WELLINGTON INSTITUTIONS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 898, 17 May 1889, Page 11

WELLINGTON INSTITUTIONS.

We publish elsewhere the annual report of the Wellington Athenaeum. For several years this

institution has had a very severe struggle for bare existence. It has now reached a stage at which its future depends entirely on thoßuccess or failure of the effort at preseut being made to increase its roll of membership. It is to be hoped for fbe credit of the city that the attempt will be successful. But literary and artistic institutions will evidently have always a hard fight of it in Wellington. Only the other day a new musical society 1 was started under very favourable auspices as the offspring of a private club. Yet it was only with the utmost difficulty and by the narrowest shave that the minimum of financial support was < btained which would warrant the society in carrying on operations. The experience of the Harmonic Society is very much the same as that of the kindred institution, the Athenaeum. The latter, like the former, has its well stocked library and other necessary appliances, with all its machinery in good working order. But it languishes for want of adequate support. It will at once be admitted that a roll of membership numbering only 420 is a very miserable affair

for tho capital of the Colony : a city of 30,000 inhabitants. It ought to bo at leas' doubled, and then the Athenaeum would be positively prosperous aud relatively wealthy : could abundantly replenish its library from time to ‘one and could la-rg* ! y ox*on,l t ■>* p->pe of its op- rat : p a L L uiHortu mto that the Aih'-nto in;, 1 ke s-..ma other Wellington n-nlt rt.-ikinga, has suffered much through ia'ernal dissensions. These disaensi ns have been perfectly legitimate tl'lf'i-iiii'-io of opinion on questions of a un m. ■ ration, but they have been di.-t- :•->■!« to the institution. I'wo years n. was resolved to make a special eff n t to galvanise the Athens) m into fresh vigour. A new President and t'ommittce were chosen with a special view to a more energetic and progressive policy than had obtained in the past. The “ new brooms ” at once began to stir up the dust, and as speedily founds arrayed against them a sirens' Opposition party, who disapprov'd their measures. An adverse vote was given by the sub cribers on a proposal which the Committee deemed essential to success, aud the majority of the Committee resigned. The result was a large secession of subscribers, who lost hope of improvement. Then the mortgagees gave no - ice'of foreclosure, and the land and building were sold for little more than half the sum at which they had been valued for years in the books of the institution. The subscribers then replaced in office virtually the Committee whose previous efforts had been defeated, and the report which we now publish shows the results of that Committee’s first year’s struggle with adverse circumstances. A number of new subscribers appear to have joined during the year, but not much more than enough to make up for the previous secessions. The new year that is now being e tered upon ought, however, to bliow more satisfactory figures in this respect. If the extensive improvementswhich have been madeinthe library and in the provisions for members’ convenience do not meet with this practical evidence of appreciation, the only conclusion that can be come to is that it is hopeless to attempt carrying ou a literary institution of that class in this city. It occurs to us as worthy the consideration of the members whether they might not make some arrangement with the City Corporation for accommodation iu the proposed Town Hall building, The rent would go toward interest on cost, and the Athenaeum, once established there, might become the nucleus of a future free library for the city. The Harmonic Society also might well consider the advisableresa of guaranteeing a definite sum for rental of the hall for concerts and reheat sal-*. These two institutions might In-Ip forward the movement iu favour o r the much-needed Town Hall by making it clear that so much of income would be assured. There are e'! <-r literary or artistic associations iu Wellington that could help in the same direction. The Town Hall building ought to be the metropolitan centre of literature, music, and art. One of the most serious difficult ei which institutions devoted to this object have to combat is the absence of suitable premises. The Town Hall building, if suitably planned, would supply this need, and might easily bo made en* tirelv self supporting if not an actual source of income to the city.