands of the Treasurer of £l7 16s sd, which, with 4s 9d cash in hands of Librarian, and £l3 due on account of subscriptions, makes a credit balance of £3l 1 s 2d, against which the.-.- a.- - ' m, ; rntniitics amounting to £7, At the present time mere are 33 annua! subscriber* and ST quiu-nv.y. beh-ier* a manr-cr of monthly—-a amaa huger number thau in I preceding years..

i The addition to the Library during the last j year has been 12 volumes of periodical, umi | <lO volumes of general reading ; but there has* been no Provincial Government grant during that time,.nor have Tour Committee received the balance duo to them for the preceding year. Mr Cdgcumbe has kintliy presented the Australasian Sk etcher during that period. The issue of books and periodicals for the past year have been 2,570, being a considerable decrease from the previous, the issue then being 3'64'7. Your Committee cannot account for this, seeing that the number of subscribers has increased.

A sum of £lO fas been set apart by your Committee for the purchase of new book?, and the Book Committee are making arrangements accordingly. The amount, of subscriptions received during tho year have been £74 7s ; sale of waste paper and lamps, £3 12s 3d ; and a donation from Mr (Jlarebrough of £T 3s, being a sum collected to hand to that gentleman for painting the name of rhe Institute on the building, but which he declined to accept, and did the required work without charge, for which be received the thanks of the Committee,

There were two entertainments during the past year—one by the Dramatic Club, and one musical and vocal one at which many ladies and gentlemen, new arrivals in the district, materially assisted, and the proceeds of which greatly augmented the funds of the Institute, the amount being £23 3s lOd, During the past year the Vice President, Mr Ball, left the district, having previously resigned office, and the President, Mr Edgcumbe, also resigned. As tbeir seats could not be tilled without calling a general meeting of the members, your Committee, through the Ilonorory Secretary, called such meeting on the 21at August last, when E. (I. ’Norris, Esq., was elected President, and C. N. .Roberts, Esq., Vice-President. To avoid the necessity of calling a special meeting again, which is an expense to the Institute, notice has been given by Mr G. D. Smith of iiis intention to propose an alteration in rule 10, section 3. It will be for this meeting to carry out such. Your Committee regret that the number of subscribers is not greater in proportion to the number of the population, and they draw the attention of all the members to the necessity of their helping the Co nmittee by inducing new corners to become subscribers. Your Committee have been unable to take any steps in establishing classes, or in the delivery of lectures —one of the primary objects for which Mechanics’ Institutes are established, owing to the want of accommodation, your Committee thinking that sufficient talent is to be found in the district if the funds and room could be provided. Your Committee now resign their trust into your hands. E. G. Nonius, President of tire Committee. Tauranga, November 10, 1875. BALANCE SHEET. Income . £ b. d. November Ist, 1874 — Balance in hand ... 7 2 6 November let, 1875 — Subscriptions ... 74 7 0 Sale of waste paper ... 2 1 3 Sale of lamps .. 1 H 0 Proceeds ot Entertainments... 22 310 Donations (Clarebrough) ... 1 3 0 Total ... £IOB 8 7 Expenditure, £ 9. d. November Ist, 1875 Librarian’s salary ... 25 10 0 Periodicals (newspapers and magazines) ... 14 13 2 Books ... 20 13 0 Sundries ... 3 16 1 Lighting, fuel, coal .. 7 6 5 Insurance ... 1 4 0 Purchase of new lamps . . 4 9 6 Printing, advertising, stationery ~600 Donation to lato Librarian ... 5 0 0 Petty cash ... 1 15 3 Balance credit to next year ... 18 1 2 Total ... £IOB 8 7 Wo certify that we have examined this balance sheet with the books and vouchers of the Mechanics’ Institute for the year ending 31st October, 1875, and find the same correct. John Thomson 1 Auditor<i E. S. WoODIiFFFR j Mr Norris having' retired from the chair, Mr Floyd was elected chairman of the meeting. Mr Firth Wrigiev proposed, and Mr Brennan seconded, that the report as read be adopted. , Carried unanimously. Captain Lloyd proposed a vote of thanks to the retiring officers for the bale manner in which they had conducted the affairs of the Institute during their term of office. Mr Redmond seconded the proposition, which was carried unanimously. The election of officers for the ensuing year was then proceeded with. president and tioe-pbesident. Mr Redmond proposed that Messrs Norris and O. N, Roberts be re-elected President and 'Vice-President respectively. Mr Roller seconded the proposition, which was carried unanimously. TBEASUBEB. Mr Burrows was unanimously reelected to the office of Treasurer on the proposition of Mr Roller, seconded by Mr Gray. COMMITTEE. Mr Firth Wrigiey proposed as members of Committee, Messrs Bodell, Brennan, Hannon, T. D. Wrigiev, and Burrows. Mr Redmond seconded the proposition. Mr Burrows being a member of committee ex officio, Mr Norris proposed, and Mr Edgcumbe seconded, that Mr Firth Wrigiev be nominated in the place of Mr Burrows, Dr Armitago and Messrs Floyd, Sisley, McßeHar, and Roller were glso proposed as members of the com-

mittee, but requested to be allowed to decline. The following gentlemen —viz., Messrs Bodcll, Brennan, Hannon, T. I). Wrigley, and Firth Wrigley, were therefore elected committee-men for the ensuing term. AUDITORS. Messrs John Thomson and Woodruffe were re-elected auditors on the proposition of Mr Kerris, seconded by Mr Corbett. PROPOSED ALTERATION IN RULE 10. Mr G. 13. Smith, in accordance with a notice given by him, proposed that in rule 10. section 3, the words “President and Tice-Presidcnt” should be added, so that in the event of one or both of these officers retiring during their term of office, the committee might have power to elect their successor. Messrs Henry, Redmond, Firth Wrigley, and Norris opposed the motion, as they considered too much power would thereby be placed in the hands of the committee, and that such election should be left to a general meeting of the members. Mr Edgcumbe also opposed the proposition, and said that he would rather see an alteration made in the present rule to the effect that vacancies in the committee should be filled up at a general meeting of subscribers, and not by the committee as at present, lie believed in submitting such elections in all instances to the ordeal of public opinion. Captain Lloy dseconded the resolution pro forma . Mr Redmond proposed as an amendment, and Mr Firth Wrigley seconded, that no alteration be made in the rules of the Institute, The amendment was carried. Tins closed the business of the meeting, and as no other subject was brought forward for consideration a vote of thanks was given to the chairman, and the proceedings terminated.