PALMERSTON READING ROOM.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 43, 21 May 1879, Page 2

PALMERSTON RE ADING ROOM.

A numerously-attended meeting, of the subscribers £o tbeY; Palmerston vßeading Room, was held m the Public Hall on ;Wednesdaj evening, the Rev. Mr. Newth m the chair. ' ".'"■■■■"■ .After the minutes of .previous meeting had been read and confirmed, the Secretary read a letter -which he had received from the President, m which' h^ still adhered to his former intention of re's'igningi and consequently the letter wai received and the resignation accepted, ; The meeting then proceeded tb a choiceof his successor, and Mj.Tbrgttson, m pro-, posing Mr. Dungan'tb.the office, referred to .what that gentleman had done for the institution, • :--■-" . ■.•"■-"■' ='•. The nomination was seconded by f Mr. ; Green, and there being no other candidate;, Mr. Dungan was dechwed duly elept^d. i^Upon ; taking the/ chair, Mr. PtrNGAN. ttfanied thev&eitinsj for the honpi which had been conferred upon him, bub said he should Co3wseßtK Mr. .Ferguson -when ■' that gentleman sought to give him credit for the .flourishing position of the library. Certainly" he (the speaker), had hit upon a novel idea for materially benefitting. the institution; which, fortiinately, had proved a success • but although the resultswere sogood,, the actual laboa;was" but : very small, and would bear v biit poor coniparisoii with the long and determined struggle waged by other and ;.ipl4fer; members- 1 to^ keep the insti-, ' tu,tion al\re.^ Before he. had been m the i district "at^ all", there^;wera "gentlemen t?ho had v established^^the^ reading room, and by their untiring efforts had tidedit* over some of its most trying difflciilMest- As he had said .before,, his was but a happy! thought which had worked a deal of good'without much trouble, atfd not to be compared to the continuous labors of those who had throughout proved the mainstay of the institution. HHre r however, had one qualifir cation— that he never- did things by halvtes 5 nor would he allow himself to be elected to an office the v dutie3 of which he was^oot determined to fulfil; and the meeting mig^ht yest assured fchat nbjeffort^wpuld be wantmg. on his part to inaie; the ißeading -"lioom' :•» credit aad-a' success,- '^' - {' GKie Ghaibmak intimated tha,ttb.a next business before the meeting was the election of a librarian, wlien ,- ; ■■ ■ • The Ho^QBABT Swwbiabt, Mrv llitfbrd. Stated that he. had been speaking to Mr^ Keeling with the view of getting him to underfcake. tha duties, and. that that-gentle--man had cohsented-fo dorso , provided that the. Borough Council wouii hare, no objeo;. 'tion to tne arrangement. .. .->.■. Mr. Ksblentg- exp^tned,that alfchpogh^-

take the-ro3poD3ib'lifcie3 cormectod .yr^th the: position, it would be necessary for hkn tor. .get outside help,\his intention being to secure the assistance of Mr. Moffattte MrJ Moffatt's business would require bis attend* ance about the Square m the evening to ; light the town lamps, and he could utilise , .his time between lighting: and putting them . out inattendTng to^he Übrary. : .Of- course, - it rwould be:neces^f ifc^j-hiin to \payi~Mr; Moffatt, and a^tuia. sofflcieat to do so : wonld be all that was necessary, as he could - attend himself to the delivery and Receipt " of books, . . „ . The Cbaibmak said that, providing the Council would permit— of whiph he had little doubt — one of the greatest difficulties which the committee ha^d anticipated would Have . jto'een, done away with. Presuming that the. ijtyang^njent could . be earned Voutj they might say that the ierrices of a trustworthy librarian had been secured. The" next.., matter to be dealt with, wan that of remuneration. \ Mr. Galvht intimated that the position was one which wVuld run into .» good deal of time, and he thought the very least that could be offered at the start would be £26 4 year. Of course, as the institu* tion progressed, it, wis probable so .also would thelibrarian's salary, , ' "" "-V f ■ Mr. R. Leary perfecfly,sjgreed with the remarks of Mi?. Gfalvin as to ten shillings . "a weekj. being about the; correct "suri^and^ they certainly could not expect to get 1 the" w«rk done efficiently for a leas sum. Still,* v although their hearts might be large, un« .fortunately their purses were not,' and con*' sequently» he could, not see how theoom^i mifctee could exceed that'timit! ? T / "* ** V "IH Mr. Fbrgtoson suggested that, bef ot«J(m| pointing Mr. Keeling, or anyone else^j|^^ the position, it might, be well to stite what' - would, be th^-du.ties and fiouis at whict the librarian would be supposed to be m at* tendance. • , ,-■•-. A lengthy discussion then ensued, when it was finally arranged that the. -library should be opeax every day for the issue of books, from nine ill the m.orftiflg until four it^ the afterqoon; and also oh Saturday evenings, from seven to nine o'clock. The reading room to be open, as heretofore, fron^ nine a.m. to ten p.m., and m addition, the sub-librarian to be m attendance every evening from. seveQ to ten, when subseriher*, upon.; application, JcouldTrewiye feoo^ for perusal m the roam, -to be returned to th,e; care-take? before closing. ; , ■;>.. V Mr. KBBtiNd expressed hiifflelf^uite :satisfied to undertake the , offltce (^itb, the ;consent of the Council) and h& appoint* menii was thereupon carried unanimously. The Bey. Mr^Nßwrarsp^e. aj-toithe advisability of a m.or« vamed "supply jof. magazines being provided for the?reading room, and • .■'; Mr. Mitk>iid- explained that; when- the institution was m, full working order^is ;*raj| intended to have a suggestion bbdk, wherein." members could enter their; ]-eip.a,rk*, which would-be considered Ut. ea^ meeting of th§ committee. ' •-'■ The CgAp^Aif said the next matter to, be considered by the meeting was \ft& »dr.iy sability or otherwise of turning the iflstituV tion into a Public Library. ..Mr. iBEiJNa pointed out that that a matter which would have to fee decided by the ratepayers. : : ; ■'.:u.:- ; ■ : The Chaie^ak[. did not Wok «^ch w «* Jihe case,b»t even if it he. thought % certain ;. oonsideifatip^ should" be- exhibited for the opinion and Irishes of those gentle-, men who had contributed the., sun) ;".6f ~£L each. If th?^ reading rodni^^ were 'fbrmed. intq a Public Library, and became r entitled to the benefite cbnferr^bT the^Acftiper^ :s.onVwhQ- had oontjabuted that sum would; participate m its privilege He was noti averse to the proposed step— -on the oont trary—still he thought it but a graceful cpmpUmentdue to the generous contributors that they jshduld have a voice fcitia, the matter. ".-'-., l if ' * Mr. GtALViir highly approved of ilmcbn-. templated change, which would bo fcho. means of increasing riot only it» funds bnfc, the number of members on the r©ll-r-whicb, meant extending the good to jbe derived from such institution^. In order to bring; the matter to an issue, and test the. feeling of fa? meeting, he would move— "That, m the opinion <gf iW meeting, Tit was; desirable that the Palmerstori. EeadingRbom be formed into a Public Library^ and that a committee be: appointed to, take the necessary preliminary steps." ; Mr .%^ Lbabt was of a, similar.; omnion. There- %uld". be" iio dbub* ? ii«?fler thft proposed system, there would t be groater* facilities for extending the institution and: increasing its members; • -^ . . The motion was seconded by Mr' Ck>i«* man, and carried unanimoudy.-' Proposed by Hi. MxTKWPi ■econded byMr: G»BBK— "That the Eev. Mr t Newt^ ■■..- Dr/Marriner, and Mr. E*elingbeapiiipi?Jed a committee to tafce. action in -the formation, of a Public Library.. Qarrifi. ; •-. :r' With regard to the. present state of th& Beading Room, the .GHAnaiiN explained that, m addition to the large number of •• books generously donated, : committee, had' purchased comjjjeift editions of ::th« works of Ainsworth, IBraddon, Bulwer^ Q-rant, Kinsgley^ Qooper, Dickens, Lever, Bover) : Scott, Marryatt, and all the otherstandard novelist*. A second book 'case. ' had been ordered from Mr^ Yenn^whicn. would be finished m, a day o$ tojo, and; then the bookjs-^a#te* being arrangod, humb^r^V aM classified-^would be ooen, to "th'e ; subscribers, thejw>ndjng stepiwith. regard to the Public Library forming no. barrier to ihevrorkingf of the institution m,. .'the mean time. : - „' ..., iThe OHAi^MAH'said that, as vaffx\ bare, been learned during. the course of the evening Mr. Oalvm va* about to leave the flWv^ trict, and he thought that that gentlemen i ■ efforts on behalf of the literary deserved *P m^m recognition from the meeting. AlthougoH Mr. G«lTi« was but a short time m Pataier« ston, he, m conjunction with Messrs. Green^V and Ctoletnan, 'had been instafumintal m, securing to the institution V good deal o*the money subscribed. Unfojtwaafcly; P»* - vate business' necessitated hu »eve»ng hw. c connection with the district, a s which- he (the speaker) — Relieved y, common with all^rese^t--deepjy Mg»"w.. Ha thought the least >he meeting could do. would b.c. to i(a.ve. a hearty jote of thanU. . recorded on thaniuiutes^with an expression of regret at M* Golvin> leaving. ■■ ■ " The vote of thanks vja? eAdorsedbyaccl*-. mation, Mr. Ghdviri hjriefty resppnded, and. the^ meeting then adjouinea.