OLD NEW PLYMOUTH

Taranaki Daily News, 17 August 1935, Page 13 (Supplement)

OLD NEW PLYMOUTH

PLANS FOR LIBRARY

(By

S. C. Allen.)

(No. V.)

The revival of interest in the library in 1856 was very active. The committee appointed under the chairmanship of Mr. Charles Brown reported on alternative sites for the erection of a building as follows: (a) The superseded Wesleyan Chapel where the meeting was held, (b) A new site, which had the following history. Some five or six years before the then existing Government conceded to the community a quarter-acre of ground within town bounds for the purpose of a Mechanics’ Institute, and recently the superintendent. (C. Brown) had assured the town that hitherto this portion of ground had not been formally claimed, and though the former pre-nomen of the Institute was to be superseded by the more appropriate term Taranaki, not only would that allotment be transferred to the convenience of the society, but he would cause also an adjoining portion to be added thereto,, thus extending the space to fully double the size of the original grant.

“The piece of ground, an area of over half an acre, forms part of the gentle activity of the southern aspect of Mount Eliot,” continued the report, “and in all respects constitutes one of the most eligible 'sites of the town, and which when suitably built upon will place us quite beyond the necessity of future requirements; as regards these fundamentals. But how to effect the latter purpose is the. question, for though, through the liberality of the Government, as you have now word, we are about to .be endowed with land, our means for building looks more remote from tangibility. Like other public bodies in similar circumstances we might look to loan and voluntary contributions to aid us, but our belief is that the. share system is the most eligible and certainly the most independent we can resort to, for it makes one who holds a share a proprietor; hence when the establishment is habilitated for Institute 1 and general purposes, each such individual may feel, when he enters the threshold, that he gains admission by virtue of his own vested right, and not by the donation or lending of anyone. The shares would of course be transferable, and it is fair to prognosticate that as such they would soon be at a premium. ... In conclusion, we beg emphatically to repeat that the Institute has but one purpose or design —the wholesome moral, mental and industrial progression of Taranaki, and that most manifestly comes home to all.”

During the superintendency of Mr. Charles Brown, although the public activities of the Taranaki Institute were not manifest until the end of his term of office, the leaders of the Institute movement must have been very active, and had made considerable potential progress. The committee must have comprised the most influential men of the day, and its personnel must have been identified with the burning questions of politics and social reform which then occupied public attention.

During the whole year 1857 the Institute displayed great public activity in arranging public lectures from January to December, at fairly regular fortnightly intervals. A charge of 3d for admission was made to non-members. Among the names of the lecturers were Mr. Ritchie, who opened the series on February 4, 1857. The Rev. J. Whiteley lectured on three tor four occasions on Maori customs and habits, and it is stated that the lectures “showed considerable research and knowledge of the subject.” Dr. Wilson, who was medical officer of the city of Morocco in. 1817, gave three lectures on Morocco and Gibraltar and its vicinity. The Rev. S. Ironside lectured on Astronomy and on. the English Language. Mr. Chippendall lectured bn Wool on two occasions, and once for two hours on the Silkworm, which was “endured” by the audience. He gave another lecture on Flax and another on Wool.

A new element in the lectures was introduced by Mr. B. C. Lawrence, who gave a scientific lecture on the Atmospheric Air, with experiments. He also on another occasion spoke on the Magic Lantern to “witness the wonders of which a crowd of juveniles accompanied by their parents attended. He described the apparatus and exhibited funny pictures.” Mr. Manby gave a reading from Dickens. It must have been a rather unfortunate lecture on “religious education in schools” that was delivered by Major Lloyd, because we havfe a commentary on it in the Herald of October,' 1857: “The education meeting on Tuesday—a meeting called to consider the expediency of forming classes—was thinly _attended. If, as we are informed, its object was to cast a slur on the Education Committee, it signally failed to do so. The Provincial Council very properly recommended the appointing of a commission entirely of laymen. The worthy originator of this meeting should be aware that this province will not respond to the cry of church and State, and no liberal system of education can possibly emanate from sectarians wedded to opinions half a century in arrear of the times and proved to be erroneous.”

This meeting was held under the auspices of the Institute, and must have caused ill feeling in the community, and dissension among the subscribers of the Institute. It is difficult to explain, other than on grounds of deep personal differences of opinion on religious and social questions, why the Institute did not go straight ahead after the splendid prospects before it at the end of 1857. We will have to refer again to the unfortunate position of the Institute as the “chopping block” in all changes which are inevitable in a young settlement. In addition to the peculiar circumstances of New Plymouth under the unrest preceding the Maori war, the Institute was developing in times when public opinion was in a state of flux in regard to social questions which were to become the battle grounds of major politics for the next 20. years. It is unfortunate but perhaps inevitable that the Institute still tried to do too much—to interest itself in matters which on the whole brought it too prominently into the arena of party politics. Whatever the causes it is clear that the Institute did not avail itself of the chances opened up for it by Mr. Brown. The year 1858 was an active one. Dr. Wi'lsou was president and Mr. John Gully (a noted artist) was secretary. An extensive programme of winter- entertainments was arranged. Dr. Wilson gave lectures on “Social Colonial Experiences,” and a lecture on English history. Dr. Neild gave a reading from Macaulay, and readings or lectures were given every week instead of every fortnight during the winter months. Occasionally a “soiree’’ was given in the Masonic Hall, at which a new feature was introduced—vocal and instrumental music. There appears to have been an attempt made to teach chemistry. The concluding three lectures of the 1858 series were given by Mr. Grayling on “Combustion,” illustrated with experiments. (To be continued.)