Timaru Mechanics’ Institute.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2951, 24 November 1900, Page 4

Timaru Mechanics’ Institute.

The thirty-ninth annual meeting of the Timaru Mechanics’ Institute was held in the Institute Hall last evening. . There was only a moderate number of subscribers present, and Mr M. White, president, was in the chair.

The following report of the outgoing committee and the balance-sheet were taken as read ; .

“ The present number of members is 299. The past financial year commenced with a credit balance of £2 19s, and liabilities of £32 19aj 7d, and closed with a credit of £lO 9s 7d, and liabilities of £54 0s 4d. ,A shipment of new books and magazines is now on the way out from Home. During last month a bazaar was held in aid of the Institute, and your committee have pleasure in reporting that after payment of all expenses a net sum of £157 0s 9d is available, and will appear in next year’s balance-sheet. Arrangements have been made to pay off the existing loan of £IOO on 24th December, so your committee are able to congratulate members on the Institute being practically out of debt at last. Our best thanks ate due to the ladies who initiated the bazaar and carried it through, also to. all who in various ways assisted in making it so successful. During the past year the funds were augmented by Government subsidy to the extent of £23 0s 7d. The Borough Council’s grant of £5 will appear in next year’s balance-sheet. During the year the committee held 10 meetings with an average attendance of six members. Mrs Goodman continues to act as librarian and gives entire satisfaction to the committee.

The following were the chief items of the balance sheet:

Receipts Balance from last year, £2 19s; members’ subscriptions, £l9O 7s 8d; rent of hall, £l7 6s 6d; reversion of papers and old books and papers sold, £ll 3s 7d; bespeaking books, 11s; Government subsidy, £23 0s 7d; proceeds of ball, £6 4s; total, £251 12s 2d. Expendit ;re—Salary, £B4; gas and fuel, £32 14s; interest (Ij years), £l2 0s 2d; insurance, £3; rates, £4 17s 6d ; books purchased, £53 7s 2d; newspapers and magazines, £26 16s 4d; repairs, £5 13s 6d.; printing, advertising and sundries, £l2 13s lid; bank balance, £l6 9s 7d; total, £251 12s 2d

The assets shown are—Building, £700; books (4700), £600; furniture, £100; collectable sums, £23 11s 6d. Liabilities — Loans £100; due on books, papers .and magazines, £4O 10s; rates, £4 17s 6d; other accounts, £8 12s lOd.

The president, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet compared the financial positionwith that of the previous year as follows—(1899-1900)': Cash in hand, £2 odd—£lo; revenue, £261—£249; expenditure, £261—£241. Repairs had been about £25 less, salary £4 less. Against these there had been a loss of £9 in rent and subscriptions had been £2 7s 6d less. Other items were about the same. He had a pleasing duty to perform in telling the mfembers that at last they could see the Institute practically out of debt, and their thanks were due to the ladies who had so successfully managed the bazaar which iiad brought them into that very satisfactory position. The debt would be paid off on the 24th of next month. This would leave them roughly with £IOO to the good for next year, and the Institute would be in a better position than it had been for the lust 20 years. He was sorry .to say that the subscriptions were not increasing as they ought to do. He thought it was disgraceful that in a town the size of Timaru there were only about 300 subscribers to the Library. All sorts of excuses were made. Some people wanted more new books, and as many new books were provided as the committee could afford, and about £BO had been spent on books and papers, equal to one-third of the revenue. He thought that a very good proportion. Now, with funds in hand, they could spend a little more. They needed to spend £2O or £3O in repairs. A new ceiling was required in the reading room, some repairs in the librarian’s apartments, and the back wall should be painted. There should be no difficulty in adding £2O to the amount to! be spent on books. An effort ought to be made to increase the levenue from subscriptions, this revenue being £4O al year more eighteen years ago than it was now. In 1889 the subscriptions were £250; this year only £l9O. It was true that a special canvass was made in 1889, and a large number of new subscribers were got; and if members now made an effort to induce thenfriends to join he was sure they could increase the list of members. It was proposed to work in future oh a cash basis, and get the best terms. He had been spoken to by several gentlemen who knew New Zealand from the Bluff to Auckland, and they said that for the size of the town the library was the best in the colony, and better kept than any of them, while no other had such a fine collection of Travels m its shelves, Hie committee were like

shopkeepers, they must cater for their customers; most of them demanded novels, and therefore novels must be supplied. Last year they received £23 as their share of the Government grant of £2OOO for public libraries, and as the vote this year was £3OOO, this library would probably get about £3O. There was also a subsidy of £5 from the Borough Council, for last year, not received in time to be included in the balance sheet. They would henceforth save £8 in interest on the loan debt, the liquidation of •which would place the Institute, as he had said, in a better position than for the last 20 years, and he could safely congratulate the members on the present position, and he hoped that they would go on flourishing in the future. The adoption of the report and balance sheet was seconded by Mr Simmers, put and Carried.

Tire election of officers for the ensuing year was then taken, and resulted as follows:—President, Mr J. Sutter;, Vicepresident, Mr W. Gunn; treasurer, Mr O’Rorke; secretary, Mr Stapleton; committee, Messrs Simmers, Johnson, Hipkins, Patterson, Foden, Welch, Orwin, Palliser, Valentine, and'White; auditor, Mr Montgomery. The president moved a special vote of thanks to Air Stapleton for his energetic services during the past year, and especially in connection with the bazaar. The ladies’ gave him a special vote of thanks and he richly deserved it.—Seconded by Mr Welch and carried with applause The president expressed regret that one of the oldest members of the Institute; and one of the oldest and most useful members of the committee, Mr P. Cullmann, felt himself compeled to retire from the committee on account of his health.

• Messrs Gunn and Sutter moved, and it was carried, that a resolution expressing their regret be recorded in the minutes, and a copy be sent to Mr Cullmann. The president moved—" That the bestthanks of the Institute be accorded to all who helped in the late bazaar.”—Seconded by Mr Valentine and carried. Mr Bascand moved, and,, the president seconded, that a letter of sympathy be sent to Mrs Grahame, ex-president, and secretary to the late Bazaar Committee, expressing the regret of the members at her indisposition. On the motion of Messrs Orwin and Gillies, a vote of thanks was passed to the late executive and the librarian, and the vote was acknowledged by Mr White, who thdnked the committee and librarian for their assistance and courtesy during his term of office. On the motion of Mr Foden a vote of thanks was passed to donors of free papers. Mr Sutter then took the chair, and thanked members for electing him to the presidency, and expressed a hope that he would be able to conduct the Institute as successfully as Mr White had done. He moved a vote of thanks to the retiring president, for his many years’ services as well as last year’s.—Seconded by Mr Gunn, and carried with applause. The meeting then terminated, the members of committee present agreeing to meet as usual bn the first Tuesday next month.