NEW LIBRARY BUILDING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22032, 12 February 1935, Page 5

NEW LIBRARY BUILDING

WHANGAREI LOAN PROPOSED OBJECTION BY RATEPAYERS [by telegbaph—owx correspondent] * WHANGAREI. Monday A decision to apply to the Local Bodies' Loans Board for its sanction to the borrowing of £7730 for the erection and furnishing of a new library building in Whangarei was made at an extraordinary meeting of the Whangarei Borough Council this afternoon. The proposed building is .to be of reinforced concrete frame and earthquake-resist-ing.

A petition signed by 67 ratepayers was presented asking the council to postpone the raising of the loan until a general financial improvement of the borough took place. The W. Jones, in moving the motion to apply to the Loans Board for its sanction, said no local body would put forward a proposal for a loan unless fully convinced of its necessity. Mr. Jones said the present accommodation was wholly inadequate for the housing of the books, many of which were stored in the engineer's drafting room.

Mr. A. T. Brainsby, chairman of the Library Committee, said a very valuable collection of Dumas' works had been presented to the borough by Mr. F. W, Hoed, of Whangarei, who had recently been honoured by the French Government for his Dumas' translations. The terms of the gift required that special housing arrangements should be made available for the collection. which-was provided for in the proposed new library building. "There are 14,000 books in the present library, nearly 5000 of which cannot be seen by subscribers, who contribute over £SOO annually," said Mr. Brainsby. Mr. G. W. Bennett, on behalf of the objecting petitioners, said the main objection was to the size of the 'loan, which, in his opinion, should not exceed £4OOO. "The ratepayers are not prepared for increased rates, and I am convinced the present proposal will not be endorsed by them," said Mr. Bennett.