The Evening Star MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1873.

Evening Star, Issue 3107, 3 February 1873, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1873.

The annual meeting of flic subscribers to the Athenaeum opens up questions that deserve more than a passing notice. First, we may point to the remarkably few subscribers —only 7G3 ; of whom but 520 pay annually, and this in a city with a population, including the suburbs, of something like 22,000. Were there reason to suppose that this small number of readers arose through people generally possessing private libraries, the 1 in 40 who avail themselves of the opportunity of access to current literature would be rather matter for rejoicing than regret. But we fear this is nothe ease, and, instead of such a conclusion being warrantable, the less charitable one, that the people generally do not find pleasure iu reading, is nearer the mark. Time and education alone can cure this; pleasure in reading and study cannot be felt when entered upon merely as a duty. They require peculiar habits of mind, and the evidence that they arc not practised to any great extent, goes far to show that up to this point they do not suit the bent of our population. But there is another view that may tairly be taken of the matter; it may be asked is there not some degree of exclusiveness in the subscription ? Does the Athenseiim fulfil the design of its institution P Ac. Athenaeum should be an educational instistitute ; ft place wliero spare time cau be utilised, where men can sit and spend an hour or two agreeably and profitably, instead of wasting it in the bil-liard-room or bowling alloy. Whether Dunedin is ripe for a public free library or not we cannot say; but we think that there arc many who do not subscribe, who jyould gladly avail themselves of the opportunity of reading for an hour or two on payment of a small ice, say sixpence, who find time banging heavily on their hands when waiting m town on casual business. It is seldom that books, excepting magazines from the table, are seen in the hands of persons in the reading-room; iu fact the hours during which the lending library is open preclude the Institute from becoming a resort for reading purposes, and thus wo think one great public* advantage is lost sight ot which the Committee of the Institution would do well to consider, It is undeniable that one cogent reason foe confining its usefulness to periodical subscribers is that they arc the main support of the Institute. There is almost as much oppositio;i to its progress on the part of the Corporation and certain politicians, as there was by the Conservative party to Mr Ewaet’s Bill authorising the establishment of Free Libraries at Homo. Years of very cautious advocacy were required before Municipalities were allowed to tax themselves for procuring such an intellectual blessing, and when at length the boon was granted, it was hedged round with at number of restrictions, (showing that the old Tory idea still yre-

vailed of only allowing so much educational machinery as they were unable to prevent. Experience showed the precaution was needless. Corporations at Home knew quite as little about the value of libraries and reading-rooms as some members of our Dunedin Corporation, and | luckily it was taken out of tlieir hands j and remitted to the decision of two-thirds | of the ratepayers. In one instance, at I Derby, wo believe, so disgusted were the I Town Councillors with the determination , to appropriate a rate of one penny in. the , pound to found a free library, tf.a they , absolutely took counsel together to deleat J the project, but found themselves powerless 1 Wo cannot account for these freaks of City Councillors, excepting on the principle that led the young lady, who was a candidate for matrimonial honors, to shew her saving by eating the rind with her cheese. Something of tins parsimony is evident in the conduct of the Dunedin Corporation in their dealings with the Athenaeum. We do not believe there is a ratepayer who would not gladly remit t City rates upon the property of all educational institutes; and we trust some motion to that effect will be introduced and passed. A writer in the IMmnder Review for October, says :-“We are satisfied that the apathy, hostility ignorance, niggardliness, and party feeling ot Corporations. have done much to prevent the proper development of many of the existing free libraries.” Wo believe this to be true, hut we do not want Dunedin to remain classed amongst the number. At the meeting on Friday evening, the question was raised of the class of boo v.s introduced into the library. No doubt on this point there are peculiar notions. Some of the new aspirants to be guides of public morals complained ot the preponderance of novels, and in gonci a terms of their quality. Iwo observations may tend to set this matter in a proper light. First, with regard to quality-good or bad, well or ill written -tliis can only he ascertained by reading the work; and whether it pleases or not depends upon the education and taste ot the reader. What might not suit the critical acumen of a Muston, might icry easily amuse the less fastidious or nioi o comprehensive mind of a Stout. But again the old leaven peeped out: ilcn may read and be educated, but they shall only road and* bo educated m such works as I choose for them. I' l(, y ought to choose works of solid information, or unexceptionable tendency, instead of wasting their precious time in poring over trashy novels.” So said some ot the speakers, in effect. One would have thought the experience of the past would have', at any rate, modified these views. ]\Xaiiy men who condemn the light reading of the present day see no harnp in ciammin tr boys with the immoralities of a Homer, an Ovid, a Chaucer, or a Spenser. These arc classical,—time-honored; but woe to the man who breathes a sentiment akin to those spoken by gods and goddesses, by the Didos or Helens of the present day. The privilege of poring over such pictures is reserved tor those who arc introduced to the stores of beauty shut up in the dead languages, their translations and invitations. We are not defending our erring novelists; wo are only pointing out the inconsistencies of their critics, and the mischief of their meddling. Surely in this nineteenth century of Christianity, evil may be distinguished from good. The fact of novels being so extensively read is not a had,” hut a good sign. The difficulty is to get people to read at all. Nor is Dunedin singular in this respect. Most of the free libraries of Groat Britain are leading, as'well as reading libraries; and from returns, which are, however, only approximate on account of differences of classification, the proportion per cent, of novels read is as follows; —Manchester. HT!); Liverpool. 757; Birmingham, 79 *2; Sheffield, 487 ; Coventry, 62-3 ; Birkenhead, 47'2; Bolton, 70 , 5; Salford, 867; Nottingham, 83*2; Exeter, 74'5; Tynemouth. 53; Dundee, 01’3; Cardiff, 55'4 ; Cambridge, 69*2. Nor is this to he regretted, if the evidence of experienced librarians connected with thoseinslitutions is to be accepted as true. The writer in the If r edmins(cv Review says “ In the ease of most of the large libraries, I have been assured by experienced officers that the reading habits of borrowers always improve in relation to this point. They begin with taking light amusing works, and, if they continue borrowers, a taste is created for more solid and instructive hooks.” These will he provided in Dunediuby the establishment of the Reference Library mnoot cd with the University, to which access will he as nearly free as is consistent with the design of the institution. We think the Atlicmeum is filling another educational department, and we trust that no narrowness nor party spirit in the management will interfere with its healthy development.