A FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Evening Star, Issue 10342, 16 June 1897, Page 4

A FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir.,—When are the citizens of Dunedin go'ng to form a free library ? The subscription list in connection with the children's ward is rapidly filling up. Is not our hospital, with all its recently-added irrprovemmts, big enough for a city of our size ? I dj not as yet see the necessity for the ward; t'iere are no "waifs and strays" in Duce lin. Perhaps this is, however, due to my i ;norance. But certainly the benefit der ved out cf this ward by the people is as mthing to that which may be had from a li )rary. It is a standing disgrace to Dune lin that, as one of New Zealand's leading cities, we have no library. The citizens brag about their Agricultural Ha'.), their beautiful business premises, their handsome Museum, and their fine parks, but hint about a free public library and their faces lengthen. Another item: Why cannot the City Council afford to run the tramways for the citizens': Gas ought to be cheap enough to them. They charge other people - ; uch a price that should enable them to run all the trams in New Zealand out of the prolitthey clear. Why should a syndicate control half our main streets and the tram service. Dunedin is the laughing stock of the colony. These sentiments are not mine alone : they are echoed by any amount of young men who feel the want of a library as I do. We know the Committee are working hard, but esmmittees at the best are very slow. Why don't the leading citizens start the ball rolling. We will all follow with our mites, —lam, etc., Young Colonial. DunediD, June 12.