PARLIAMENT’S LIBRARY
and TEE PUBLIC'S BIGHTS. (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) ■WELLINGTON, September 20. The rights and privileges of the general public in relation to the Parliamentary Library were again under discussion in the Legislative Council yesterday, when the Hon. John Rigg moved ” That the report of the Library Committee relating to the issue of fiction to persons having the privileges of the library during the recess be disagreed with, viz., that for the future no works of fiction be issued to non-members during the Parliamentary recess.'' Several members recapitulated views which had been expressed in the Lower House. The Attorney-General said that they had to question the purposes of the library. Was it a national library? Was it a public library? Was It a Parliamentary library? If it was the lastnamed then lie did not think anything could be said. From reliable reports which he had in relation to similar libraries, be understood that no books were allowed outside. He Instanced the case of the great Parliamentary library at Washington. 'The Assembly library was not a public library for the use of the people of Wellington. In ’Wellington to-day they bad a very good public library, which was supported partly by taxation of the people of Wellington, and good fiction could be got for a payment of 5/- per year to the library. Under the proposed change they would not be shutting out any student who wished to read biography, verse, etc. He urged the Council to reject the motion. _ , In replying to the criticism offered to his motion, the Hon. J. Rigg said that a very narrow view of the position had been taken, and it was wrong to assume that only the people of Wellington benefited by the present privileges. But if it were so, should they be debarred on that account? Why should the fiction be allowed to rust on the shelves? There was not a library outside the Assembly library in New Zealand that had a good French section. Thousands of pounds per year were spent on the library, and it was not a question of the Wellington public being able to pay Sd for a book which was included in the library catalogue; it was a question of how useful the institution could bo made. The motion was defeated by 14 votes to 9. The members who voted in favour of the motion were; —Messrs Luke, Rigg. Jenkinson, Beehan, Baldey, , Collins, Lough nan, Thompson and Sinclair. Those who voted against the motion Were:— Sir John Findlay and Messrs Callan, Paul, Barr. Jones, Carncross, O’Rorke, Ormond. Kelly, Anstey, Harris, McGowan, Samuel, and George. - Next the Hon. T. Kelly moved — That this Council agree to the recommendation of the Joint Library Committee that an additional assistant in the libraiy be appointed at not less than £156 a year. The motion was seconded by the Hon. J. Rigg- ' , x . The Hon. J. Jenkinson said that he was aghast when at a meeting of the Library Committee the chief librarian had asked for assistance for dusting the books. Heads of departments, he knew, were in the habit of making the work of their departments look very important. The library, be maintained at length, should be made as useful as possible. Messrs Callan and Paul supported the motion.
The Hon. O. M. Luke said that, after the riiotlon previously ptissed decreasing the privilege holders’ rights, he could not support this motion. If anyone supposed that the assistants were overworked daring the months of the session, he did not appreciate the position. The Hon. O. Samuel thought that members of the Council could not possibly know as much of the case as the Joint Committee did. The Committee had repeatedly gone into the subject. The Hon. Mr Luke: “I am on the Recess Committee, and I ought to know something of the matter,” Mr Samuel went on to say that members of Parliament, in having hampers of books sent out during the firecess, should limit themselves to books of study. Mr Jenklnson: "Who is to be the judge?" Mr Samuel; “I leave it to members. We should, as members, take into consideration whether we can obtain works locally which not infrequently are sent for to Wellington.” He added that he had been quite shocked at the number of books which had been lost every year. A number of books disappeared. In some cases the library officials knew who had last taken out a book that had been lost, and it was to be regretted that steps could not be taken for the recovery of such property. The motion was carried on the voices.
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Southland Times, Issue 16844, 21 September 1911, Page 6
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772PARLIAMENT’S LIBRARY Southland Times, Issue 16844, 21 September 1911, Page 6
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