THE HAWERA INSTITUTE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 93, 5 March 1881, Page 3

THE HAWERA INSTITUTE.

Only about a dozen persons were present at the public meeting called on "Wednesday afternoon. Mr: White took the chiir, and explainpd that there was about JJII in hand, whinh had been collected by • canvassing tire town ; that the balance of the debts due Was about £28; which could be cleared off without much trouble. The expense of keeping the Institute open was only about £50 a year. Mr. M. D. King proposed that the Town Board should take over the building. .He thought the Town Board officials could then collect all subscriptions due ; that the Board would be in a position to pay a small rent for a front room, which would serve as an office for thir clerk. Mr. Morecroft remarked that the cost of the institution was about £50, and he thought the apparent income was only about j£20 — chiefly for the library. Mr. Bayly was of opinion that some of the papers should be discontinued, to decrease the expenditure. He thought the Town Board would not be in a position to undertake the duty. Their hands were quite full enough already, and he was not sure that they would agree to undertake it if it were offered them. After some desultory discussion, a resolution was proposed by Mr. King, and seconded by Mr. Yorke, to the effect that the Town Board should be offered the Institute, sxibject to certain conditions, binding them to keep the building open, and to expend all subscriptions re the library or reading-room on books or newspapers respectively. To this an amendment was proposed by Mr. Morecroft, and seconded by Mr. White, — That the present committee should carry on the Institute until the close of their year o( office — in May ; that after the 31st March a subscription of 10s. a year for the library, and 2s. 6d. a quarter for the, reading-room, shall be made, payable in advance, and that tickets shall be issued to • subscribers — a notice being advertised to this effect. The amendment was carried.

It was suggested that a list of all subscribers should be kept posted in the reading-room, and that any member should have a right to challenge any person whose name did not appear on the list.

It was resolved to call a meeting of the committee at an early date, to amend the resolution re the stoppage of all English newspapers. During a general discussion which ensued, several members appeared to think that it would be better to rent the present offices, and to appoint a paid librarian, instead of continuing the present arrangement. But it was pointed out that the cleaning and lighting now done was equivalent to a rent, and the bubject lapsed. Several subscriptions towards the debt were handed in at the meeting, and one or two new members' names were announced.

The meeting closed at 6 p.m. The public were represented by three persons, the remainder of those present being office-bearers or committee-men.