NASEBY ATHENÆUM.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 379, 16 June 1876, Page 3

NASEBY ATHENÆUM.

COMMITTEE MEETING. A meeting of the Committee of this institution was held in the library at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday evening 6th instant—present, Messrs. Kobinson (chair), Hertslet, Lory, M'Latcby, and Ash. The Secretary submitted the annual report for the approval of the Committee. Adopted. An account from L. W. Buscli for periodicals, &c., was passed for payment rer £l4 7s. 6d. This concluded the business before the Committee, which then adjourned to the reading room to hold tho ANNUAL MEETING. There vrero about fifteen subscribers present.

Mr. H. W. Robinson, the Chairman of Committee said: The subscribers were aware of the present meeting. He thought he need not make any explanatory remarks, for what he was about to read would explain itself. He then read the following—

Annual Report. Your Committee, upon entering upon their term of office just expired, found the position of the institution to be, so far as the books disclosed, as follows:—Assets: Balance paid over by late Treasurer, £2 3s. Bd.; subscriptions due, os per librarian's book, £53 2s. 3d; total, £55 ss. lid. Liabilities: General (about), £25. The subscriptions, howevar, returned as assets were many of them of two and three years' standing, and which bad been allowed to fall into arrear. Your Committee at once proceeded to collect the accounts due for subscriptions, and caused a form of circular to be printed, soliciting payment—a copy of which was duly forwarded to each member in arrear. The total amount of the £so received in response to this application was £l2l2s.—the subscribers in some instances preferring to cease their membership rpther than pay up arrears, and in others consenting to pay only a portion of the amount due by them. Your Committee theieforc at the very outset found themselves committed to liabilities and engagements considerably in excess of the means at their command, and, after due deliberation, it was resolved to institute a courso of lectures in aid of the funds of the institution. In pursuance of this resolution the permanent Chairman of your Committee, H. W. Kobinson, Esq., kindly delivered the first lecture, the proceeds of which added £6 10s .to their funds. The second lecture was undertaken by the Rev. Mr. Williams, and realised £2 13s. Gd. Dr. Whitton followed, the result of his lecture producing £5 3s. 6d. The Christy Minstrels having kindly volunteered their services, a very successful entertainment took place under their auspices, which brought the sum of £5 4s. Gd., makihg a total derived from this extraneous support £l9 lis. Gd. With this seasonable addition to their funds your Committee found themselves in a position to meet outstanding liabilities.

Since the advent of your Committee to office seventy-three new volumes have been added to the library, at a total coat of £l6 14s. Gd., £l2 193. 9d.- of which was due (in books) by the Education Board, the balance, £3 14a. 9d., less the Government subsidy, having been supplied by the institution. Tho present position, so far as it may be possible to estimate it, may be taken to be as follows —Number of subscribers on books, 47; number of volumes in library, 392. Assets: Subscriptions due for current y ar, £34 19s. ; balance in treasurer's hand, £1 7s. 2d. Liabilities: Marshall, for coal, £2 55.; Buscb, periodicals (generally extending to the end of the year) and sundries, £l4 7s. 6d.; librarian's salary, £5 25.; total, £2l 14s. 6d. A detailed statement of expenditure of the past year will be found in the treasurer's report herewith.

The difficulties as an unincorporated institution in compelling the payment of subscriptions, the return of books taken trom the library, the replacing of damaged or lost books with new ones, led to correspondence which has resulted in the drawing dp of a memorial for incorporation, under the " Public Libraries and Mechanic's Institute Act, 1875." a draft of which will be submitted for your approval this evening. H. W. Robinson, Chairman of Committee. The balance in hand need to be explained. There was a balance of £1 13s. in hand, but there was really only £1 7s. 2d. to credit, as the bank account was overdrawn to tho extent of ss. lOd, The assets for the current year were £34 195., made up of subscriptions due, which the Committee felt sure would be paid; of course discarding all old debts for 8 years past. The Committee had felt themselves much hampered by not being a corporate body—in fact, they considered they had

lost £4O by it, in consequence of members falling into arrears, and the Committee not being able to recover the amounts. It only remained to ask that the report be adopted, or otherwise, and for them then to resign their trust into the hands of the subscribers, and to request that steps be taken to elect a new Committee.

Mr. M'Hutcheson moved the adoption of tho report. Mr. W. Shields seconded the motion, which was carried. The Chairman said the Committee resigned their trust, and he then vacated the chair. Mr. Robinson proposed that Dr. Whitton take the chair. Dr. Whitton declined. He did not agree with the mode of managing the institution, and therefore of course could not take a part. He thought i; was too expensively worked. Mr. M'Hutcheson proposed that Mr. Robinson resume his position as Chairman. Carried.

Mt. Hebtslet said, in reference to Dr. Whitton's remarks, that lie did not see where the expensive management came in. The only management salary wa3 the librarian's, and he was very much underpaid. In fact, he thought the thanks of the subscribers were due to Mr. Blair for the kind way in which he had discharged his duties. He would propose 3iim a vote of thanks. Carried by acclamation. It was resolved to make the number of Committee nine.

The following gentlemen were then nominated, and declared elected for the ensuing yjar:—Messrs. Bobinson, M'Hutcheson, Whitton, Busch, W. Shields, M'Latchy, Lory, Hertslet, and Ash. The Chairman said the Comn/ittee, as he had before said, had felt paralysed, in consequence of not being incorporated, and to get over this diliiculty, the late Committee had drafted a declaration of desire to bo incorporated, and byelaws, according to the prescribed form, for the approval of the subscribers, which he then read. After some discussion the action of the Committee was approved, and it was resolved that the rules lie on the librarian's table, for perusal by subscribers, so as to give opportunity for suggestions and alterations. Mr. M'Hutchesox asked the Secretary whether there were any persons in tho habit of regularly visiting the Athenutcm without paying. From outside reports ho had been led to believe there were. Mr. Heetslet stated that such was the case, but he had spoken to the persons referred to, and tliey had promised to pay as soon as the amounts of their subscriptions due were made known.

My, J. Johnstone suggested the advisability of opening the Athena-mm on Sunday tvenings. There were a grt-at many single men who had no place to resort to on Sunday evenings, and if the Athenasum could be opened he thought it would be beneficial, The Chaibman said the only difficulty was the librarian, who would need to be in attendance. He now received so ridiciilously small a salary that it would be absurd in the Committee to ask him, as a matter of to execute additional duties to those he now performed. Mr. Blaie (the librarian) generously consented to attend the Athenaeum on Sunday evenings for a short period. It was then understood that the institution should be opened from 5.30 p,m. to 10 p.m., in addition to the usual Sunday hours of from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A vote of thanks to the Chair, and to the officers of tho last Committee, concluded the proceedings.