THE MASTERTON INSTITUTE COMMITTEE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1768, 22 August 1884, Page 2

THE MASTERTON INSTITUTE COMMITTEE.

> 1 The Committee met at 7.30 last night, i | Present—The Mayor (Chairman), and 2 i Messrs Beard, Hogg, E. Brown, Muir, t Bacon, Kedman, and Price. t The minutes of the previous meeting c j were read and confirmed. t There was no Treasurer's report, [ The resignations of Messrs M. f Maxton as Committeeman, and J. Brown as Secretary, were read and s 1 accepted, t A letter of complaint was read from 1 1 Mr Fisher to the effect that the June i • number of Harper's Monthly had been ( taken away from the library reading room. r The Chairman said he had spoken to - the cnstodian concerning the matter, t and he thought the house committee t should have power to deal with it. d The letter was referred to the house committee with a suggestion that they •! should have a conspicuous placard put 1 in the reading room, offering a reward i for information that would lead to the conviction of any person manipulating £ pamphlets, An account for Kerosene, &c„ E. Feist, £5 10s sd, was passed for payment subject to its being certified to as correct. An accouut for cataloguing books, M 14s, was passed for payment, the book committee having authorised tlie work. t Mr Muir thought that works in vol v- r ing so large an expenditure should not c be undertaken without the sauction of t the general committee, He would I give notice of motion to thit effect ut later on, . h Mr 11. Brown was appointed r honorary treasurer and Mr G. 8. W. n Dalrymple Secretary at a salary of £5 f per annum and an addition of 20 n per cent on all new subscribers to the t library obtained by him. a On the motion of Mr Hogg seconded t by Mr Muir, it was resolved that Mr o , Papworth be recommended to the 1 , Borough Council for appointment as p committeeman to fill the vancancy t! occasioned by the retirement of Mr tl , Maxton. t' | Mr Lowes moved, Mr Brown tl seconded, that a deputation consisting y of Mr Beard and the mover be h appointed to wait upon the Town tl Lands Trust, at its next meeting to g respectfully request a grant ot j£5Q tl towards the funds of the Institute for ut the purpose of purchasing new books, tl The motion was put and -carried n unanimously. d It was resolved that the Secretary' bo n instructed to furnish a financial state- tl ment of the library since the publica- pi tion of the last balance sheet, a' Mr Beard asked what action, if any, ii would be taken on the question of r< moving the reading-room. ut: Mr Hogg said the Museum Commit- ai tee would be using the upper room for si entertainments to provide funds, and it the Committee would then be able to p< act upon the resolutions passed at the w public meeting, m The Chairman did not consider the gt matter to be decided by the meeting of yc the previous night, He took it as a re- Zi commendation from the public to that oi Committee. He was opposed to the m removal of the reading room in the pi present state of the finances. What th was wanted was a new supply of books m that would increase the number of qu subscribers. He was in favor of a th museum as he had stated in committee, wl and at the public meeting he said that at he was against the removal of the an reading-room, there being no oom- Zi plaints from the reading public of in- as sufficiency of accommodation. it Mr Hogg said it was understood the va question should be referred to a meet- in ing of subscribers which was done, and ha it was an insult to call the public lio together and ignore their recommenda-' th tions. wl Mr E, Brown thought the result of we the public meeting should come in ev

form to them before the Committee jould lake action in the matter. ( Mr Beard agreed with the last] speaker that the report ol last night's meeting should be brought before them. The Chairman then formally reported that at a public meeting called by advertisement the following resolutions were passed:—" That the upper room of the Institute be. converted into a reading room." " TUat a museum be established in the upper room in conjunction with the reading-room, and that Messrs Papworth, Hogg, R. Brown, Woodroofe, and Gardner be a Committee- to give effect thereto," The removal of the library had been resolved upon by a majority of four only, and the expense of starting the museum, was guaranteed by the promoters. It should not come out of the library funds. Mr Beard said this committee bad not taken up the question of a museum, and it was going beyond its functions to discuss it, they had to deal with the reading-room removal only.' He asked that the report upon , which that corncommittee acted in calling the public meeting be read. The following reports were read : "The committee recommend that the upper room be converted into a reading room and the present reading room be formed into a room for lectures, entertainments, and other purposes. Your committee believe that this alteration would prove advantageous to readers.by.giving increased accommodation and;preventing the disturbance now occasioned when meetings or dances are held overhead!"' 1 Report from Museum sub-commit-tee :—" That it is also desirable to utilise the upper room of the Institute by forming a museum therein. That a number of cases be procured as soon as funds are available and affixed to tlie walls of the room for the reception of minerals, &c. That a committee be appointed to take the necessary steps to raise funds for the above object. That Mr G. Beetham, M.H.R., be asked to see Dr Hector with a view to the selection and forwarding of speciment for the museum." Mr Hogg then moved and Mr Price seconded, That the report referring to the conversion of the upper room into a reading room be adopted, and that Messrs Price, Bacon, and Hogg be appointed a committee to devise ways and means and report to the general committee, Carried. Mr Price moved the motion standing in his name—That the resolution of 30th August 1882 be rescinded, which was " That the secretary be instructed to let the upper room for dancing and other purposes of recreation provided that the library be not closed before 9 p.m. and the reading room before 10 p.m." Mr Hogg moved and Mr Price seconded—That all matters pertaining to the letting of the upper room be left to the house committee, it being understood that dancing be not allowed. Carried. Mr Price then moved the second resolution of which lie had given notice —That new subscribers be permitted to join at any time on paying the balance of current years subscription, divided quarterly, Carried. Tne following notiuo of motion by Mr Muir concluded the business:— That no sub-commitcea luve jower to incur an expenditure of more than £1 without obtaining the sanction of the general committee,