OAMARU MECHANICS' INSTITUTE.

North Otago Times, Volume VII, Issue 166, 25 December 1866, Page 2

OAMARU MECHANICS ' INSTITUTE.

A committee meeting of the Institute toolc place on Friday evening last. Present : — Messrs S. Gibbs (in the chair), Hunt, J. T. Evans, Rule, W. Evans, Turnell, Sumpter/and Mainland/ The minutes of previous meeting were read and confirmed. /Sh. letter was read from Mr Clapcott, intimating the willingness of Mrs Clapcott to lay the Foundation Stone of the new building on any day to be named. The Secretary stated that the 31st inst., at 5 p.m., had been fixed on for the ceremonvy' A draft copy of the Report to d© submitted to a public meeting was read. It stated that the Committee entered upon their duties under the conviction that greater inducements should be offered to the public to patronise the institution by the giving of Readings and Lectures. Several gentlemen had kindly come forward aud enabled them to carry out this scheme with success, the total receipts from this source being L26 3s. 5d. The receipts from subscribers during the twelve months amounted to L60 15s. 6d., equal to 61 members. The donations in money represented a sum of L25 12s. subscribed by gentlemen who met at the last public meeting for the purpose of tsking steps to put the Institute on s sounder basis. Other sums brought the receipts for th« year up to a total of L117 5s. 7d. The disbursements were ; — F. Finkerton and Co., for advertising, printing, stationery and periodicals for 1865 (due by former Committee; L28 13s ; rent, fire and lighting for 1866, L.35 Os. 3d ; new books, periodicals, advertising, printing, &c, for 1866, L22 16s. 6d.; cleaning Institute, and incidental expenses, L3 2s. 2d ; leaving a balance in Bank of L27 14s. Id., against which there are claims to the extent of L12 Os. 6d. for rent &c, showing & free balance of L15 13s. 7d. to the credit of the Institute. The sum paid for new Books, L7, was supplemented by the Education Board to the same amount ; thus adding books to the value of LI 4 to the library. The Report then went into the matter of the new building, and the manner in which it is proposed to meet the cost of its erection, estimated at from L320 to L35O. It was agreed upon to remit postage stamps to the publishers of several newspapers which had been sent gratuitously to the Institute.