THE LIBRARY.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7338, 13 February 1920, Page 4

THE LIBRARY.

Another Attempt to Solve Vexed Question.

The combined wisdom of successive Mayors and Councillors in Tauranga never seems to have been quite equal to the task of improving the public library. Periodically protests are made to the Council that the lending library is such only in name. Little or no money is spent in new books, and of those now in the library many are minus leaves. The Council valiantly endeavours to grapple with the problem, and the subscribers, evidently impressed with the brave show made relax their efforts for improvement, and the Councillors, hearing no noise and drawing no salary on a fixed tenure, drop the subject and leave the library to work out its own salvation. Another stage.in the long-drawn-out efforts was reached on Wednesday night when the Library Committee presented the following lecommendation : — " That as from April Ist, 1920, the Council grant the library £75 per annum and pay insurance. That subscribers elect their own committee to work library and reading room and defray all costs in connection with same. Committee to be under jurisdiction of Council/

Cr Wrigley, Chairman of the Committee, moved, and the Mayor seconded, that the recommendation be approved Cr Castaing said it was all very well to vote £75 for the library, but how was the money going to be spent. More money should be expended on the reading room. He could not help feeling that most of the £75 would be spent on the lending library. The Mayor mentioned the names of several gentlemen wrn were interesting themselves in the library and were willing to act as a committee, and, if elected, had undertaken to pay special attention to the reading room.

Cr Roberts said there was a great lack of new books in the library. The Council had voted £15 some time ago for the immediate purchase of books, but he understood only £3 had been spent, and that was all that had been spent on new books during the past twelve months. It could hardly be expected that the library would be a success. The recommendation was agree 1 to with an addition that the Committee be requested to pay due regard to the requirements of the reading room.