THE FREE LIBRARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 120, 22 May 1890, Page 5

THE FREE LIBRARY.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —The newspaper-room in the Free Library is an invaluable institution for loafers. Several of that fraternity are able, bodied young fellows, whose hardest work, evidently consists of, not the use of soap and water, but beer and 'baccy. Their hands give no indication of any muscular' exercise whatever beyond handling the pipe or the pewter measure. Sow they live ia a mystery, tor although they are in excelent physical condition they never appear to work. Possibly these lazy fellows live upon some hardworking unfortunate women, as I do not think that the Charitable Aid Board would supply them with rations. They bring vermin to the place, and the sooner that the stuffed seats are done away with, the better. The bare forms are. far more suitable. Fleas ara always in abundance, and bugs have been. inadvertently carried from there to private houses. Men have been seen cracking Scotch greys on the tables. Away withy those 3tuifed seats.—Yours, etc., Amicus.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —" Common Sense " has only made two errors in his letter. The first is thae the thirteen hours he speaks of are divided between three persons, and the second is that the librarian, Mr Shillington. is anxious that the Library should remain* open until 10 p.m. as hitherto. " •*

In this connection I should lika to assure, those who hold the opinion that) the Free Library is principally used by a class of loafers and larrikins that such is not the case. From constant observation during the past week I emphatically assert that at the outside there is not 5 per cent, of these classes in the reading-room and not 1 per cent, in the Library.

J. M. McLachlan.