THE LIBRARY.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 54, 23 December 1882, Page 2

THE LIBRARY.

TO tiie editor of the feilding stab Sir, — Your correspondent "Student" appears to be laboring under a Strang" delusion with regard to the above. H says it is " neither public nor free." 1 being placed in a public office, open dail, to the public, does not render it public, ." should like to know what " Student's definition of the word public is? As t(* its being free, it is so to all intent anc purposes, tlie deposit of half-a-crow. required being merely a guarantee fo the return of the book borrowed. Th borrower has a book as a guarantee fc° the money lent. " Student" says "if person becomes a regular reader this is < much money out of his pocket." Ho '- much ? Supposing he takes out or . - book weekly for a period of tweh months, he has the benefit of tho "educt* tion, amusement, and moral and intellectual improvement" derivable from fiftytwo books, for the amount of the interer which he might otherwise obtain for his half-a-crown, which at 5 per cent per anuum amounts to the sum of three halt' pence (1 Ad) 1 "Student" suggests th . there should be " certain fines of cours for not returning the books within a give.*' time." How are these fines to be ol taiued or enforced if there bono deposit , — I am, &c. VINDEX.