BLENHEIM LITERARY INSTITUTE.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume I, Issue 91, 3 February 1880, Page 3

BLENHEIM LITERARY INSTITUTE.

ANNUAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting of the Blenheim Literary Institute was held in the Reading Room of the new building last evening, for the purpose of receiving the Report and Balance-sheet, and for the election of officers and a committee for the current year. Mr Waddy, the Vice-President was voted to the chair, and on tne motion of Mr Fell, read the motion convening the meeting. The minutes of the previous meeting wero read and confirmed. report, &c. The Chairman then read the Repart and Balance-sheet. Mr Johuson moved the adoption of the Report, saying he was glad that it was of so satisfactory a character. Great credit was due to the management for the past year. Mr Jas. T. Robinson seconded the motion. The Report and Balance-sheet were unanimously adopted. RESIGNATION OF THE PRESIDENT AND ELECOF OFFICERS. The Chairman read the following letter from Mr Seymour, M.H.R., President of the Institution. “ January 23, 18S0. To the Secretary of the Institute, Blenheim. Dear Sir—l understand that the annual election of your President takes place on the 26th instant. I have to thank the officers and members of the Institute most heartily for the honor they have done me in the past in electing tne to fill the above office. Whilst, my love of books and my appreciation of the good work your Institution is doing, is as keen as ever, I feel that you ought to have a President able to devote time and attention to the practical management of your Institute. My other duties aud frequent absence have not permitted me to take any part in the management of your affairs, nor do I see any probability of being able to do so during the coming year. It is therefore with a sense of the gain your Institution will receive that I would respectfully suggest that at the coming election the members should choose some one resident and able to attend your meetings and perforin the usual duties of a President which I feel myself I have been unable to do. As I shall be unable to come through you will do me a favor if you will convey to the meeting the substance of this letter. I am, dear Sir, Yours truly, A. P. Seymour.” Mr Fell moved that Mr Waddy be elected President, saying that no one more than Mr Waddy deserved the honor, ■ for, although some amount of credit was due to others, it was chiefly to Mr Waddy that the present success of the institution was due. . Mr Johnson seconded the motion, which was carried. Mr Hustwick said he was glad that tho time-honored custom of always electing tho same President had broken through. No other person being proposed, Mr Waddy was declared duly elected President. . Mr Waddy returned thanks, saying he had always taken an interest in tho institution. He had done so at a time when it was, as it were, in rags, and he was veryglad to have the honor of being elected President now that the institution might be said to be pulling on its silk and slippers. With regard to the debt, ho did not look upon it at all in a desponding way ; indeed he felt sure that by a little effort and unanimity in the cause it would be easily liquidated. Mr Hustwick proposed Mr Fell as VicePresident, but at Mr Fell’s request withdrew the nomination. Mr Farmar (Mayor) and Mr Jas. Hodson were elected Vice-Presidents. Mr Mclntire, R.M., was elected Treasurer, and Mr Nosworthy, Auditor. The following were elected members of the Committee Messrs Fell, Hornby, Bush ell, John T. Robinson, C. J. W. Griffiths, and J. T. Smith. A vote of thanke to the Chairman-termin-ated the proceedings.

FOURTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT, JANUARY, 1880. Your Committee, in presenting its Annual Report for the consideration of the members, feels that, in reviewing the condition of the Institute during the past year, it may fairly state at the outset that there has been continual progress, and that it considers, whilst much work and responsibility have been laid.iip for the future, there is no just cause for anxiety if the claims of increasing numbers of members, and of the.increased size of the building receive their due share of steady and unremitting attention. The assistance granted by the Government in tho form of a subsidy, to qualify for which the reading room had to be thrown open to the public, has caused your Committee to feel itself called upon to supply additional accommodation, and to increase the number of newspapers and periodicals ; at the same time the call for new books for the use of members, .had, as far as possible to be answered. In order to ease the work of the Librarian, and' for general convenience and information, a catalogue of the books in the Library has been printed, and in its compilation it was discovered that tho Institute possessed many works of general and scientific interest, the existence of which was known to but lew if any of the members. - New books have been added during the year at a cost of £54 4s 7d, the selection of which, judging from their being eagerly sought for, lias given general satisfaction. Your. Committee gave much considera-

tion to the new building now about completed, when the proposal was first made, and came to the conclusion that it was advisable to have one of a handsome and suitable exterior, of commodious proportions and to secure the comfort of all the members and the public during the winter months by providing that it, as well as the library, might have fires if necessary, Corresponding instructions were given to the architect (Mr Douslin) who has carried them out in every respect according to the intention, and to the satisfaction, of your Committee. It was arranged that the cost of the improvements which have to the present been entered upon and carried out should be £3OO, £IOO to be paid during the progress of them, a second on their completion, and a third during the following year. The first £IOO has already been paid, as also £25 of the second. Towards the second £IOO, £35 13s in all has been collected, and there is £l3 15s promised, but still unpaid. Your Committee hopes that the members will cheerfully subscribe towards the remainder, and is glad to be able to announce that it has the promise of certain gentlemen to get up something in the form of an entertainment, which it is to be hoped will be well supported and supply the deficiency. As regards the third £IOO, your Committee have to state that the next Government subsidy payable very shortly, is expected to clear off the half, and that the exertions of the incoming Committee, and the increased power of the Institute, may be fairly looked to to .supply the remainder. Your Committee has much pleasure in calling attention to th j increased numbers of subscribers from 75 last year to 100 this, and the income from this source last year being £57 15s 6d, and this year £Bl 11s. Your Committee takes this opportunity of stating that tiie following newspapers and periodicals are regularly laid on the table: ‘ Tiie Illustrate l London News,” “ Punch,” “ The Saturday Review,” “ The London Quarterly,” “ The Scientific American,” “ The Sydney Mail,” “The Canterbury Press,” “The Australasian.”and“The Nelson Mail; ” these are subscribed for, but the following, for which thanks arc hereby given to their respective proprietors, are gratuitously supplied :—“The New Zealand Mail,” “ Otago Witness,” “ Westport Times,” “ Rangitikoi Advocate,” “ Marlborough Press,” “ Auckland Weekly News,” “Marlborough Express,” and “The Marlborough Times.” Your Committee have also to thank Mr Dowling for the “ Hornet ” and “Economist,” and for a present to be raffled for the benefit of the new building, which will probably realise about £3, in addition to his subscription. _ Your Committee has much pleasure in giving expression to its thanks for the hearty co-operation of your energetic Librarian and Secretary, ?.Ir Simmons, whose ■efforts have greatly contributed to the success of the past year ; and, in conclusion, your Committee begs, with much confidence, to call on all who are interested in the intelligent and intellectual recreation, and comfort of their fellow townspeople, to unite for the support and further progress of the Blenheim Literary Institute.

Balance Sheet of Literary Institute, for Year ending Dec. 31st, 1879.

RECEIPTS — £ 8. d. Bal. in Bank of N.Z. Jan. ’79 ... 33 18 3 Members subscriptions for ’79 ... 81 11 0 Government subsidy Voluntary Contribution to Build* 46 6 S ingFund 35 14 0 By Contribution Box... 0 2 0 Foresters 6 0 0 Building Society 1 10 0 Omaka Road Board ... 1 10 0 Borough Council (polling booth) 0 10 0 'Catalogues ... 1 0 0 ■Old Newspapers 1 17 0 £209 18 11 EXPENDITURE — New books ... 49 4 7 Newspapers 15 9 0 Stationery ... 4 10 0 Printing 20 10 6 Treasurer, fcr new building ... 40 0 0 Kerosene Secretary’s salary from Oct. ’78 4 12 6 to 1879 ... 25 16 8 Sundries, as per petty cash book 4 5 6 Insurance 2 2 0 Carried to building fund account Cash in Secretary’s hands build35 13 0 ing account 0 1 0 Cash in Secretary’s hands, gen19 0 eral account 6 Balance in Bank N. Z. 0 15 2 £209 18 11 I hereby certify that I have examined the accounts and find that the above i3 i fair .extract of the same. Dated this 9th day of January, 1830. Wii. Nosworthy, Auditor. Hy. S. Simmons, Secretary. ASSETS. £ 8. d. Bank ofNew Zealand... 0 15 2 Cash in Secretary’s hands Subscriptions due by subscribers 6 15 19 15 0 Qr. ending Dec., 1879. 0 Borough Council (polling booth) 0 10 0 £23,19 2 LIABILITIES— Johnson, printing 1 0 0 Tait, ditto 0 15 9 •Elbeck, balance of account 5 18 4 Burrett, binding book 0 6 6 • Secretary’s salary to Dee. 31, '79 6 5 0 • Excess .of assets over liabilities 9 13 7 £23 19 2