CORRESPONDENCE.

Kumara Times, Issue 2790, 31 August 1885, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

The Editor does not, necessarily, adopthe opinions expressed by correspondents. THE BOROUGH COUNCIL AND THE LITERARY INSTITUTE. [to THE EDITOR,] Sir —In your issue of Saturday last there appears a statement of Estimated Receipts and Expenditure of the Borough Council for the year ending March 31, 1886. On reading this one cannot help being struck with the ridiculously small amount (£10!) which is proposed to be given as a subsidy to our Literary Institute, This is an institution which has now been established about nine years, and which is very largely takeu advantage of by the public, the average attendances per annum, I am informed on pretty good authority, being fully 5500. We must remember also that for some time back the whole of the Reading Room, containing the principal Home and Colonial papers, has been thrown open to the public free of charge—the only privilege which is denied them being that of taking away books from the library. Such being the case, surely our Borough Council might find it in their hearts to be a little more liberal than vote the paltry sura of £lO a year to keep up such a desirable place of amusement and instruction for the benefit of the burgesses and miners. Surely they do no not remember that the yearly cost of carrying on the Institute, as shown by the last annual balance-sheet published in your columns, is something like £BO or £9O, and that all it derives from Government is about 11s for every one pound of voluntary subscriptions. These subscriptions naturally do not amount to much, and for this reason that the books in the library (which are the only inducement to the paying of donations) are getting used up, and the Committee find it utterly impossible in the present state of their finances to procure new ones. The subsidies given to the Institute at first, were £25 for three years, then £2O, then £lO. Has the Institute fallen off in its usefulness? Certainly nob ! Then why this reduction? All I can say is that the opposition of the most prominent member of the Council is well understood by those who know the history of the Reading Room. If it is economy which is troubling the Council, let them do away with the office of Inspector of Nuisances, as the contribution to the police now to be paid by the borough will entitle them to the services of the force for this and similar purposes,—l am, sir, yours, B versus B. Kumara, August 31, 1885.