MECHANICS' INSTITUTE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 309, 20 April 1877, Page 2

MECHANICS' INSTITUTE.

The annual general meeting of subscribers to the above was held last evening in the long room of the Institute. Mr. T. Forrester, President, occupied the chair, and there was a very good attendance of subscribers, including the following office-bearers Mr. Filleul, VicePresident ; Mr. Loring, Treasurer ; Mr. Tempest, Secretary ; and Messrs. Hislop, Thornton, and Hickey, members of Committee.

The Chairman', in opening the meeting, briefly explained the reasons which had actuated the Committee in postponing the holding of the annual meeting so long beyond the regular time. MINUTES. The minutes of the last annual meeting were read and confirmed, after a slight add it-ion had been nri.de on the suggestion of t!ie Rev. Mr. Todd.

ANNUAL REPORT OF COMMITTEE. The Secretary then read the following annual report: — The Committee, in handing in their annual report, have to state that the receipts for subscriptions have been £l7"' 7s. 'id., as per Treasurer's report, an-l the expenditure £l(jl !35., leaving balance t> the debit of .i'2o <'s. Gd. 'J hey regret that the Institute is not be; ter patronised by the public. Tliev have to congratulate t!ie jnemhers on tlie acquisition of .'!SJ acres of land in the Wyndiiaia district for the purposes of the Institute. 'I his endowment was obtained principally through the exertion $ of .Messrs. Sumpt-T and Steward when member; of the 1-ite Provincial < "ouneil, the isiiie of the Crown grants being seen: el by Messrs Shiimski and Hisloj), Al.ll.it s., when in Wcllingt m during the last session of l'arliainent.

They also have to report that the embankment on the sou:h side and in tne. rear oi the Institute has bem cut down free of expeme, thus making the ground available for budding purposes, and also, by means of the steps, giving a better approach to the larg2 room. ° An entertainment was given by t ie Oamarti Chiisty Minstrels, in aid of the fund.s resulting in a net sum of LI!). Through tneir kindne s the Committee have been enabled to oay oil'their debt to the Education Hoard, and to order new books. A lecture kindly given by Professor Black resulted in a sum of LIS being ad-led to the general fund, and the Committee, to show their appreciation of the treat alioi'ded to the public,* and the benelit derive ! to the in-ti-tutc by his entertaining lecture, have elected liim a life member. A small consignment of books has arrived from Dunediii, which the Committee hope will be shortly subsidised by another parcel from the same source. The Committee have for some time opened the Institute during the day, as a trial, but cannot yet state whether the experiment will be successful or not. In retiring, the Committee would urge the public that the time has now conic wiien it is absolutely necessary to increase the usefulness of "the Institute, by enlarging the present building, by adding largely to the somewhat small library, and" by extending the hours during which the Institute is open. They hope thathluring the incoming year a great cllbrfc will be made in this direction. The question having been put by the Chairman as to whether the discussion on the report should then be procjeded with, or postponed until after hearing the Treasurer's report, the latter course was adopted.

lIALANCF, SHEET. The Treasurer read the following report : Statement of Receipts and Expenditure from March Jl, lS7ii, to April It), IST7 : RECEIPTS. £ 3. d. To Lectures and Entertainments oi 0 10 ~ lient of I!ooni ... ... 1/ 12 0 ~ Subsciiptions... ■■■ ••• H- 18 G ~ Sundries ... ••• ••• 5 13 10 £172 7 2 EXPENDITURE. By Fxncii'cs-—light, fuel, etc. ... ;"0 5 o Sala ies ... ... G ~ 1 u:iiitu c ... ... ... 5 18 '■ .. Heading Korun a:id Library 4:) 3 (; ~ Ca-.h ia Hand... ... ... 10 I t £172 7 2 OUTSTANDING. To Sundry Accounts ... ... 25 11 S I)ne i j'orariau ... ••• ••• 0 0 ~ Mr. 'i Jionison, for loan ... 2J 0 0 £6O 10 S By Cash in Hand ... ... 10 1-i 2 Subscriptions Due ... ... 17 10 0 ~ Balance ... ... -32 G G £6O 10 8 BUILDING FUND. To Receipts 223 9 6 £223 9 G By Expenditure —gasfitting ... IS 15 0 ~ By Deposit Receipt National Hank 203 14 "6 By Cash in Bank... ... ••• 10 0 £223 9 6 Audited and found correct. J. T. EVANS, ) Auflitor3 SI, C. HICKEY, ( E, J. LORIXO, Hon. Treasurer. The Rev. Mr. Todd said, before the report was adopted, lie should like to know how it was that there had been no monthly periodicals on the tables in the reading room for some time past. The Chairman stated that wlien Ivir, Burton, the late librarian left, he omitted to inform his succassor up to what date the supply of periodicals had been paid for, and owing to the renewal money not r having been sent Home at the props time, t':ie supply had ceased. Mr. Fleti. had then promised to supply what he could, but was pot able to let the Com-

mittee have all the periodicals they re- j quired. The Committee had sent Home £ls during the last month, and they hoped shortly to be in recsipt of a regular supply of periodicals, which, "would be sent direct to the Committee. _ < The Rev. Mr. Todd said that, having 1 heard the explanation, he had great >. plensui'3 in moving the adoption of both reports, and suggested that a iniimt3 i should'' Jj© entered in the book, thanking ; Slessi". Sumpter, J-kslop, Shrimslci, and Sl-eward. who were instrumental in obtaining Iho g:a:it of land for the Institute*. Sir. I>a:;i;on seconded the motion. Tin? Cjiai:i*ian stated that, while lie pgreed with the suggtstion of the mover, lie might state tiiat the gentlemen named harl been thanked by the Committee. The motion was then put and carried. The election of oflicers was then proceeded with. PnES'DENT. The Hov. Sir. Tono proposed, and Mr. FiLr.TJ"L sc-eouded, that the present President (Jili*. Forrester) ho re-elected. Tiie CI!ATI:MAN said it'had been agreed at the hist meeting that the office should be a rolling one, and he would much rather's-e other gentleman elected. Mr. Main proposed, and Mr. _ Evans Svcondt-d. 1 hat' Mr. liklop be President. Sir. liisLOi' said it would be better that so lie .gentleman should be elected wao would be c-;nstan•' ! y in Oamam, w-hica he could not. be. He would therefore propose Mr. Fli 'ul. Ilxe motion was seconded by Six*, WilSN. Slos'ts. Fi-rrc ter and x<'illeul having withdrawn, Sir. teioiop "was declared cLcted. . Cn i airing the e'Mr, Mr. Hi si op briefly thanked the me ding' for having placed him in the position hu now occupied, and said that he hoped next year he and the committee who would be elected to work with him wouhl be able t > present a stdl more favourable-port than tnat they had received this year. It was a matter of regret that great:.r interest in tne literary advancement of Camaru was not manifested. Though t'-e report they liad just received was not altogether favourable, he thought it si ill co:it lined the elements of success. From. what lie had heard while in Yvdim 'ton, lie did not think the Institute wo ill d in. farm*.; receive so large a Government subsidy as it had previously done, x'.o elii.'Vt o:i Ins part, nowever, would lie t. anting to ensure its success during the y.-ai*. v;e::-P-E.sir>EN?. On the moiion of Sir. Eickby, seconded by Sir. jjLAi.:!-:r.:-tN. Mr. Filleul was reelected Yiee-Presi .lent. lION. SECIISTAItY. Sir. Tempest having declined to stand for IC-.leei-ion as lion. feccreunry, Sli. {! i t <y.-as e i.e ed *ei i lle motion of Mr. seconded by Sir. Evans. teeaiXEEE. On the motion of Mr. Sulligan, seconded by Sir. Wilson, Sir. Loring was re-clected Treasurer. THE COMMITTED. The election of eleven members of Committee then took place. The names of fourteen gentlemen having been proposed, ;i show of hands was iakm with the following ros'.t!t Forrester, 21 ; Mr. Thornton. It); Sir. Gnnipter, 18; Sir. Tempest.' 13 : SI;-. jlv.nis. 11- ; r.li-;irron, II ; lvlr. Imrn. 'li: —I-I'-hi, II- ; Mr. Esther, 13: S'.r. SI*K mxie. 13 ; Sir. Wilson, 10 ; Sir. Barr, 8 ; /dr. Teomson, 6. The eleven ibst-named gentlemen were declared duly cieoled. Sir. Filleul pointed out tiiat there was no provision in the rales for the filling _ of any vacancies oil tee Committe whicn 1 might occur during the year. They had I during the past y-.-ar lost the services of seve: at Comm; tcemeii tarougn this, and he would therefore move— *' ihat m case i any member ot Committee, the President, ' Vice-President, Secrebiry, or Treasurer , should r.-sign,' or ore mie incapable of ' acting, or shoal 1 bo absent from the WaiI t-.iki District for morj than six months, the Committee ni i.v at any of its ordinary meeimgs ei:-e'e <>t-aor person, being a in.'ntbov of tii e in its cur, j. to acc in tae place of any s-ien person. Mr. F-..-3.11115 -'.te\l seconded tae motion, i which was ern-ied.

SUGGS.TTION 3 TO THE CO3ISTITTB3. • The Ibv. Mr. Todd sakl that a large n umberoi; c s >ns \v.»o were 1: o' u subscribers were in tho habit of using the readingroom without paying anything towards the Institute. In Edinburgh it was the practices to have a box at tsio door, by dropping a coin into which anyone might gain admission to the room. He thought the Committee might adopt that system here. .. . Mr. Evans thought the suggestion a very good one. Mr. Thornton that, wmle the suggestion might be a good one so far as strangers v.M-re conceited, it would not be of much use n made voluntary wita regard to residents, as tiis Institute would not get much by if. Mr. FoKiiEST£nthoug':;Uheyshouldfollow example of the Dunedin Institute, and allow of the system by which members might introduce strangers to the room f or ° a vvi'ek or a, fortnight. 15 ut in the case of persons remaining in the town, they might fairly be asked to pay at least a quarter's subscription. If the thing was made volunary, no good would be done by it. Mr. Tijoiinton thought that a great deal might be done r for the Institute by having light entertainments, such as sixpenny readings, if they could not get scientific lectures. Tho lie v. Mr. Todd would like to sugr gest to the Committee the advisability of holding evening classes in the Institute. He thought if such were done, and the

services of a good master securt*' s _ B number of young men might to attend, them. PUBLIC LIBRARIES ACT. H. Mr. Forrester moved, " That Committee be requested to take steps bring the Institute under the operational of the 'Public Libraries Powers AcK|j 1875.' " He pointed out several verygreMg advantages which would be obtained ad< ipting the course he proposed. Tho motion was seconded by Evaks, and carried. Hj| na:js of institute. I t Mr. Forrester moved, "That the mittee tales stops to have the name of Institute altered, if possible, to Oamaru Athenteum and Mechanics' Seconded by Mr. Milligan. and carrie<]M| SALE OF ESDOWJIENa. Sir. Forrester moved, and Mr. seconded, " Tnat the Committee be powered to sell the endowment, if theßrj deem it expedient, and to invest the ceeds in freehold land in this district ; before taking that step, or ratifying contract, a meeting of subscribers shoul®^ be called to consider the matter." _ ■* After some discussion, the motion carried unanimously. HL T e meeting then terminate d with usual vote of thanks to the Chairman.