A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE READING ROOM.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3483, 16 July 1880, Page 3

A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE READING ROOM.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, — "Whosoever they are that have the superintendency of the Borough Reading Room, possibly, might deem it worth their while to weigh the miserably meagre returns they derive from the sale of the old papers — questionably not above sixpence per week — against the advantage the ratepayer might gain, by adopting the system almost universally adhered to in other similar institutions — that is, of filing them, and keeping those files for, at the least, a full calendar month on the table. After that time the files are put carefully away, a band of coloured paper being fixed round them, with the name of the paper and the month and year written legibly thereon, thereby establishing a valuable depository of references for all who choose to avail themselves. "Whereas, as now is, should anyone happen to read an article of an interesting or impressive tendency, prompting naturally a desire to direct some friend to \ its perusal, and if it is inconvenient fora day or two for that person to look up what his attention has been specially called to, ten to one but that the opportunity is lost to him for ever — all for the sake of two or three farthings for a pound of waste paper. The management of this useful public institution, I have beeu told, is entrusted to a senatorial committee, with His "Worship the Mayor presiding, yet I hardly can bring myself to believe that this is the case : that such tallfolks should descend to such smallfolks' top and marble-money-like transactions. — I am, &c, A.H. New Plymouth, July 15, 1880.