THE NAPIER ATHENÆUM.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3766, 10 August 1883, Page 2

THE NAPIER ATHENÆUM.

[To tiie Editor of the Dail? Telegrami.] Sin, —Permit me to thank you for the very suggestive leader -which appeared in your last night's issue having reference to the Napier Atheiireum. The facts which you have quoted go to prove pretty conclusively, so it seems to me, that a comparatively fewpeople are participating in privileges which more or less belong to every resident iv Hawke's Bay. It is evident that our socalled Athemeum was established for the common benefit of all. Tho land upon which the library stands is public land, and many of the books have been purchased at the public expense. Tho geological and natural history specimens—the nucleus of a much needed museum—have been given for the use of the public, and yet how many are there in Napier who receive benefit therefrom P As at present constituted the Athcnoeum is of little public utility, and " i each year the tendency is for it to become more and more exclusive. The guinea a year subscription may suit tho majority of the present subscribers, but if it bo the desire of the jnembers of the body corporate '' to confer the greatest good upon the greatest number," it will be necessary to charge the constitution of the Athenaeum without delay. There is a growing class of young people for whom I venture to suggest the Athenseum. should be made available. I estimate that about two hundred boys and girls over fournteen years of ago leave school annually in. this town. They are mostly employed—the boys in office duties, and the girls in housework—during the day, but how do they occupy their evenings ? I submit that, if the Athenreum fulfilled the evident intention of the resolution proposed by Mr Tiffeu so long ago as 1859, the reading room would be available for these young people, the subscriptions to the library would be such as to attract them as members, and evening classes would be in operation for their improvement and instruction. But these benefits can only be obtained by bringing the AthenfGum under the Public Libraries' Act of 1875, and tho people of Napier will act wisely when they docide to bring about this much needed reform. —I am, &c., H. Hill. August 10, 1883.