GRANTS TO LIBRARIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2924, 30 March 1910, Page 67

GRANTS TO LIBRARIES.

THE GOVERNMENT VOTE. PROTEST AGAINST WITHDRAWAL. There was a brief but animated discus* sion it the on the subject, introduced by' Mr T. W. Leys, Auckland, of Government grunts to public libraries. Mr Leys moved —" That this conference views with very great regret the discontinuance of Government grants to public libraries, especially those established in country districts. It regards the withdrawal of the grant of £3OOO as a retrograde step, and desires respectfully to draw the attention of the Executive to the fact that such subsidies are regarded t other colonies as occupying a legitimate and important olaoe iff the appropriations for national education. The eonfereicestronglj urges the Minister of Education to restore and increase the vote, and also to make definite provision for school libraries, by grants of money, and by inviting borough councils to assist in" this work." This motion he regarded as t'-e most important of the conference. Personally he was amazed when the grant was struck out. It apoeared to him to involve an entire disregard and gross ignorance of the whole system of library management and of the necessities of the country districts with regard to public libraries. Ttey knew how difficult it was to get libraries established in towns, jwiiere there .vas dense population, and how difficult it was to maintain libraries and keen them gouts, v-d that this small grant, distributed over 437 libraries, which conformed to very strict conditions, should have fallen beneath the prumng-knife of tne Minister of .Education was most regrettable Tt was difficult to know who *-as responsible, but he supposed the Minister had been advised bv some high official. A larse sum of monev wps spent an the School Journal, which nohooV wanted. He had not heard a master of anv- experience say a good word for the School Journal, but it appeared that fn the of those who had control of the c ■ Lion system of New Zealaun some r en sitting in Wellington with scissors - id paste must provide the class of literature that was to he furnished to the unfortunate residents in the country, and that thev should be cut off from access to current literature of the nation and have, such clippings as this gentleman-in W»'_ chose to dole, out to them. He believed if the vote was doubled or trebled and wisely spent it would contribute v*rv much to the advancement of national education in its truest and wid ; yt =ense. *nd therefore, he honed that Mr' Mr Oraigie. and other gentlemen who had influence in the right quarter would brtesr that influence to bear on the Minister and have this vote not only restored, bur increased. ' if the countrv members n a d observed the omission of this vote of -G3OAO the Estimate* h« believed thev wou id not have tolerated it for a moment. Mr P arr seconded the mot ; on. This was an instance of retrenchment that was absolutely stupid. Mr Oohen: "Hear, hear." -Mr Parr went on to sav that, as Mr Leys had snjrarested. the Minister have heer. noting undo- fV novice e +heheads of his department, but the Miniter could not be acquitted from blame an + >at account. Had the Minister no mind of his own? Mr '.GWlds knew very well that in the Auckland district there "were over ""00 of these small which practically deoe"ded on the Government arani. Refr-r-nchment was no doubt.- but the tomahawk might have been used on some other skull than this Mr Cohen p.sk*r\ if Mr Leys would add after "borousrh councils" the words "and other local bodies"?

Mr Lews agreed to the addition. Mr Shaw oould not conceive what the Minister of Education was thinkinsr of wlieri he allowed this vote to be struck off the Estimates. If he was advised by the h«B.<T of his department he was vo r y badlv advised. Let Mr Fowlds sacrifice his pet Limb—the School Journal—rather than this vote.

Mr Craigia (Timaru) said, though he was a member of Parliament, he was«not aware the vote had b»»n struck out until p<>"ie weeks subsequent t-n the session, when the town clerk of Timaru. after applying- for a portion of the vote, was informed that it had been struck out. He would He v» r y pleased to make one of a deputation to wait on the Minister and ask him to reinstate the vote, if not to increase it. Mr Lava: Would it be "possible to pay the money out of unauthorised expenditure this vear?

Mr Wilson: It is possible; but it is questionable if the Minister would do it Mr Levs replied, after which the motioa was carried unanimously.