DUNEDIN ATHENÆUM.

Evening Star, Issue 14786, 30 January 1912, Page 8

DUNEDIN ATHENÆUM.

The annua] up cting of the T)un«lin AthciUßitin and .Mechanics" Institute was ili'l Inst evening. Mr A. Tshnshall preeii!"e<K and there ivas a good attendance of lddi'-o and pent]-.men. Tn' moving the adoption of the annual report, the Chairman said: It will _be seen 111;• t the financial position oi the institute .oum.ucs to he satisfactory _ The fr-e fii'i'iihition of books in connection with the Public Library, as was onlv natural to expert, .has made some difference to the Athetvetim, but the •Heel has not been. reariy .so great as was anticipated by the committee. A few of our subscribers left vs. hut ,-ortt*- of them have <i!rcndv r -joined as members of th» Athena-tni'. and the committee expect ihat others viil follow their example. While lam dealing with the financial position of tlie institution, it may interest subscriber.- to know that for some rears pror to IEO2 the income did not Vary very much horn year to year, but in that vear aiTairs took a sudden turn for the hrtt ']"'. and our income gradually increased until it reaihed a. record amount in 1908 Although then it- has shown a slight tendency to decline, members may. howrver. be congrntulai.d on the fact that the income is still siiilicieutly large to enable the committee to maintain the institution's high standard of eiikieney on its literary fid 1 , while at the tame time giving due attention to the requirements of members in other directions. Last- rear our receipts, from .-uhscriptious, amounted to £1.238, and our income from all fcouri.es to about £1.645. These figures reveal a highly •satisfactory state ot atfairs as compared wiili 10 years, aire. At that time our income, from subscriptions onlv amounte<l to shout £9OO. and our total income to £l,lOO. The gradual increase in the '.ncome during the intervening p rind litis enabled tho cominitree to spend larger and larger sums on books, maga/.iiiis. and newspapers. It may give you a more definite id a. of the pro- <• res? "made bv the in-titmion if i state that J!! I°oo we 'expended about £174 on the purchase of books and about £l6-1 on magazines and n svspap-rs, while last year the sum of £504 was expended on b00k... ni:d over £206 on magazines ami news papers. (Applause.! It will he seen from the report that 1.374 volum s were added to tiir- shelves o; the library during the year ju.-t elose.l. This number compares very favorably with pievieus years, as may be 'path red from ihe following ligurcs : In IJ'IU the acee sinus to the liluarv numbered 1.265. i:i 11" GO 1.169. in IKB 1.5-11, m IM7 1.433. and in .1906 1.176 As usual, tiction bulks largely among the ac-res.-ions, 965 r.ovelo having boon added to tie:- library during the war, while all other departments of literature were represented Ijv 400 volumes. Probably some liinv think that it would he b-tter if the greater miniSrr or woiks of a serious character were introduced into the library ; but it is a. iv,.-H-kno\vn fact that a verv high percentage of the books issued from all circulating libraries consists of works of Action. 'I he proportion of serious matter may he look <1 urou as not unsatisfactory when it is ronsideied that the habit of reading is with many people purely a pastime.. Again, there is no denying the fact that an acquaintance with a certain amount, of the best tiction is. nowadays considered almost indispensable. Of the 80.000 issues of works of lie'ion during the 3 ear the most popular iiov-1 was 'The Mistress of Sheri-y'or-.e.' which was taken out 300 time-. •Wild Olive,' 'The Rosary.' ' The Kingdom of Sknder Sword*.' ' Ailsa. Page,' and 'A Splendid Tlazarl' came next in order ot |./| idarity. Yen will observe in th ■ report tit.it the committee call attention to the fat! tint special con.-essions .«re granted tn gr>u;s of country residents who mav :!■>!:,> ;n obtain backs Mom Mi ■ library. I should like to. take this opportunity of urging upon members to make this as widelv known as possible. 1 might explain that in the eas--> of ,1 group of two or nio'V country re.ddents v. i-hing to join th i!>titution the group is charg-d at threte <-f £1 lei p:r annum for one meiiiber, and an extra half-guinea for eveiy ntldit'onal nemb'g- of the group. Parcels, for the carriage i>f which th ■ Railway Department charges only one-quai tar of ihe o!eiiuarv rates, arc seat bv n-titi-al nrrange:m.:il to one mwuber ol ;h.■• gi' up. who distributes the rooks on arrival at their destination. At the liie.-ent *. : :ne books are

heiii'_' ?o:U from th to nine ditf-'r-rt ]'!;m's outside of Dunedin. and. as ill-' r. port points out. "the committee are :>;' opinion that it it were more widely '..vowu ih.it country residents tan get sccess to the books ol t wcll-eipupp;'d 'ibrarv at a reasonable cost m.inv mni't «.,on!d avail thems- l.ves of the opportunity thai i: all'orded them or j< ioiu- 6i;ch .v. iii.-riii:"-ii»i: as the Ath-:uemn " I should i'i-i'i !ik" to upon subscribers to do what thty can to induce their hiends who reside ;:-. (he City to join til institution: and. in doing so. I may say that I think you will all agr-e with n.'c that a guinea spent in purchasing a ticket of membership can -laidiy be invested to better advantage. \\"n'A th-sc few remarks I have much ::!eaMire in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet. (Applause.) Mr Mitchell seconded the motion. The Rev. P. W. Faircluiigh said that ,t atl'onl -il subscribers a /rent deal of piea.-mre to iind that the '■.i.-titutiou was hohliug its own easily. They had reason to fee! proud of the institution, and while it continued to be carried out as etliciently as it had hj en of late wars they had nothing to fear fiom ion.petition. lie Mas pleased to sec the facilities the commit! ■(: were affording the country sub--crib.-rs. The p'port was adopted. The following oiHue-bearcrs were elected : _ Yi,.r-prcvsideiii, Mr W. G. Hay; lion, s cretidy. Mr A. 11. Burton (reelected); hon. tiea.surer. Mr T. S. Graham (re-elected) : committee—Messrs J. Annus. A. Marshall. T. W. .leant.-. A. James, J. MacGrogor. E. J. Parr. .1. !.. Xalmoud. T. Vt'. Wiiitson, and tii • Rev Archdeacon Gould. The R cr - T Oellic said the lady members were anxious to have a room oft" the reading room to which they might retire with a re w-papcr t>r magazine and read it with some degiee-of freedom and comfort. Tie moved—'■ That the committee take the j-eipiest into consideration." The Rev. J. Niveu ft conded the motion, which wnfi also supported bv Mrs Gibbs. The Chairman said this matter had considered by th • committee last year, but v. ;>=•. deferred for th<- consideration of the hi <\v committe-. The commr.tee. he might sav. were favorably disposed in the matter, hut thought it well, for financial reasons, to leave the question to the new committee to deal with. The motion was carried. Vot-'S of thanks were accorded to the rommitt-e for their .services, and to tl, • stall for their courteou:; attention to subscribers.