THE Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1879. THE PALMERSTON READING ROOM.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 35, 16 April 1879, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1879. THE PALMERSTON READING ROOM.

11 Words' are things, nnd a drop of ink falling like d,e>v upon a thought, produces that which make* thousands, perhaps millions think."

— > 4k • It is a matter for congratulation that . the Jaudable efforts of the committee of the Palmerston Beading Room have been so ably secopded by the ; liberality of the residents of the district; Through the very generous manner m which the appeal for subscriptions have been met, the library will now open with the complete works of Ainsworth," Dickens, Lever, L.over, Braddon, Bqlwer, Kings-, ley, Bronte. Cooper, Grant, Thackeray, and Scott, m. addition to the pcetical works of Burns, Byron Moore, and Scott, m all some one hundred and fifty volumes. This list, however, is no doub.t merely the nucleus of Vfhat m a very short time will, we trust, pr<>ve a very extensive and select library. Considering that a little while a.go it was just the tossing, up of a coin .whether the reading room would collapse altogether or not, the present state of affairs is eminently satisfactory ; stiH we feel there can be a great deal yet accomplished if these who have worked so bravely m the past, still continue their labors m the future. By the donation of £1 per year, or considerably less than sixpence per week a first-class circulating library has been established, from which subscribers can dra.w healthful light reading with which to beguile their leisure hours, and no dpub,t with an increase of funds, literature. of a • more instructive character will be providedl So far the wants of those who seek to. be amused hava been attended to; but there is as yet a higher and nobler duty to be performed jn. ©..ejection with the institution , in. providing sources of information and instruction, for the collection should include standard works upon all subjects of general usefulness and requirement. As at present constituted, the lib: a*y is a,lto-' gether private, for although tne Borough gives Ac very handsome donation of i £20 per-yetir, that amount, and a great deal more than that, is devoted to, the purchase of periodicals and jourxials for the reading room. In order, then, to extend its operation for usefulness, 'it'is a question worthy of consideration as to whether it would not 'be better to take steps to have it brought under the provisions of the. Public Libraries' Act, and | m referring to the. matter it may be [ well to say a few words upon the measure itself, a,n,d the result of bringing- it into ope:a.tion. if we mistake not, the first step towards the establishment of public libraries was taken as far back as ten years, , aj?o, ( wh,e,n Mr. O,'JR-orkb, m 1809, introduced' hi,s <' "Act to Promote the Establismeht of Public Libra,ri«s,'' By "the. provisions of that Bill it was competent ior, the,, mayor or, chairman of any governing body, at the request m writing. of ten ratepayers to take, a-x it were, a plebiscite as to whether it should he -brought; injo force, and if so : authority was given to rate- stifcu 'town or district m a sum. not exceeding one ..penny, in the. pound. Although m one : or two instance's 1 m Ctago certain districts took adYanta,ge of, the ppwers bestowed iipon them, by the Act, generally spewing, however, it was a dead letter; so that m 1875, further, legislation was brought to bear on the matter b}- the passage of- "An Act to Confer Powers on. Public Libraries and M'ec- , hanies Institutes." By that, measure it .was ordained that any. number of persons^ not3e.ss than" ten, having subscribed, or holding together! not less than d62o ; i>i money or.moneys worth for the use of. their intended iijstitutipn, J 'm^kt 'establi^b, a. public library, athe n ; nseuin, or-other similar institution, elect-, ing trustees for the management. ' This measure, -however, wouUi appear ib Ivaye had no more encouraging ioflnenee than its predecessor, for we find two •sessions ■ ls|er s^r. O'Berke'"' a^in"' took 1 the : (matter m. hand a,nd byih.e.'iji- : troiucin^of - his "Act to," Promofr.e, the S^abli&liment and r Support of.<Fiu^J!ic Toi'bra.rreSy" certainly pufc the .matter upon suoii a footing, that boroug)i!.coui>c;ls, ldcafli highways board, and other -governing, bodies had every, -fnfility plkeed; tfl their, haricls For a,vaili ng them,selyes of the benefits cpnferre'dc- Although it was still quite oompetent for any district to impose a Kbraryva.te, if the majority, so wifted it, provision was ir.afte that anypbmry supported or par.% supporte4 |>J volu^ta,ry subappjprtianS "m any di strjr^t, shojild be .deemed %|«felifer«7, # &'&sfes fe lift

amount from the Consolidated Fund equal to the snni contributed, and the disbursement of the grant yras placed m the hands of the E duration Boards of the respective districts. It may be as well also to state that while the Act of 1877, demands that the admission to all libraries, established or supported under that BiU should be open to the public free of charge", no person not being a contributor of any sum not less than, five shillings q, yea.r should be entitled to take books out of the libra, rary. We have thus gone into the matter somewhat at length, so that thp present subscribers would be able to forma better judgment as to theadvisa* bility or otherwise of changing the conBtitutjon of the institution, so as to enable them to plaim the subsidy from Government. From the present very healthy aspect of the society q, yearly income of fully £75 might be fairly calculated upon from private subscriptions, and the question then is whether with a like sum by way of subsidy, an amount of good could not be effected which would amply compensate for the change. The grant from the Education Board would certainly be a most important aid m placing the library m a more efficient a,pd complete condition, and providing works of reference, maps, gazateers, and other like appurtenances, which are most essential to mechanics' institutes, while it should also be remembered that alone to those who subscribed would the privilege be granted of taking books from the room. We regret that our space will not allow us to go as fully into the matter as we could have wished, but m conclusion we might say that although there is nothing m any of the three Acts referred to which gives such institutions a claim for grants of land, we are quite sure m our own mind that such is the casej and that m the event of the step referred to being taken, there would he no difficulty m obtaining an endowment of land from the Government m, aid of the institution.