INVERCARGILL ATHENAEUM

Southland Times, Issue 17663, 22 February 1916, Page 7

INVERCARGILL ATHENAEUM

ANNUAD M eettno. The annual meeting- of members of the Invercargill Athenaeum was held in the Rending Room last evening, the president (Mr AV. A. Stout) presiding over an attendance of twenty-five members. ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report ("already published) and balance-sheet were taken as read. In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, the chairman said that the report was a fairly full one, and he did not think it was necessary for him to make any lengthy remarks. They had had a very successful year, and the subscriptions had not fallen off as had been expected. That tyas very satisfactory, considering the number of young men who had gone to the front and who had been subscribers. The rents had also come in regularly, lb; referred to the improvements that had been made to the old Colonial Bank buildings, and said .that they must now all appreciate the step taken by the Committee, as owing to the central situation of tho building it promised to become an ornament to the town. He referred to the proposal to institute a free public library, which had been negatived at the annual meeting, and the proceedings that had followed after the Committee had been approached by the Town Council, which had been dealt with in the annual report. He supplemented the references made in tho report regarding the great loss the Committee has sustained by the death of Mr AV. G. Mehaffey, and the regrets they felt owing to losing the services of Dr Pottinger, who had gone to the front, and of Mr J. T. Carswell 'who had resigned. The motion was seconded by Mr C. J. A. Richardson, and carried unanimously.

OFFICE-BEARERS. The chairman moved that Mr T. D. Pearce be appointed chairman for the ensuing year. He said that during eight of the ten years Mr Pearce had been a member of the Committee ho had occupied the position of vice-president, and had always given the speaker the greatest support and co-operation. Mr Pearce had taken a live interest in the institution, and in the selection of books his services hud been invaluable. He was very widely read, and in a greater degree than any of the other members of the Committee made a point of keeping up the reading of literary reviews. Mr Stout said that he felt that having occupied tho chair so long, there might be a danger of bis becoming stale, and he thought that a change of blood might be desirable. The nomination was seconded by Mr D. Scott, and carried by acclamation. Mr Pearce, in taking the chair, said that he did so with a great deal of pleasure, because of his long association with, and the Interest he had taken in the institution. He accepted the position solely bcctui.se ho desired to give Mr Stout a spell. He paid a high tribute to tho work that had been done by Mr Stout, to whom, he said, tho people of Invercargill were under a debt of gratitude. He could hold before himself no better example than that set him by his predecessor, and he hoped that Mr Stout would retain a position on the Committee, so that they would not lose his services. Mr Stout was unanimously elected vice-president, although he expressed himself that lie would rather see now blood in that position also. Other office-bearers elected were:— Hon. secretary, Mr .las. Robertson; lion, treasurer. Mr A. Campbell; Committee, Messrs AV. Quinn, AV. .1. Hawley, .1. P. Haigh, F. Butterfield, and C. .1. A. Richardson. PROPOSED FREE READING ROOM.

Mr .1. C. Dale, in accordance with notice given, moved;- —‘‘That the incoming Committee he requested to open the present reading room to the public free of charge for three calendar months as an experiment." Me said that the motion might be regarded as a forlorn hope, as others in the same direction had been, but the reason for that was that the voting power was very unfair. Mr Jos. Hatch rose, and contended tiiat Mr Dale's motion was not in order, as the resolution passed at a special meeting held in July last had not hecGt rescinded, hut the chairman ruled against him. Mr Dale, continuing, said that the voting power was (piile unfair, as the revenue derived from the general public was over £t(JOU, ami from the subscribers who were entitled to vote £2BO. The. basis of voting was altogether unfair and undemocratic, and the people who found a lug portion of the revenue were voiceless. All the small communities surrounding Invercargill had free reading rooms, and Invercargill, wiyi its handsome endowments, was the only city in the dominion that did not recognise Us duties in that respect. They fenced in the institution with a financial fence, and kept the people out. The present reading room was not used to one-tenth part of its capacity, lie asked that the experiment should be tried, in order that the room would be used to its full capacity. • If it became overcrowded, then that would strengthen the hands of the Committee in going to the Town Council Cor a subsidy. If an overflow room was required, lie thought that they might obtain the use of the Ministerial room in the Post Office buildings. Returned soldiers were at present prevented from reading of the deeds of their ialleii comrades, and lie thought that this year, when the nation was being united owing to tribulation, they might open the reading room as a tribute to the deeds their boys bad done. He condemned the conservatism of affluent subscribers who had libraries at their homes, and who were making use of the public endowments and f ii'evcoting others from doing so. Me thought that it was a disgrace. Free institutions bad been Ihe glory of the Kinpire; they had done more to unite us than anything else, anil at a linnlike the present no selfish motive should influence them. Mr Vi. Scott seconded the mol ion, and said that, as a workingman, lie could not afford to have a library at his home. At (lore he could go into a. free reading room, .and it was a blot and a, disgrace that Invercargill did not have one. In Dunedin they would find that the majority of readers in the technical department were voting men. From a practical point of view .Mr Dales proposal should be tried, but lie did not think that three months was long enough. .Mr C, ,|. A. Richardson disagreed with Air Dale, and said that it would he a

very pro at mistake indeed if it were given .effect to. Certain people would patronise it, and then, if the privilege was withdrawn, there would ho heartburnings. If it were carried a number of the present members, including ladies, would erase coming there. Jt was all very well to talk as Mr Dale had done, but he thought that it was one of tho greatest mistakes possible to undermine the people’s self-reliance, to give them something for nothing. To grant, young men that boon, instead of asking them to pay tlH;d per month would be'a great mistake indeed. lie referred to letters which had appeared in the newspapers criticising the members who had voted against the previous proposal, which ho said had contained charges based on unsubstantial grounds, .lie contended that taking into consideration the fact that it cost to ride each day on the trams at least 2s per month, the trams were more of a class institution than the reading room for which they had to pay only ad per month. A young man who could not put his hand in his pocket and pay :1s (id per year for the privilege was not worth thinking about. If the room was made free it would become overcrowded, to the detriment of the people who now attended there.

Mr Jos. Hatch mentioned how he had paid £lO, and others as much as fan. to start the institution 'lO years ago, for which they had been made, life-members. The charge Hint at present was being made was not sufficient to buy a pint of beer. The institution for years past had been one of the glories of Invercargill, and ho did not know of any similar one in the dominion to equal it. Why did not the men who wanted a free Institution put their hands in their pockets, and say to the Corporation, "Here’s £1000,” and get an institution for themselves. The whole thing would fall to pieces if it wfcre made a free institution. Mr L. E. Bell opposed making the institution free at present. Mr Jas. Hnnter said that Mr Dale had brought forward no evidence that a claimant need existed. If Mr Dale ■ thought that the youth of the town were being deprived of something, then it was incumbent on him to bring them forward and got them to voice their needs. Ho agreed with Mr Richardson that the room would no longer be a reading room if the motion was given effect, but it would become a lounging room. That had been brought home to him in Wellington, where the reading room was not only a lounging room, but a lounging room for the frowsy. Mr Dale, in reply, said that one opponent had said that no one was being shut out, and another said that it the proposal was carried the room would become croVdcd. Buys earning apprentices wages conld not afford 2s (id. The Wellington reading room was near the wharf, and wharf labourers went there, but was that not a good thing? They * had to behave themselves, and the people should be very glad to have provided that much convenience for them. Hot the people have privileges in proportion to what they were paying. Mr Hatch 40 years ago had paid £lO to become a life member, and he was fighting for his rights in order to keep others out. On the motion being put, only the mover and seconder voted for it, and it was declared lost. OTH HI: B Urf IXESS. Rule 2 was altered in order to allow for advertising of notices two weeks before a meeting, instead of one week as at present. On the motion of Messrs .Hatch and Dale a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr Stout for the services he had rendered the institution during the litto.cn years he had been a member, eight years of which he had been president, and Mr Stout briefly acknowledged the compliment. Votes of thanks were also accorded Mr F. W. Rieknell, who did not seek reelection on the Committee, on the motion ot Messrs Stout and Quinn; to the staff, on the motion ot Messrs Pearce and Richardson; and to the Committee, on the motion ot Messrs .7. T. T'ar.swel 1 and W. Riddell.