CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 50, 27 February 1880, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the ' Evening Mail.' Sir,— At the annual meeting of the Nelson Institute last evening, as a most unusual occurrence, the room was filled with members The look of astonishment and bewilderment on the faces of the old frequenters of pa9t annual meetings was comical in the extreme. Hitherto these annual meetings have been held in an upper chamber and have consisted principally of the old Committee, and by beating up the highways and byways just sufficient attendance secured to enable the report to be adopted by outside members. No wonder that one member of the old Committee in the simplicity of his soul, should have said " I can't understand all this excitement ! What is the cause of this unusual sensation ? " Someone suggested that it might probably be the effect of the visit of the comet, but another keen observer of th« effects of the moral forces now at work all over the world said, " It is just a natural phenomenon, these things will occur." Is it not so Mr Editor, that progress, the result of change oftentimes, is very disturbing to those who wish things always to slide along in the old groove ? It is quite evident that a very strong feeling exists in the minds of a great many members that an iufuMon of new blood into the managing Committee is absolutely necessary for the life and growth of the Nelson Public Ebee Libbaky, that it may sustain that character as well as the name. I can only suppose that the real character and object of the Institution cannot be fully understood by the reading public of Nelson, otherwise in a town with the number of inhabitants Nelson possesses, surely the Library should obtain a far greater amount of support. I noticed a catalogue dated 1864 having a set of antiquated, exclusive, and contradictory rules,

evidently compiled at a Btill more remote* date. From the attendance at the meeting last evening it seems evident that the public are at last awakening to the necessity of a change. It i B therefere to be hoped at the adjourned meeting which is to take place on Wednesday, March 10th, and which was rendered necessary by the ruling of the chairman of last night's meeting regarding certaia informalities in the nomination of members of the Committee, that steps will be taken to propose such a set of rules as Will be more in accordance with the character of a Free Library. By the way we may now hope soon to see the long promised catalogue, as one item of £11 has been expended towards that object. Yours, &c, Nelson, Feb. 27th, 1880. -PKOGREgs. n'rriH i Trr-iyr" . »« —■■