MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE, TEMUKA

Temuka Leader, Issue 224, 17 January 1880, Page 2

MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE, TEMUKA

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING-. The annual meeting of subscribers o the above Institute took place in the Institute on Thursday last, there being about 20 persons present. chairman. On the motion of Mr Storey, seconded by Mr G. Mason, Dr Hayes was voted to the chair.

minutes. The minutes of the last annual meeting were read and confirmed. committee’s report. The Committee’s annual report and bal' ance sheet were read, the latter showing a balance to the credit of the Institute of L 56 17s 4d. ADOPTION OF REPORT. On the motion of Mr Tavonder, seconded by Mr Franks it was unanimously carried —“That the report and balance sheet, as.read, be adopted.” . ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The following officers were then duly elected for the ensuing 12 months : President, Dr Hayes ; Vice President, Mr D. M. McKay ; Treasurer, Mr J. Mendelsou ; Secretary, Dr Hayes. Committee Messrs Gra.y, F. Franks* M. T. Gentlemen, E. Lea, J. G. Mason, Elliston, W, Storey, M. Quinn, Jno. Hayhurst. senr., and Jno Marlin. VOTE OF THANKS Alisarty vote 'J thanks was accorded to tho f tiring officer-!. PI'P-STITUTION. !r. iwh* ••so!v«d Mi d, toe S-i ulific Amo- 1

j ricin b'substituted in .the place of The. i Engineer. ? j j CLOSING LIBRARY ON SUNDAY. j Considerab’c disouss'on then took plaqe m the closing of the Reading Room qn Sundays. Toe Chairman hold that notice of motion should have been given before the question could bo brougut ~oii, but agree to take the feeling of the" meeting on the subject. 1 Mr Grav then piopoaod—“ That the Reading Room of the Institute be ‘ losed i n Sundays,’’ Ho spoke at considerable length in its favor. Mr Menddson seconded the res ibition Mr Mason- proposed, as an amendment, that the Reading Room bo kept open as heretofore. The amendment was seconded by Mr •Gentleman. On being put to the meeting, the amendment was earned, only one voting Tor the original motion. DATE OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS. It was resolved that the meetings of the Committee-beheld on the second Friday in each month. committee’s report. Gentlemen,- — Your Committee, at the close of-their year of office, have the pleasure of submitting to you their annual report, and balance-sheet, which they trust will bo found satisfactoiy. The b-banco in hand at the dose of preceding year was 1-18 Ids 3-1, to which may be a-idfd :

Total ..... 79 Against, GO at close of previous year, 1878 Although last year’s roll shows 19 more members than the preceding year, yet I am sorry to say the actual amount of moue3 r received from subscriptions has been l.ss by L 59s 3d. T iL, I believe is owing in a great measure to quarterly me übers falling in .rrenra, and not ) aying their subscriptions with punctuality. Altboutrh the strictest economy has sbeeu exercised -ov*>r rite expenditure of the funds of the i iat.itme during the past year,

vet a glance at, (he Treasurer’s report suffices to show that, were if, not for extraneous aid, a debtor balance-sheet would have been shown.

No nmv books were purchased last year for the library, but, in IMu thereof, a tempoviry'exchanging of hooks was negotiated with the Geraldine Literary Institute. By this means, over 100 volumes of new reading matter have been added to the library.

Several yoluni n s of. magazines have been bound,and have obtained ready circulation.

An attempt has been made to dispose of Pin pavers to snhsrr hors, or other-, after they bad lain sufficiently long on the Reading R-nom table. This has been effected in ttie case qf the Field and Australasum. which are sold at half price.; ami your Committee •■■-mild suggest tha their sir c-s-mrs make an effort to dispose of others on similar terms. A. new avranyement has heei entered into tlr’s year for obtaining newspapers and peFodi Ms. The order has been jo.ntly divid'd bet ween our Home agents, Messrs Rm*d and Jones, and Mr Huttton of Timarn. By this moans we will effect a savina of LI 12s lid. The Institute sustained a severe loss last year by the 7'cmoval from the district of our late residin’ Mr Field. None but those who worked with him, on the Commi feo, knows the amount of valuable time and onergv bestowed by him on the affairs of die Institute • and wo trust his successor, whoever he may be, will ends ivouv to emulate the worthy example of his pr idacc-sHOr.

A suggestion was brought before the Committee.setung forth the desirability of painting the outside of the Institute, and ornamenting the grounds,bj r planting and laying them out. The project had to be. abandoned at the time it was mooted, ow ing to the dilapidated state of the Post Office fence, which was not cattle proof. It is to be hoped, however, that the incoming Committee will see their way to carry this suggestion into practical effect.

We received this year a most welcome and unexpected grant of L 53 19s 7d from the South Canterbury Board of Education (being our share of a sum of money placed in their hands by the Government for distribution among pubi c libraries), but as we have no reason to expect a similar grunt this year, it therefore believes every member of the Institute to induce new members to join, and your Committee would suggest to their successors the organisation of a system for the better collection of subscriptions and adopt measures to prevent non-subscribers using the property of the Institute. John S. Hayes, Hon. Sec.

The Globe suggests a compromise of the political difficulty in Victoria, the Council to become a revising chamber. It condemns the Plebiscite. Mr Childers has returned from Canada. The floating of the South Australian lorn has hr-en deferred owing to n dispute a.s to the minimum. The latest news from Afghanistan states

that the tribes are assuming a menacing attitude. General Roberts telegraphs that n large force is required to maintain the supremacy.

Subscriptions - £46 18 0 Educational grant53 If 7 Catalogues Sold - 4 0 Sale of was!a paper 3 1 0 Papers sold - 1 15 0 Total - £124 1 ; 4 i The expenditure may bo summarised follows ;— as £ s. d. Newspapers - - 21 19 G 0 Librarian's salary - - 23 0 Insurance - 5 10 0 Incidentals ... - 2 19 11 Catalogues and printing - - 6 14 4 Clinch and Lloyd - - 1 10 0 Binding books- - 5 10 0 Road rates - 7 6 Deposit fixed Bank N.Z - - 50 0 0 Balance - - - - - 6 17 4 Total - 124 14 7 The number on Lite books of the Tnstitnte at the close of (he year was : — Yearly members ■ . 28 Half-yearly ditto - 8 Quarterly ditto - - 43