BLACKS LIBRARY COMMITTEE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1118, 5 October 1883, Page 3

BLACKS LIBRARY COMMITTEE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir—ln your last issue the Blacks correspondent says the Library Committee has not held a meeting this year, so far as he knows. lam afraid your correspondent knows only too well that the Library Committee has not given a public account of their stewardship since first they were elected, six or seven years ago. Indeed, there are only three members left—Messrs Pitches, Fitzgerald, and Alexander. Those gentlemen held a meeting about eight months ago, but the result has not transpired. Previous to the meeting Mr Bishop, the school teacher, offered to take charge of the Library, keep the room open two or three nights in the week if it was supplied with papers or magazines, for a nominal sum (five pounds per year), but his offer was declined. It is strange that an institution of such vital importance to a young community should be allowed to decay, especially as the above named gentlemen have between thirty and forty* pounds in the bank to the Library’s credit for some years past. Could they not resign, or call a public meeting and elect others to assist, them, when they would be entitled to a share of the money voted by Government for the benefit of Public Libraries. He also advises the Church of England Com mittee to take the harmonium out of the schoolhonse, as it is a constant source of envy and jealousy. The harmonium has lain in the schoolhonse out of repair, and without lock and key, a toy for the school children who choose to amuse themselves with it. For the greater part of nine yeais no one thought of taking any notice of it. It was only when used in the Church service it was found expedient to lock it up. The self appointed custodian of the key, if I err not was not a sui scriber towards the purchase money. Moreover, does not belong to the Church who owns it; neither takes care of the harmonium during the week, or leads the p«a!randy on Sundays ; and again, lives three miles out of town, while on the other hand the school teacher takes care of the instrument, prepares the room for the minister and congregation, and lives only a few paces distant from it. He is considered competent to take care of the Bible, for who wants to read it? But ihe key of the harmonium is different, who could tell what a wicked musician might do, A strolling player might come along and repair it, as was the case before, and press it into his service ; or an impromptu dance might be got up; or an entertainment held for the pleasure or profit of the town, and its po >r cracked tones be called into requisition ; or, oh horror, the children intending to sing at the forthcoming concert might be able to rehearse with the teacher. All this is prevented by this strong-minded female keeping possession of it. The day may come when women will be competent to interfere in aff lira of Church and State, but it has not arrived yet. la the meantime to see a woman riding rough shod over a community of intelligent men is sickening, hut surely some fatality attends this community where the poverty, so universal over New Zealand, is unknown,where all the elements of success are wiihin her own borders, wanting only community of interest and combination to render it the first inland town in the interior. Mr Borne, the first cl-rgyman who has received a cad bore, has refused. His health is the ostensible cause, hut there are other an 1 grave reasons whv he refuses to come amongst us. The teacher. I hear, intends leaving, and owr the school there hangs a cloud blacker than death, more cruel than the grave Where is the School Committee? Even the Good Templars, whose motto is love to all men, in their Blind rage to destroy each other. expelled their Worthy Chief. “ For what,” because in a Government investigation outside their jurisdiction altogether, he told the truth. Their decision was, of course, reversed by the Grand Lodge of New Zealand, hut what is the decision of the Grand Lodge to these furious old women dressed in male and female attire. They refused to accept the Grand Lodge’s ruling, like the three sailors in Tooley street. The case has gone to he decided in a neighbouring colony. In our social intercourse we are worse. No two can he sine sneaking, but as in the garden of Eden, there is an invisible third present in the form of a serpent with a forked tongue and poisoned fangs to slobber them over with a view to demolishing them at a fitting opportunity This evil is two preva'ent everywhere. Here it is an institution of the place, creating suspicion and mistrust, where there ought to he confidence and esteem, robbing the middle aged of dignity, and the young of that joyous hilarity which is their greatest charm. For slander lives upon succession, for ever housed wherever it gets possession. Does it nnt occur to your Black’s corresnondent that it is unworthy nf a responsible being to pander to the vices of a community that the better way would be to drive out envy, jealousy, and all uncharitableness from the House of Prayer, and leave the unoffending harmonium where it is.—l am, etc., Cosmopolitan. Ophir. September 30th, 1883.