Patea Institute.

Patea Mail, 22 January 1881, Page 3

Patea Institute.

The annual meeting of members of the Patea Library and Institute was held on Thursday evening, about sixteen members being present. In the absence of the President, Mr Taplin was voted to the chair. . The advertisement convening the meeting being read, the Secretary read the fifth annual report as follows :—“ The committee lay before the meeting the statement of receipts and expenditure, and also statement of assets and liabilities of the Institute on 31st December, 1880, the former showing a small credit balance of £1 14s 4d, and the latter, namely, statement of assets and liabilities, after showing all liabilities and deducting a fair percentage for depreciation in building, books, and furniture, showing a balance of £252 4s lid. An order of books to the amount of £67 has been received during the present year, and an order to the amount of £25 was forwarded home early in November for execution. A loan of £67 was received from Dr Croft at the beginning of the year, which has since been paid off. The subsidy previously allowed to libraries has been withdrawn owing to which the committee decided to allow the Reading Room to be open to subscribers only since August. ” The balance-sheet showed the total receipts to have been £221 9s lid, included in which were subscriptions during 1880 which totalled £6B 14s 4d, two loans from Dr Croft of £67 13s and £ls respectively, subsidy from Government for 1879 £33 8s sd, donations, sale of books andpapers, and previous balance making up the total £221 9s lid. The report and balance sheet were received and adopted. Dr Croft was re-elected president ; Mr H. E. P. Adams, vice-president ; Messrs Gibson and Tennent, auditors ; and Messrs E. Tregear, Ashley Hunter, S. Taplin, J. A. Wilkinson, and G. D, Hamerton, as committee. The election of ; committee was decided by ballot, Mr Tregear being scrutineer. The following were also nominated—Messrs R. A. Adams, H. Nicholson, F. Searling, and J. Gibson. Proposed by Mr Weiss, seconded by Mr Skelley, That the fee be reduced from 20s to 10s from the beginning of 1881. An amendment by Mr R. A. Adams, seconded by Mr Arthur proposed to raise the fee to 21s. As neither motion nor amendment found general favor, no alteration was made. On the motion of Mr R. A. Adams, seconded by Mr Weiss, it was resolved, That the committe cause a book of reference to be left in the reading room. Votes of thanks were accorded to the President, retiring committee and auditors. The retiring committee were Messrs G. A. Wray, J. Gibson and H. Nicholson. A vote a vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the meeting.