THE LIBRARY GRANT.

Otaki Mail, 14 August 1922, Page 2

THE LIBRARY GRANT.

BOROUGH COUNCIL CRITICISED. - i RENEAVED APPLICATION TO BE MADE FOB ASSISTANCE. A meeting ot' subscribers of the Otaki public library was held on Friday | night, when the Rev. G. F. l'etrie, M.A., presided. There was an attendance of twenty members. The Chairnan explained that the object of the meeting was to discuss a letter from the Otaki Borough Council. This read as follows: —"lour application for a grant in aid of the library funds was .-in,mined to the Council ou the -Ft duly. The Councillors regret, owiug to lack of funds for very urgent work. thai they cannot gram a subsidy this year. The financial stringency has re-| - liectcd itself upon the amount of rates j paid, and several important improve j meats have had to be curtailed." The Rev. l'etrie, continuing, said sub»crib ers had had plenty of time to think the matter over, and the question, to his mind v.a> an important and a serious one, and it the Council intended to carry out their resolution it would be a retrograde step in the history of the town. It was for the meeting to reply to the Borough Council relativu to the application for the usual grant which fin year- had txen ghost. The librun i and reading-room, he added, cere two different institutions —the reading-room was supported by funds from the pub lie bodies a IK', the library carried ou by subscribers. Many years ago, thanks to Mr Freeman, said the Rev. l'etrie, a ' grant was received from the County ' Council, and the income of throe billiard saloons devoted to the reading - room. This totalled £O, while the old - Town Board gave £5, a total oJ ill- • The billiard-rooms woit out of existence and with them the grant-, and they vi ere dependent on the Tow;-. Beard '.- grant. Now they received a letter from the Borough Council, saying it could not give a grant, even of £".. The letter, said Mr l'etrie, iv:uvery definite, and as funds were no longer forthcoming for the reuding- • room it automatically closed down. The .[subscribers to the library could not be , j expected to pay for a caretaker foi the [ reading-room, and even if they wished to carry on they were not in tl"' posi ' lion to do so. If it had not he, a for two contributing factor.- the library committee would have had to put lh« n I hands in their own pockets, while the ; Secretary had effected a saving of £7 to £« during the pn = : yea, when the overdraft was overdrawn. The -hi. seribors to the library, he -aid. mo I | economise and close the reading room till support was forthcoming from Cue (public. The closing of tin room would j i not be the fault, of the subscriber* to the library hut the fault of the BorI ough Council or public. il<- had no! iced ; in the "Mail" that the Borough C.-ini-cil had not turned the application dec n absolutely, but the only thing the meei ing had to go on c.aji the Council > o! ficial document, lie moved that a.-, tire library and reading-room no longer reGovernment or any local body thai lb reading-room be temporarily closed. ' This was seconded by Mr Wai>,. ! Mr H. Freeman asked what wo-,1,1 the cos! be o: keeping the room open, I and was assured by the Chairman lha> •si cusrodia-n was necessary. ! Mr F. W. Box though the Conned could be approaahed and application I made for £.j. The Chairmai replied ' thai it required -ometbing like £!•') more 'nan they had at pre-en' t" carry j on. Mr Freeman said the room was cn-ct- ! I'd as a public feading-roou. to k'-ep I young fellows off the -!.-<">•!», and then ! the library joined up to save expense, j He would eot like to see the room cio. c-d because if she- visitors would have I no place to rest. He thought if the pubj lie was approached they would help. . while to hi- mind the Borough Council | should assist. Hi never had anf- trrm- ; ble, he added, in getting money free, j the County Council. The Chairman said the room was opened in 1004 and it would be « cal amity to close it, but asked why should i subscribers to the library be expected to carry it on? It was purely a matter of fir.anc —thf-y already had an ; overdraft of £2OO, and they would have I to be careful. Mr D. B. Mackersey -aid he would ! lik* to see an arjpea! made to :':..: public before taking such drastic stops a.- \ closing the room. Mr Norgrove pointed out that of re-.: cent date the room had beer; largely j used by visitors arid others. Mr Melrose igreed that an appeal ; ' should be made to the public. • The Chairman said the nub-crlber-did cot want to see the reading-room I closed, but they did not see how they could carry on. The Borough Council j should help, and if their letter was final a move might be to appeal , to the public. Mr Wellington said if money was to ; be .saved by closing the room it would ! be just as well to close. The Cbairnian said t.!..-y had been \ struggling on to make both ends meet yet the- Borough Council had turned them down. It was the d sty of the Council, he »e.id. to back the*: up inread of discouraging them. After further dijctLssion Mr Freeman moved an amandines: that a ip plication be maie to th- Cost&eil for ~- grant for the reading-room, and if -a-- > i stance was; not forth coming to close the room. This w&fi seconded hy Mr Mackersey. The Chairman again pointed out that they had *be letter from the Couseil j turning the roaster down. j Mr E*re«aan contended the Council should help. Esd he wa? willing to make i one to wait on that b*>dy. The Cooaeil, is thought, sh&uid lake the room over, i Mr Braraley said scire Borough Coun- | ciUors the inpresslon that tie librajry oniv had sho~t 25 member; - wteieaa there were 60 to 70. The Bev. Eesji g«d he would regret-

if the reading-room hud to be closed, and considered the Borough Council and public should support i; as ;\ public institution, it would certainly be a retrograde step - t o close the room, and he would favuin a deputation waiting on the Counnil. It was eventually decided thai MV>. -rs Freeman ami Watts wait on the Council relative to a giant. Mr Melro.se asked would it not be advisable, in the event of the Council refusing a grant, to ask that body to take over the room in preference to The Chairman stiid a grant of £.j would be useless, £lO was needed. He though Councillors were nor,- sympathetic than they were: they m vet seemed to gi<v the matter much though! till recently. thanks weie accorded to donors •>: books, while Mr.- Broadway was a: pointed on the committee in place n Mr> Hopkins .'.resigned':.