MUNICIPAL LIBRARY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 163, 11 June 1929, Page 4

MUNICIPAL LIBRARY

OFFICIALLY OPENED. BY HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR. There was an excellent attendance ot the public at the official opening ot the new municipal library yesterday afternoon, the ceremony being performed by His Worship the Mayor (Mr A. J. Graham). Several members of the Borough Council were present, while apologies for absence were received from Crs. Eliott, Fitzherbert, Mansford, Hodgons and Clausen. The opportunity was taken by Mr R. T. Jaggard (architect of the building) to present Mr Graham with a gold key bearing the borough coat of arms on one side and a suitable inscription on the other. For very many years past it had been recognised that Palmerston North was in need of an up-to-date library, said Mr Graham, but nothing had been done owing to an adverse economic position. It was, at that time, considered that everything in the nature of a luxury must be left in abeyance. The fire in the Occidental Hotel had precipitated matters, and the ultimate result had been the selling of the hotel license and the utilisation of the site for the present building. The position now was that the revenue received from the shops more than paid the interest and sinking fund on the £II,OOO loan, tho amount received for the license and insurance having made up the total cost ot £15,000. They were now in the happy position of having a modern library complete in every respect and the ratepayers would not be called upon to pay any rate on the building. The history of the library was a very peculiar one, and tho speaker had _a photograph of the library of 1876 which was destroyed by fire on August 6, 1882. The building was then the council office and library combined, it having been purchased from a company, of which Mr is. Abrahams was chairman. Between 1888 and 1899 the Fire Brigade conducted a library in the station, (then in Coleman Place). In August, 1899, Cr. Guy, who was a member of the present council, moved for tho establishment of a new library. In the. same month, the council had taken the necessary steps to acquire the Colonial Bank building, but the libranr was later transferred from that building to tho old site opposite the Post Office, then used as the municipal offices, and tho Colonial Bank became the municipal offices of to-day, at that time being held under lease.. In July, 1907, a loan proposal was put forward for the purchase of the buddings in use as the municipal chambers, together with an additional sum of £1550 for alterations to the library. To-day, they had arrived at the position in which they had a fine budding with evey modernu facility, and worthy of Palmerston North. There was ample accommodation, but one thing the library committee would have to attend to would be the maintenance of a complete reference library and a class of literature that would not only appeal to the popular taste, but one which would provide generally good reading. In declaring the building open, Mr Graham said that he felt sure that the residents of Palmerston North would not regret having sanctioned the library loan, and the ceremony was one to which the young folks could later look back and see, from the provision made within the library walls, the facilities for increased and better knowledge that had been afforded them.

The library was then thrown open to the public for inspection.