THE OTAKI LIBRARY.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 102, 2 October 1878, Page 2

THE OTAKI LIBRARY.

TO THB EDITOR. Sib, — Was not your correspondent somewhat premature' in extolling the new rules laid down by the Otaki Library Committee, seeing that they have yet to be confirmed by a general meeting of the members, and will not become law until that is done ? Tlie old rules may be mixed, and they may even exceed six m number (13, there are not 17)^ yet they have sufficed to work under for' about ten years without even the slightest jar or complaint. Under them the library has increased from 0 to over .500 volumes, including evenA'Pnck" (a gift) and " Old Humprey's Pithy Papers j ' alsoj. all " Chambers' Encyolppoadia/^^Ghambers' Journals " for several years, att the "Mis*

cellahy," all Sir VV. Scott's, Lord Lytton's Thackeray's, Dickon's, and Disraeli's Works, Shakespere, Byron, Moore, Tennyson, Chaucer, Spenser, Coleridge, with a goodly number of volumes of history^. biography, travels—yea, even up to philosophy and theology ; "but, strange to say, your correspondent saw none of these, saw nothing to praise or commend, but he saw " Pack," and — like the dead fly m the ointment— that spoiled the whole library, — all those grand works, all the pamphlets; and all the papers* including even the MANA.WATTJ Tijies. But, of course, every one to his taste, and to the work most suited to his nature. I do not envy your correspondent his gift of faultfinding j I prefer to look at the bright side of thing 3, and to praise and encourage rather than ridicule and misrepresent institutions such as churches, schools, or libraries. If he has any remedy to suggest for the evils he thinks he sees, let him bring them forward and he will deserve the thanks of the public. If he can revive the collapsed mission, fill the empty school, and increase the number of the library members, I am sure no one will be moire grateful to him than myself ; but I fear he has gone the wrong way to work, for this heedless censure, word-quibbling, and personal invective are very unlikely to effect much public good. , I have more X should like to say, but I fear yon will think Otaki taking an undue share of your Tula-* able space. I will, therefore; Btop forthV present.— l am, &c, Tetokx. Otaki, September 28th, 1878.