ATHENÆUM INSTITUTE.

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13797, 6 February 1917, Page 1

ATHENÆUM INSTITUTE.

ANNUAL MEETING The annual meeting of subscribers to. the Oamaru Atheuroum and. Mechanic'• Institute was' held last night. Mr t.. j E. Homos 1 (vice-president), presided, and there was a'g'oo'd attendance'. :, .The i following annual report, presented-- by:i the lion, secretary'(Mr A.' Goiv). : was I

takeii as' read:— i Your committee has pleasure ■ in. placing' before the subscribers, their report for the year ending 31st December, 191 G. Thonumber of-, subscribers on the' roll at the commencement of the;-year was- : 294/ and at: tho oivd 300. At ono period of tho year >thov nuiubov was • up to 319. The committee'ds gratifiod that' the number of subscribers has been well maintained despite,: the conditions mitigating againßt the success 1 of. such'insti-. tutions at" the-pVesbiit time, s Tlio fliiancial; position fof : tho/institute, (js ; : disclosed by the balance-sheet; to ,bo,'pre-.; sented to. youl is . extremely 'satisfactory .: During thp. phst: year, on account ;of th& war/ the usual. Government subsi(lj'.;.ivas| withheld, ■ but nevertheless. a ; creditbalance of £8 is shown on the year's working, New books to the rvalue of £4B lis lOd haVe beon purchased during tlie year; , Tho. new books .liavo; been shelved and classified as, follows: scientific, 10; biography, 10; .history, 50; travels, _ 24; poetry,. 5| general literature, 14; war books, B;,.fiction, 284; making a total of 405. The total number, of books now. in, the library is 11,620, .while 44 magazines, and 40 I newspapers are subscribed ;to for the 'reading rooms. The inane of books for j the year lias been as follows: War books 72, juvenile 100, poetry 200, miscellaneous 650, theology 00, science 50, history. 400, biography 260,..travels 480, lictiou 24,760, magazines 9056, During the year the committee undertook the preparation of a new set of rules for the institute. The new rules, as finally drawn up by the committee, were .submitted to a general meeting of subscribers on June 3th, 1916, and duly adopted, The principal alteration, was iu the rate of subscriptions payable 'with a view to encouraging subscribers' to pay their, subscriptions yearly. This and the other amendments made will, the committee are assured, be conducive to the better working of the affairs of the institute. During the rear the valuable services of the president (Mr AV, H. I\\)se) were lost to tho institute by his departure from the town. Tho committee have placed on record in the minutes their regret at the severance of Mr Rose's connection with the institute and their grateful thajiks for his mauyi services in connection with its work. The work of the institute has been most capably performed during the year, and the committee desires to place on record its satisfaction with the services rendered by the staff. . .During the year.the committee held twelve general and one special 'meeting, the attendance of the various members being as follows: Mr AV. H. l?ose (president) 9, Mr L. E. Haines (vice-president) 13, Mr A. Gow (lion, secretary) 12, Mr A, .Heaul.nd (lion, treasurer) 13, Dr Whitton 4, Dr Hargreaves 6, Mr A. G, Creagh 13, Mr E, P, Lee 4, Mr Jno. AVaugli 13, Mr J, M. Forrester 6, Mr A. Hamilton 10, Mr D. L, Patterson 9, Mr H, Grenfell 12, Mr, H. P. S. Familton 9, Mr AV. AV. Beswick 10. ( . Necessary repairs have been carried out during the year,, and the whole of premises are in excellent order.. i The committee would like to draw tho attention of quarterly and halfyearly subscribers to the saving now effected by becoming yearly subscribers. , The committee desire to thank those newspaper proprietors who have continued to supply free copies of their •papers;, and also to the local ;^ress/ for reports, ; etc. Special thanks are again due to . the lion, auditors '(Messrs TV: .G. . and AV. jbavi'es) for auditing the books of tlie

Institute. ' I ' The statement presented by the treasurer'(Mr A. Headland), showed the ex-. ! cess of'assets over liabilities to be £5176 10d, and that on the profit and loss account for the year there was a bal'laiic'e to credit of £8 2s Od, : \Tlie balance-sheet and report, on the riiotion of Mi' Headland and Mr Haniilitoii, were adopted,The election of~officers resulted as follows: President; Mr. L. E. Haines; .vice-president;,Mr W. W. Beswick; lion, treasurer, Mr A, Hamilton;, lion , secretary, Mr A. Gow; committee—Messrs ,E, P. Lee, M.P:, l)r Hargreaves, A. G. Creagh, A. Headland, J. M. Forrester, 11, P. S. Fariiilto'n, "W, Miiearidrcw, Hi Greufell', D. li. Patei;'son, I). Findlay, anil J. Waugh; hon.'auditors, Messrs G. AV.,Alexander and W. Davies. >v On the motion of ■ 'Messrs Lee ind Forrester, a' vote'of thanks was passed to" t-lio auditors for their services, Mi Davies replying on behalf of Mr Alexander and himselt. ■ ••••••'Jlr-M'acaiulrowyin moving n.vote oi 1 thanks to■ 'tlic At\i cnuuum. staff said .In thought'tlie duties 1 had<been carried: oul •to'J the entire satisfaction of the sub stii'ibcrs aud the atteudauce-had bed all tlint could be desired. The 'motioi was seconded by. Mr 'Davies and car ried by acclamation,• "• A'yote 'of 'tliaiik's to.'.the chair' con ' eluded the business. .'' ..• \ • ;

MEETING OP COMMITTEE \ ) • .Tile (:OlHll)ittGe met Ht: tllli COlldlusit) oJ- tke mnuil emeting, wlien tlieie uei pie"ent Messis L U Hjjiips (pios flout),/W W Bewick A Hamilton 1 i Gienfell, E P. Lee, M P,, A G, Cieagl '^yVfrv;*^

A. 1 Headland, H, Gienfell, H, P. S, Fijimlton, D. L. Patteison J, M, For AV, Macaudieu, and A. Gow |r(hjon.Vfiee^).;';' .: The. librarian's report disclosed- that 1 the l ' number of ; subscribers on the 1 roll was 303. Tenders were received for English and colonial newspapers, and -.the high-: est 'tenders were accepted',; the librarian to .dispose of the balance to best ad*van-: tag°' j' The'president and vice-president wore appointed a visiting committee for tho incoming month. (The president and Messrs Hamilton, Headland and Gow were appointed a finance committee for the year, and the president, with Messrs; Beswick and Macandrew a book committee. . After 'the passing., of accounts .and other routine, business the meeting closed with the. usual vote of thanks ito tho chair. - • .