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Hokitika Guardian, 5 June 1925, Page 2

Tiikhk was an interesting discussion e which took quite an academic turn, i, at tile Arbitration Court sitting at Christchurch the oilier day. with some f heal in;; on the r.osMole course of mf ilu-itrial events in the country in relat tiou i artii uiarly t > the proliahilities . of a slump. The position < f the hoot , trade was touched upon. Mr Heim (emf filoyees’ represeutativei saying that if the duty cn imported hoots were removed. the money available would ho .sufficient t •• gi.e a | elision to every employee in the industry. His Honor said that lie had lie rd that statement before, hut lie never had seen it , worked out. “'We should go carefully .at present, as we are ptottiutt ] erilously near "hat looks like the next slump.” his 'rumor '•ontinued. “A further drop -in wool probably "ill mean that the margin between exports and imports will not lie safe, as it "ill not he sufficient to pay interest on out outside indebtedness. 'Unit means that we will have to go slow on imports." Mr Beun said that in many vises imports were luxuries. His Honor said that probably some of them were. Many people were making a serious mistake, for which they would suffer later on. The trouble was that while people who 'nought thine* they could not rfford would suffer primarily, working people would suffer indirectly through less mouev being available, and. consequently, a slacken in a in employment. The position showed how eynTyboiijf vrg? linked with pyerj-botly

else. If one section of the cuimnimity was hit—through its own folly, doubtless—the effect rebounded to others. Mr ltcim raid that another serious danger was that pices for wool had soared to fabulous heights, with the result that land on Banks l’eninsiiia, f. r instance, which once sold at L'2. an acre, had risen in price to £lO or £IT an acre. His Honor said ii was unfortunaie Inn inevitable that people would specula to. The whole economic position required intimate and con-

stant tnvestigali on. liik movement to extend the scope and usefulness of the public library hv augmenting the number of subscribers and catering in a special way for l !)<• juveniles, should merit success. The measure of success, however, rests with the people. If the re-organised committee puts forward fresh attractions it will have done all it can in the matter. The rest must come from the people prepared to mi,. port the institution. This is required not for the goal of tile institution, hut for lingual of those- patronising the library. In these quicker nu vii g days when i.o much lime is given up to pleasure, there appeals to he less leisure for personal improvement through good reading. (mod reading is a factor in character building apart from the certain opportunity it affords in gaining knowledge. On that tv. omit the idea of arresting the attention of the younger section of the- community - hv starling a reading club is certainly to he commended. That i.s a feature of the new policy connected with the library which might well have the blessing el the community. Cut in addition there should he co-operation, and when parents and guardians learn ol the commencement of the reading classes they should make it a point of sending their charges along. It is a. good li'dil in work in. and all those who participate will derive pleasure and iiistnietii.n from the opportunity. Tn the working no of the public library to wider utility there is the opportunity for displaying the best lorni of citizen spirit. To hc-gin with, it is worth while- supporting the library with membership to assist in the purchase of extra volumes. The better stocked with suitable book.-: the greater the. usefulness. Tile rofercure side of the library should imi he neglected. There rre many work,, ol valuable reference in the library, and perhaps that lac-i is ti u known generally. T lie catalogue requires bringing up to dale for that and other information as to 1 center.ts. lint from tin- li-l, already available a large amount of general knowledge I- available, and the reference works should la- brought more into general utility. It is proposed to place the museum room als-i in better order. With the renovation of the interior of the building the proposal will he- possible. As the library building I.s M> centrally situated It might lie used a, a means also to advertise the scenic- resorts of tin- district. There is ample w all spac e on v hie It 1(1 c-xhil.it a wide range of sreiiie pictures illustrative of local aI i rail urns, and tln-si-tumid 1.-- . f great, interest to visitors passing through the town. Altogether there is the prnspeet of 11l til'll lIM-illl sot vic e being rendered, and the new management should ho encouraged to the fullest extent.