ATHENÆUM COMMITTEE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10176, 10 October 1894, Page 4

ATHENÆUM COMMITTEE.

Tha monthly meeting of the Athenaeum Coß_.« mittee, held on Monday night, was attended by Messrs T. W. Whitson (in tie chair), J. Jack, R. G. Whetter, J. H. Chapman, A. H. Burton, R. Martin, W. B. Harlow, 11. F. Bastings, Professor. Gibbons, and Dr Macdonald. Apolo« gies for non-attendance wete received from Messrs Brown and Clifford. The Reading Room Committee, to v !i'.m was _ remitted the question of con»>de<ing the advisa! bility or otherwise of tl_r_r.'iag open the lower hall as an extra reading ro.m at a reduced subscription, reported that tho room was very badly lighted, that the whole of the flooring, was in a very unsafe condition, that the walls and. ceiling were dirty and mildewrd, that the gas fittings were defective, that no provision existed for heating the room, that the gi eater part of the wainscote wis tumbling to pieces through the eftects of dry-roT, and that no tables or chairs were available unless purchased for furnishing the room. For these reasons the committee were of opinion that it would he inadvisable to proceed further with the proposal to convert the hall into an additional reading room.— The report was adapted. The Library Committee reported, with reference to the proposal to obtain courses of reading, re« commending tbat the courses be drawn up in the following subjects : — Political economy, sociology, astronomy, books of travel, socialism, and biography.—The report was adopted, and it was' decided to take the necessary-steps to obtain courses of reading on the subjects named. Five pamphlets relating to bimetallism were received with thanks from Mr Arthur M'Donald, and a copy of <he proceedings of the Royal Colonial Institute for 1393-94 was also received. Accounts amount-j ing to £54 15s 4d were passed for payment. The Reading Room Committee were requested to jevise the list of magazines supplied, and mako recommendations as to replacing some of the( old magazines by more modern publications. Thai 'committee were'also authorised to obtain two; copies of the Jtinglish edition of the " Review o£ R-.views" and two copies of the Australian edition instead of four copies of the latter, ithaving been pointed out that the former editio*. came to hand much earlier than the other.