ANDREW CARNEGIE

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1935, Page 19 (Supplement)

ANDREW CARNEGIE

GIVING LIFE TO VILLAGES. NEW PATHS WORTH FOLLOWING. The Carnegie United Kingdom Trust has come of age, says the Children’s Newspaper. Mr. Andrew Carnegie gave it the mission of improving the wellbeing of the masses of the people, and for 21 years now it has been successfully at work. Last year £126,000 was spent on libraries, rural development schemes, hostels and playing-fields. One of the trust’s first undertakings was to make grants to municipal and county libraries. This opportunity for increasing their efficiency has. been welcomed by libraries in most districts; the authorities have been enabled to bring their stocks up to date and have arranged to exchange books among themselves, so that. tire. resources of many neighbouring libraries as well as of the invaluable National Central Library, are available to students in many parts of the country. The trustees feel they have now made their due contribution to this work and the money they set aside for this purpose will probably be exhausted by the end of 1935. Once the trust has shown the way Mr. Carnegie’s money must no longer be used for work that should be continued by public bodies; the trustees confine themselves mainly to pioneering, discovering what new paths are worth following. Another task from which the trust is about to withdraw is the provision of playing-fields, which should now be the nation’s own business. Last year £22,000 was granted toward 110 grounds, many in country districts. A policy likely to be continued for some time is that of helping to erect village halls. Altogether 259 grants have been made, 43 af them last year. One-sixth of the cost of building the hall is given to villages with less than 4000 inhabitants, and it is encouraging that so many small villages have been prepared to raise the rest of the money needed. Where the trust has made loans in addition, to the gifts the money is being repaid quickly. The village hall can make a tremendous difference to life, providing scope for social clubs, libraries, Scouts and Guides, flower shows, lectures, and wireless listening and discussion groups. Remote districts are no longer cut off from all the social advantages of towns. Rural community councils, aided by the trust, have been developing music and drama in villages and encouraging the study of local history. One. dramatic' group has been to make tours in Scotland and Northern England. I Branches of the young fanners’ clubs have been increased in number ais in strength in England and Ireland, and their formation in Scotland has been discussed. These clubs are doing good work in agricultural education and cooperation. Women’s institutes and clubs for boys and girls have received a helping hand. Tfie councils for the preservation of rural England, Scotland and Wales and the home and school counpd (which aims at bringing parents and teachers closer together) have been promised grants for the next three years.