Queenstown Athenæum and Library.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1597, 3 June 1887, Page 5

Queenstown Athenæum and Library.

A general meeting of subscribers to above institution waa held in the reading room on Monday evening, to decide whether the subscribers were willing or not to band over the institution and free* hold property to the Borough Council of Queenstown, provided the ratepayers, by vote to be taken Wednesday, Ist instant, authorise the Council »take over the institution. Mr L» Hotop, president, was voted to the chair, and explained the object of the meeting. He also read the following resolution on the subject, passed and prepared by Messrs J. Reid and F. W. Geisow, at a meeting of the Committee, namely That the library be conducted in at least as efficient a manner as hitherto, and that a sum equal to the average annual amount for the last five years be be spent in books; and that these are the terms on which the Library Committee will propose to the subscribers for co-operation." The meeting would discuss the question ; or, if they had made up their minds they could vote at once. Some desultory discussion took place during which it was decided that—the vote should be by show of hands. It was also stated that £l9 had been received as subsidy from Government during the past year, but nothing more could be expected. Mr Fischer thought it was questionable whether it wu advisable to open the institution as a free library without any payment by anvone. Mr Reid (Mayor) said he was still of opinion that the library should be free to all. With regerd to the resolution of the Committee just read, he was of opinion at the time of its being passed, that the Committee had spent about £lO a rear on hooks' but he found by a statement pnblished in the Lake Wakatip Mail that it waa about £24. He would now be against the motion as far as the latter amount was concerned, and thought it was a question if the Committee wtnild spend that amount in the future. He would simply be in favor of handing the institution over to the Corporation, on condition of it being carried on as efficiently as the Committte had hitherto done. With that object he proposed

That nb*riber« to the Queenstown Athen*'im auth"n«e the Trustees to hand orer and convey to the Corporation of the Borough cf yueensown, the whole of the Atiieu*um property, upon the following conditions, namely : 1. That the institution he carried on in the -arce efficient manner that the Committee have hitherto Jone [and that a «um of not le>s than jf 10 tie ipent annually on the pan ha.-e of book»j. 2. That the library be free to ratepayer* in the borough. 3. That the annul lutwriphon* to non-ratepayers does not exceed ten shilling. 4. That the Reading lloom be free to the public [a* hitherto, from » a.m. to ') p.m.] Mr Geisow, hon. treasurer to the Library Committee, read two letters which he had sent away—one to Government, re appointment of trustees and the other to the Borough Council, enclosing copy of resolution passed by the Committee. Mr Adair said it was all very well to say, in the motion prepared, th.it the Council were to carry on the institution as efficiently as hitherto. He considered the expression was too vague, ami, without reflecting on the present Council, he thought there was a risk in the hands of other Councils, of the Library going to ruin The Chairman quite agreed with the remarks made. He did not like the first part of the motion as the terms used were too wide. Mr Geisow said at the Committee meeting he was quite willing to limit the mimimum amount for book 3 to £lO a year, and was still of the umc mind. Mr Adair—But. suppose the Borough Council did not carry on as ethcieutly, what remedy have the subscribers, or chance or getting the institution back ?

A Voice—None. Mr Maudera said the Committee had the guarantee of thh Legislature, if the t was carried out, and Government itself would encourage the management if brought under the Library Act. To make any binding regulations, the sanction of Government would be required to be given by an Order in Council. The Library would still have to be vested in trustees. The Mayor thought the Library would be absolutely vested in the Council. Mr Manders said the plan he mentioned was fo 'owed at Wellington. i"he Mayor said tl.at what the Corporation meant or wished was to be done under the Municipal Corporation Act, and not under the Library Act at at all. The Rer. D. Ross said there were no conditions in the Libraries Act as to keeping open the bock room, He understood the Council intended to open it as a free library, but he did not approve of that, but thought that, under the Libraries Act, the Council would get assistance from Government, which they would be otherwise deprived of. Mr A. Boyne thought that, in order to make the thing more efficient, it would lie better to have trustees as under the Libraries Act. Mr Manders said that at Wellington the library was not open to the public without a subscription. Mr Geisow —That is what Mr Reid is a^iinst. Mr Reid ssid he was agreeable to add to the first part of his motion words to the effect that not less than £lO be spent annually for the purchase of bocks. The motion, cn being amended, was seconded by Mr Geisow. Mr Reid, in reply to Mr Bodkin, said he hail consulted Mr Turton, who said a short Bill would require to be passed, giving the trustees power to hand over the Library property to the Corporation. Mr Adair thought a stipulation to spend only £lO a year wis a very small return for such a valuable property. Mr A. Boyne thought there oucht to be some stipulation to spend more than £lO a ye.»r. It was pointed out tint a considerable amount of oth«r things would have to lie spent to keep up the institution properly throughout. Mr Reid another object to be gained was that the institution would be made more attractive to touri.sts and visitors and he hot>ed if the Council had it that they would mak" it more attractive than hitherto, and poesildy get things dons cheaper than the Committee had. The Corporation would a!so have grerter inducements to make the institution more attractive. The motion wa3 then put and declared carried unanimously. It was proposed by Mr Boyne, seconded by Mr Adair, and carrie.l—That the Rev. D. Ross ami Messrs Geisow and Hotop be requested to carry out the above resolution. A vote of thanks to the chair brought the meeting to a close.