THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 183, 6 February 1896, Page 2

THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — Mr Stevens says I was wrong in nine out of ten of my statements. lam not told the number of that one statement, but anyone can see it is 1 and 0 — making 10. Mr Stevens had a bad case, and, following the old example, he abuses bis adversary. I have not been misled by anybody, with or without a bee in his bonnet, nor am I going to be misled by Mr Stevens or the whole nine conimitteemen. Mr Stevens avoids ray main statement that the committee intend to made a private room for snbsoribers — because the chairman said ifc was right to do so. This point is shirked by a silly reference to a " wicked chairman," and committeemen procuring magazines for subscribers. He might have told us these magazines were to be kept in the private room until they were stale and then brought to the public room for the benefit of the rateDayers. The only statement I retract is anent the fee of 2s 6d, which should haye been 4s. But the committee have decided that the ratepayers shail pay^ 4s per quarter for the privilege of taking out one book at a time— while nonratepayers outside the town can take two books at a time, so that even in Quit respect the ratepayers have to take a back seat. I know several who w.o,uk3( vote against the Library rate to a, man if they got a chance. Let anyone ojf them walk into the room ". Private M and he ordered out, how kindly b,e will fee) towards the Library and. all that & |here}n. "Why, even o^r -worthy Mayor an.d. his fellqw councillors would not bo allowed in this room. I want to know if it is right that 'a member of the committee, who is a resident at Colyton, should take part of the books of the Library to that village. If this is right, why not send other portions to all of tbo adjacent villages ? I dare say the people there would be glad for Feilding ratepayers to pay the piper. Tho committee have done good work, I admit, but providing a private room for a certain section is more than the ratepayers will tamely submit to. I aw, etc., Alfred Eabe.