CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Waikato Argus, Volume X, Issue 864, 25 January 1901, Page 4

CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

A MEETING of the ■.rniil'crs and sub-| scribers to the above institution was| held in tlie readit.g-ro m on \Vedi>es-| day evening The. i.uend.uice was theg smallest on record. i »..•.« ....ly being the| committee aud tu<. i tin.i members pre-g The Cliairman of Cointiutt.ee (Mrg G. Dickenson! occupied the chuir.j He read the report and balancesheet as follows : The committer have great pleasure in again meeting the subscribers and members of the corporation and submitting a statement of receipt- i.n.l rxpeu inirc for the year ending 31 ft December, 1901, from which it will be si en the year has been one of great progres-. I<- the halance-sheel nefore you it will be noticed that our assets now amount to £{v>!> Us bM, after writing off a 1 >rt:e sum for depreciation, and with no liabilities of any kind whatever. These fa3ts speak for themselves, and all should be pleased to find ourj institution in such a good posiiion. The Government subsidy received amounted to £lB 12s -id, and should the subsidy be the same as laet year, our library should almast be able to claim this ye.r the limit: obtainable from the grant to libraries. A most enjoyable and successful concert was held in August lastj in aid of our funds. It was k'u lly given; by the members of the Hamilton Comedy, Club, and your committee would take] this opportunity of thanking our lfa.mil-; ton friends for their generous help. A new floor Ims been laid in the reeding room, and a new lamp, Riving inoieased light, greatly adds to the comfort of those using the room. Your committee fully recognise that to m .ke the libiary attractive and keep it up to-dale, new hooks should be placed upon the shelvrs frequently. During the year just closed this policy has been adopted. 2u7 volume* of new books having t;een odderi, and your committee find their effort? have given pleasure and satisfaction to the subscribers and visitors. The sum of £45 9i 8d has been expend-d in the purchase of new hooks during the yeir, ascompared with £2O 12s 91 the previousone. Owing to the committee's liberal treatment of visitors to the town, 44 casual subscribers have joined for short period?, and we have not lo*t a hook or had one damaged. During the yeir the front of the building has bren piloted which has greatly added tn its appearance. The committee desire to thank the following for gifts donated tothe Museum: —Dr and Mrs Hooper, for a number ot Indian cm ins ; Mr John MiUson, of the First Contingent, for a Botr bandoliet taken from a Boer prisoner; and Mr Thornton Walker for the late Tim Sullivan's rifle, all of which have been placed in the museum. During tiie year just closed we had 59 new subscribers and 44 -casual ones, making l? 7 on the books during the year. Notwithstanding oui heavy expenditure during the year, v.e are leaving the new commiltje to he balance of £ll ISs4d to start the new year with. We would again urge the claims of tie library upon those of your town and country residents who are not subscribe rs, to join and so Strengthen and help on our institution. —Signed on behalf of die Committe. George DtCKKNMis, Chairman. The balance sheet for the year was as follows :—Receipts : Balance Ist January, 1900, £ll 16s Cd ; subscription?, £66 16s 10d ; subsidy, £lB 12* 4d ; proceeds of concert, £6 6? ; s lie o! papers, £2 Is Id ; discounts received, £3 2s id ; sundry receipts, 4s 9d ; total. £IOB 19s lOd. Exp' nditure : Librarian'* salary. £27 Hi 3d; insurance, £3 14s; new bo ks and newspapers, £4f> 9s SI : fuel, £1 16s; lighting, £3 lfi* 7d ; new lamb*, £1 s:< ; repairs, £3 17s : advertising am) printing, £3 IS> 6(1 : stationery, 15a lid ; cleaning, lis 61; freight. 6s 3d ; stamps, 13-t ; bank charges, Iss ;j sundries, 13-.; balance at 31st December,! ]9OO, £ll 18s 4d ; total, £lO3 19s lOd Assets: Outstanding subscriptions, £1 13s 9d ; boobs, £3S7 17s 9<l ; mu«neni! cases and cotents, £4O ; buildings, £ 80 :| furniture, £3O; total, £639 lis 61 Liabilities, nil.

In moving the adoption of the repor; and balance sheet, the chairman said he believed it was the most satisfactory statement that had ever been place.! be fore the members. The subscriptions had reached a greater amount thin ever before, namely £66 16* lOd, and the number of casual subscribers—vi-dtors to the town —proved that the library was well appreciated by all. He believed this was due to their keeping the institution up to date by placing new books on the shelves. He then said he should like to b-ar testimony to the valuable help ho had received iron: hi.colleague, iMr W. G. Col'ins, who had devoted an immense aty.rmnt of" time to helping along the library. '- — < was seconded by Mi Jtfartly, who staled that the report was the beat that had been submitted during the past fifteen years. He would liked to have seen a good number of members present to bear testimony to the able manner in which matters bad b'ei managed, but t! ey could rest assured that if anyone had not been fyti.-fied the meeting would not have been such a small one.

The motion was unanimously agreed

On the motion of Mr Boyce, seconded by Mr Dyer, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the Chairman for thn greatj interest he had liken in the aff.irs of the' litrary and for the immense amount of l&bour he had devoted to it. In returning thanks Mr Dickenson said library rnatteis had always been a hobby with him, and it w.is very gratifying to fiud his iffoits hid prove! sri successful and wtie also appreciated. When he looked round the district and saw the state of affairs of some ot then neighbour's libraries he certainly ielt proud of their Cambridge, ore, and he waa particularly pleased at the maunei in which it was supported by visitors. They treated vinlo-s liberally and in return the visitors supported th<: institution freely, and in iio r , one single instance had they either lost a look or had one injured by visitors. Ou the motion of the Cliairin n, seconded by Mr Collins, the librarian was thanked for the effiu'ent manner in which he bad carried out his duties.

Major Miuitt returned thanks, and said he endeavoured to do Irs duties without fear or favour to anyone. Mr Hartly moved that the new coiiilr.ittee be Messrs G Dickinson. J. Hally. W. G. Collins, C. Boyce and It. \V Dyer. That meant that the old committee be n -elected. The mo"cr said he -was tnire they could not do better, as was ptoved by the uature of the repot t and balance-sheet.

The motion was seconded by Mr G. E. Clark and unanimously agreed to,

That conc'u-led the business, bui at a suhsrquent meeting of the committee Mr G. Dickenson was re-elected Chairman.