NOT YET CONVINCED.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 172, 21 July 1888, Page 2

NOT YET CONVINCED.

At the annual meeting of the Library subscribers on Thursday evening the principle was affirmed of charging admission fees to the reading-room. While fully recognising the value of the services rendered to the institution by those supporting the retention of the present system, and acknowledging their capability of giving an opinion on the matter, we must say that the arguments used at the meeting only tend to convince u« in the be-

lief that the room should be made free to the public. The main point against this is the matter of funds, but when this phase of the question is considered it only strikes us with greater force that the system will not meet the anticipations of those who favor it. No one can deny that the charge is a moderate and just one. Still that is not the point which should be too closely relied upon—we have simply got to take the aspect of affairs as it is presented to us. One contention, too, that a similar course had been adopted in Wellington and Napier has no application here, nor is it any proof that they are not setting us a bad example. Mr Kenny explained that the institution was not self-supporting, and had to rely on supplementary aid. Exactly; that is just the point upon which we think the whole question should hinge. “ Supplementary aid” means that the assistance of the public is needed. Now, does Mr Kenny or any other subscriber suppose that that aid will be so freely given as it would be were the institution a free public one so far as the reading room is concerned? The £l2 per annum that is gained in one direction will, we fear, be more than lost in another. The same gentleman gave it as his opinion that those who patronised the reading room would be induced to become subscribers to the Library. Again we agree ; but if a limited number of frequenters of the room would result in increased subscribers ought not a greater number to result in a greater increase? One permanent subscriber would of course equal many casual readers. Many people might step in in an off-hand way with the idea of passing their leisure time away, and by a little skilful canvassing a number of these persons might bs induced to become permanent subscribers. There are no doubt instances of mean people who would take every advantage and give nothing in return, but that class is never worth taking into account. It was only on Thursday that an instance was brought under our notice of two country people who went to the door of the Library, and when they observed the notice with regard to admission they walked away again. Those persons would not be in town often enough to make use of the reading room, but had they gone in on this occasion they might have been induced to take a yearly ticket, to procure home reading matter. We believe that in the long run the present system will be a greater loss than it is gain. Would it not be better to curtail the expense of periodicals, try to make the reading room more popular in other ways, and then keep up a systematic canvass for subscribers 1 As far as the office-bearers themselves are concerned, there can be no question that the management is in very efficient hands, and we can cordially endorse the complimentary references which, at the meeting, were mqde to the Hon. Secretary.