PATEA INSTITUTE.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 989, 26 January 1883, Page 2

PATEA INSTITUTE .

The seventh' annual meeting of the Patea Institute was held last evening, a bare quorum being present. In the absence of the President, the Secretary (Mr J. A. Wilkinson) occupied the chair. The minutes of last general meeting were read and coiTfinncd. The following report was submitted :

The President and members of Committee, in- presenting this their eighth animal report, regret their inability to congratulate, subscribers on ,;any .very, great improvement in the list of members.. 9 On their taking,.office it was' thought They had nearly 100 members on the .books ; but, on thorough investigation, it was discovered that there were in reality only 60 on the list. This was rather discouraging, but your - Committee by an effort have raised tho list to 70,.

;. ■ The first duty the new Committee had to perform was the securing of a Librarian. After advertising for .applicants, Mr H. Chadwick was selected at a remuneration of 25 per cent, on all members’ subscriptions received ; on his resigning in July, -Mr D. M. Warren was appointed, a change being inade in the' form of payment from’ 26 per cent, to a salary of £25 per annum. With flic idea of increasing 'the Income, the Reading Room was opened to subscribers only, 5s per annum being.chargcd to those nof wishing to join the Library . Th is a rra ngem entwas all ered in,oc 1 o 1 1 er, in order to secure a share of thcParlianientary’ grant dpe this year. At the close of last year a large stun was shown in the liabilities as due to the resigning Librarian. To meet this, and to defray other liabilities, it was resolved, by the Committtee to raise funds on a Bank overdraft, a pn. (due on demand) being given for tlie snm of £65, as > collateral security by which the members of Committee* became jointly and severally responsible 1 , and ■ for-winch"they are-still responsible. The question of books was one which at once received the attention of yoitr:Committee, who seeing no means of being able to forward sufficient money Home to import books, made ‘ arrangements with Mr Kenworthy,- whereby they secured three batches of light and interesting literature. A large number of newspapers have also been placed on the table. The question of allowing papers contain ing objectionable matter on the table was also discussed, the Committee deciding that, to avoid unpleasantness, in the selection of papers, all occasional papers must be approved by them. The Government Gazette, Hansard , and batches of Parliar merit ary papers have been regularly received.

With a view to render the Reading Room m/ire;--. attractive, two > extra Jainps were provided, and sets of draughts and chess placed on (he table. An entertainment in aid of the funds was given by the Harmoic Society and several local amateurs, to whom the. be-t . thanks of the subscribers are due. During the year the President has given a donation of £5, which' is thankfully acknowledged.- As the balance sheet will show, although our expenditure-In Bhe ;n very heavy, we have managed to reduce the total indebtedness by £2O, and we have no doubt that with the aid of (he Parliamentary grant, and an increased list of subscribers, the whole ’debt could be paid off during the present year. Your Committee desire, also'to thank Mr-’E. Houghton for bis generosity, in placing a large space in the Patea Mail at the Committee’s disposal for the purpose of advertising, free of charge. , .Signed, on behalf o_f Committee, J. A. Wilkinson, , , ; i Hon. Sec.

The balanciv sheet showed receipts for the year to have, been. £132 2s Id —£87 Os 2d net, receipts, and, £45 Is lid overdraft. ■ The expenditure was £l6O, including'payment of £3l Id to D. M. Harris : for previous year. £l7 16s lOd ; expenses of management; £5 11s lighting and firing, and £44 18s for purchase of books in 1881-82.

The Chairman: remarked that, although thp expenditure might'be heavy’, ammnber of accounts remaiuingmverfrom 1881 bad been paid off. They were really' £2O more to the good than, last year, and‘their lotial indebtedness of £45 Is lid,might bo expected to be reduced - by’ £2O from the Government subsidyv

Mr Taplin moved the adoption of the report and, balance sheet, after being certified to by the auditors and procuring of missing-rCceipts, • -

Mi'. ’R, ,A. Adame, in, seconding - the motion, expressed a hope that the Institute would bo .out of.,debt before.:the .nexff annual meeting, bat be did not think they should, starve -the' library to get out 'of debt. A. mutual benefit might lib obby, exchanging-, books with Ilawcra or Waverley libraries. > ■ i, ■ • Mr 11. E. : P. Adams said - that 'during the last two years they had not shared in the: Government subsidy, otherwise they might,now,; have been -out of debt. =. lie believed they could got more members if they tried, and . they would have more money to expend, in the purchase of books, but, as to exchange, that .had been tried, but other libraries did not respond. ■

Mr Bright said he had spoken to several gentlemen about joining, they, said they would, do so if the library gotiiitw books. If the subscribers increased they 7 - could get the books. • ,

The motion was then carried. The election of officers was then proceeded with, and (he following elected : President, 11. IT. Christie (re-elected) ; Treasurer, H. E. P. Adams (re-elected) ; Auditors, John Gibson and R. 0. Tennent (re-e l ected). General .Committee : Messrs Taplin, Wilkinson, Hamortou, Redgrave and E. A. Adams.

Mr Taplin moved a vote of thanks to Mr E. Houghton for the generous way in which he had inserted gratuitously in the Mail an advertisement to the interests of the Institute. He believed it. was greatly due to the efforts of Mr Houghton that the membei'ship had been increased. The motion was carried unanimously, and the Secretary was requested to send a copy of the same te Mr Houghton.

Votes of thanks were also accorded to the President, secretary, treasurer, auditors, and committee for their services during the past year. Mr Taplin proposed that rule six, “ That in the event of the president being incapacitated through illness or otherwise, from present his . duties be per-

formed by the secretary,” be rescinded. He thought it an unnecessary rule, and the secretary had quite sufficient to do without having to occupy the chair. Mr R. A. Adams considered it to be anomalous position for the secretary to preside as ho plight have to give his vote on his own report. Mr Miller was also of opinion that it was unusual. Mr R. A. Adams moved “That at all meetings iu : the absence of the president, a chairman be elected for the time being.” Mf Taplin 'withdrew his motion in favour of this which was carried. = A vote of (banks to the chairman concluded the proceedings.