OAMARU MECHANICS' INSTITUTE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 391, 30 July 1877, Page 2

OAMARU MECHANICS' INSTITUTE.

TO TIJE KMTOIt OF 'J' 11K KVIiNIMJ MAIL. Sik, I was much pleased on reading ! your leader of Saturday last advocating the claims of this Institute ; it is high time that the Press of Oamaru should take up-the matter, and it has long ljeoii a matter of .surprise to me that your philanthropic contemporary lias not done so, anxious as it always has been for the benefit of the townspeople. However, now you have paved the way, I hope it will follow suit, and that you yourself will continue to advocate the claims of the Institute to public support. You have, however, I take the liberty of pointing out, fallen into error in stating as to the members on the roll " most of whom belong to a class that couM afford to supply themselves," &c. Jf you will take the trouble to look at the list of subscribers, you will find the working-class is largely in the majority, and that tho so-called gentry of Oamaru are very scantily represented 011 tho list. Indeed, it is .solely the fault of the management that the roll of the Institute contains so few name;; for I will say this of tho mechanics and working-class of Oamaru, that, taken as a body, they are fully equal in intellect, if not far more intellectual and b tter infornu d than many of our would-be aristocracy. W'mt is wanted to make the Institute prosperous is a good working Committee (those wo have hitherto

had been sadly sleepy and antedilu T iau in their ideas), with some push ii them, and a good Secretary—ony who v. il throw his energies into thi matter, art work it con amove, not feeing afraid of tin trouble of writing a fe'.v circulars, as son) < have been. I would have half the Coin mittee mechanics by trade ; let the re mainder be ornamental it you like. \yeach Committee-man exert him.-n.-lf wit! everyone he knows to get subscribers. am let the Secretary be a Secretary hid -c-d and not a nominal one, and vow will find before many months, the subscribers' lis trebled—aye, quadrupled. The workingclass only want to be properly canvassed and I have no doubt of the result. Ii your article you mention it is proposed t< expend LI2OO on a new building. J think, with all respect to the sapieni management, that this would be tiim enough some years hence;; the preseni building, in my humble opinion, is quite large enough for some time to come Tin management seem to forget that Hi ere is a larice room at the rear of the building—now seldom used—which formerly was let to the Friendly Societies to hold their meetings in. \\ hat is to prevent the partition wall between it .and t.i:o reading room being thrown down ? This would give an immense addition to the latter, and the library could be enlarged in a similar way, by shifting the partition between it and the reading-room further back. Tiie alterations I have suggested would not cost one sixth of the amount proposed to be expended, and as t:iey seem to have the money, the remainder could be advantageously laid out in having .1 library worthy of the chief town of [North Otago. I think it scarcely fair to accuse the " bulk of the of holding aloof from the Institute when thev were never properly canvassed to support it. Then again it is too bad to taunt them that many of the promoters " put their hands in their pockets, Arc. It is true a few gentlemen did give some pecuniary aid many years ago in starting the Institute, but I believe it has been repaid to them. As to the concluding sentence; of your article, I think if the Committee and their Secretary worked the Institute in a more energetic they would have n; reason to complain of the consideration given to it by the public. Hoping yon will excuse the lengta of this letter. —I am, &c. A Member of tiie Institute. Oamaru 2Jth July.