CORRESPONDENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 248, 17 October 1894, Page 8

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE FINES AT THE PUBLIC

LIBRARY.

(To the Editor.)

Sib, ~Will you allow me to protest against tho enormous fines exacted by the autocrat of Auckland for detaining books belonging to the Free Library beyond fourteem days? Ab first our .municipal despot exacted sixpence a day, but this waa found rather too much even for the patience of an Auckland public. I know of one lady who had to pay five shillings fine under this ukasa, when the subscription for a whole your is only six shillings. Now it is threopence a day. Last week 1 had to pay one shilling and threepence for a volume which I am sure would nob sell for more than sixpence ab any auction.' In vain I pleaded that I had been sick, that I had been in bed, and thab the dirty little volume (which I never read, by the way) had, by its frowßy dusbinose, escaped notice. Tbe young, lady was inexorable, and even preached me quite a good little sermon on the subject of " duby," and like a stern mamma indicting maternal chastisement, told me that ifa was "painful" for her, but she must inaiob on the full line. i paid it, and have been practising a week of " solf-deni'il " since, like the Salvationists. I have nearly saved the amount, having had no pudding or pastry. Hallelujah ' '

Now, I have been in tbe course of a pretty lone; life a subscriber to many libraries in several parts of the world. In none has the. fine been 'more than 2d a week. Mr Metcalfe* finds this sufficient, and if he can afiord this surely the Free Library can. The proportion botween tiie fine and the subscription is absurd. For 6a a year anyone can have one volume out constantly, for 9a two volumes. He may change hie books every day if he likes. It is obviously, to the advantage of the library that he should change as seldom as possible, unless tbe book is in groat demand. Bat let tho book be only taken oufc i once in »> twelve-month, the subscriber

hae to pay jubc sxorbant Sne ac if he keeps out " Dodo " or " The Heavenly Twins," or "The Yellow Aster," or-iny other of the highly moral and inßcructive literature of the present day. As a rule J. read very rapidly, and change the. books very frequently. I will venture co ?ay that if every subscriber changed as often as I do, two more assistants would be required. Suppose » sul)ecriber keeps a book two or three months, what does ifc matter if the book ts nob wanted?. Fines in moßt libraries are merely'fee prevent subscribers from keeping books that are much in demand, an unreasonable term. For thi3 purpose 2d a week 18 quite sufficient. —I am, etc., A Sexagenarian.

P.S. I know of aeveral subscribers who have given up subscribing on account of the fines.