FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3886, 4 September 1928, Page 15

FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

MORE ACCOMMODATION NEEDED. PROPOSALS FOR EXTENSIONS. The Library Committee of the City Council has had under investigation for a lengthy period the matter of making provision to meet the pressing need for enlarged accommodation at the Free Public Library. Several proposals have been considered, the most advantageous of which provides for an extension of the building on to privately owned property at the rear, and sundry rearrangements within the existing building. A sketch plan has been prepared by the building surveyor giving a general outline of the scheme. At the next meeting of the City Council the committee will recommend that steps be taken to provide the necessary funds to cover the cost of the scheme by submitting • -roposal to the ratepayers for the raising of a loan of £15,000, such sum to include cost of acquiring the private property in addition to cost of the building extensions. In terms of the standing erders the matter has been referred to the Finance Committee for report on the financial bearing. An option has been secured to purchase the private property for the sum of £l5OO, such option to hold good for three months. In terms of the standing orders the Finance Committee has considered the financial bearing of the proposal. The estimates submitted consist of £l5OO for th land purchase and £13,500 for the erection of the necessary buildings. The yearly charge on the general account in respect of the standing charges —interest and sinking fund—on a loan of the sum named, would be £975, that is assuming interest ai 51 per cent, and sinking fund at 1 per cent. It is considered that sanction might reasonably be expected on these terms, as the buildings if erected would be oi a substantial nature. It is further estimated that the additional yearly cost of conducting the institution as the result of its extension would be about £4OO, making a total yearly increased demand n the general account, in resnect of the library vote, of £1375. The present yearly charge for .the library is about £5OOO. The proposal would, therefore, increase this vote to about £6375. It is to be noted that the initial step in the statutory procedure to submit a loan proposal to the vote of the ratepayers is the publication of a notice setting out the intention .o apply to the Local Government Loans Board for sanction. Fourteen days’ notice is required of the date when such a proposal is to be considered. It is for the council to determine * this meeting if such notice is to be given. If that decision be in the affirmative the matter would come up for consideration at the ordinary meeting of the council on Wednesday, October 3, unless it should be decided to hold a special meeting at an earlier date.