OAMARU ATHENÆUM.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10068, 9 February 1909, Page 4

OAMARU ATHENÆUM.

To tie Editor.

Sir,—ln Friday's Oarnaru Mail appeared a report of the annual meeting _ot the Athensom, held the previous evening, it is astounding to read the remarks of some the sneakers at that meeting. One sava: 'The fact that they had only 2GO subscribers in a town like Oamaru snewed that- there was something wrong ; another: "It wa» a serious matter the membership waa falling off, and it wasneces■=arv that some', hire.? should be done : and so on. etc.. etc. ft is a matter for great regret that something has not ago been done to make the Athena;am more nonular. Had the Committee endeavored to'-do something of the kind, it migntnot at ttte- present time have reason to wonder \v:.v the public are so apaturtic in the matter. The scale of members subscriptions is perfectly absurd tor a town like' Uaniaru. which can in no s-c".-e compared to Chriatchurch. Dune'is t;. or oth*'r hr-v centres. 1 have bers of eomtjlaints about the scale ot ;>ubscriDtions beins too high. and the number of books allowed to «lcU siibicrxber—ciallv country subscribers —at a \Vhy does not "the Conimitte*, if u_ wisher, to c«t more subscribers, octenrj tne- pri-viiei»-s of the Ather.ttum, ov reducing trie scale of subscriptions juat one halt, and allowing, say, tear booi-rs and two ma.-a----zin-s to be "taken at a tune, and am- ri't the pre-S'.a: absurd regulations |Ncs. 10 and 14). I am convinced that ru-.re country 'subscribers wm:W then be indu- ed to join. At present there is aoso'.utciy no induoeraent whatever ior country subscribers to Lecorue members, as they are allowed to take only one h-.-o.: tor 2'- ! °r two for 22s 6d: tic.- one- tjoo.-: probaoh being read in a coupie of days. Country ii.-opV haven't the time to go to tov/u sunplv to get looks. Townspeople can enjoy" this privikge if they luce. but conutrv people may only bo able to get in once a fortnight, thus getting only t ■ ■•j books a moathT which at present oj-;s about lot each tor reading them. The whole scale of charges so tar as country subscriber.- are concerned is o-.tt-li e subscribers' reaJing-recca is ail that one could wish tor and L? a convene.nt place tor coantry peopte tc; after .-hopping, etc.; bu: the Cornraittee itseLf, by its own insane action, deoar-. that front becoming more popular, on ac-

eount «'f its iriccmnrehen.-ible a-.tion in levying stich ;i .-'."ale ot subscriptions. If the" C»im:rit:teu" just elected reaily live one. let it -rive a six rnontlis _ trial at half the present rates, e'iteruiiri_' the nurub*:r of U->oks to, say. four, and magazines to two. espeiaally to "onmtry subscii'..era. but to all sub.-i.rib'-rs if they watit the Athenxunt to lioonie really popular; arid let each member of the Committee canv;isc> r--r Ctj'.v subaeribers. in town and eountrv% and see what the result is. In. dUcnssinLT this subject v.itli visitor rr<Tu Ak;ir«ja to-H.lay I ir.arned that 10b is the annual suLsi rintion foi* rour iiooks ana two maij'i;un^s r to be k"pt Ion.: «>ue ii;-ie.- : by that L mea.n t«*r any r'-a^onariiL^peri'd. I'tpiesti'm it any* library hi 2srw ?...-aiaud in .-ueri a small piaee. witii c,ueh a c>hiparativ>.'ly tniall [-atiiiatioa. ;.■> ■>-nu. n[iiippi-d v:irh ail tae ii-'V. e.'t :•••".> .>y th« v 'latent :iuthor- than the Akar «.'ue. If ti'iis iitfl-.' t. '.a.n popular!— iier liifrary to h ar; « stent, surely < '•••nan: can do so. ;uid sii-.idd do to. with ab««ut six. time.- th" p-'JMilatb'U. Ihit in this <piestii>ii. as in if i.' z - ' • -triers. Uaiua.ru lr c-;.d;y beidnd the t ... . 'iru>tin- that oth'.r.- will take this matter up. and that the Committee- ru.iy i)e indu-.vi r«r rxt.-ud ;he f.ri-v il-.-es . f ti. i>v iv.du' a'tb.-' ri"'i. ; n. et--. I am*, etc.. VV»U*LL>-UE CurXTUV SL'iJSCILUiEU.