PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 1881.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 6532, 18 August 1884, Page 2

PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 1881.

"The true University of these days," says Thomas Carlyle, is a collection of books." These are the words of one of the deepest thinkers of our time, and whether we apply the words in a personal or public sense, they go far to establish the truth that a good library is a necessary adjunct to every man's education. la this Colony money is being lavished on the instruction of the young. Although no doubt greatly over done, the providing of common school education free of charge is doing a vast amount of good, as it is laying a foundation for the young, on which they themselves can afterwards rear the superstructure of knowledge. The wide-spread influence of newspapers forms one of the most powerful aids in the building up of that structure, and added to by a good collection of books.opens to the public the means of providing not only a fuller knowledge, but a greater aptitude to understand the passing history of our time, of which the newspaper is the ephemeral chronicler. In good public libraries, free to everyone, are to be found the materials which enable the elementary education of our youth to expand into a higher knowledge ; at once cultivating the faculties, improving the mind, and aiding that useful information which, combined with the other things, makes peoples homes more intelligent, and tends greatly to their happiness. The establishment of these Free Libraries is progressing rapidly in England ; and the colonies are now following her example and establishing them likewise in all their larger cities. In Auckland a Free Library has been established, and in Christchurch and Dunedin provisions are made for supplying literary pabulum to the public by means of Athenasums and Mechanics' Institutes on a large scale. Moreover, the libraries established through the enterprise of private individuals in other towns than this are of such a character and scope to secure to the public the opportunity of becoming acquainted wj£h th^e works of the best authors. It is true there is a Book Club in the place, but the subscription to it is beyond the means of many, and consequently is not of that general character to be called a public benefit. Practically, therefore, the young men of New Plymouth who may bo imbued with a tasta for reading must either content themselves with cheap aovels of a third-rate kind or incur the cost of buying expensive books for their own use. Owing to the difficulties there exist in tho place for young men to improve themselves, they resort to frivolous or questionable amusements. Night after night they may be seen loitering or lounging about the streets as if life were given to them for no purpose but to waste it. Year after year they go about as if there was nothing worth learniug and nothing abovo or beneath the earth worthy a thought. If there was a free library and reading room something might be done with this class of young men to waken some thought in them —to develope their intellect. Their attention might be turned upon things which would elevate their minds. By some such means they might be roused from their present thoughtless, idle, and dissipated life, and converted into thinking, industrious, and steady | Btudents, readers of books, economists of their spare hours, and fastidious iv tho choice of associates. The sum of £G,OOO is annually voted by Parliament in aid of free libraries, aud although other towns benefit from the liberality of our Legislature, the people of New Plymouth seem indifforont about securing their share. In Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin colleges are richly endowed in order that the sons of tho wealthier classes of colonists may be educated at a comparatively trifling cost; but littlo has been done towards providiug tho irechanic ox* artisan with moans of gaining that information which is so necessary for him to acquire in order that he may raise himself in the social status of society. We should like to see established in this town a freo library. It must bo a good library, uot a moro " heap of books" gathered together. Whilst wo would not banish from its shelves works of fiction by

standard authors, we should like to see books bearing on the latest discoveries in science and art, in mechanics and invention; for, to these discoveries applied in every day life, is due the material progress which wise and wide utilitariauism seeks to achieve. If we wish, however, to start such an institution we must put our hand in our pockets. The Legislature may assist us, but to carry out what we suggest must be attained by the efforts of the people themselves. That it can be attained there is no little doubt, as the machinery for the purpose has long been in existence. The Public Libraries Act 1869 is a permissive measure, the chief object of it being to confer upon public bodies such as Municipal Council, County Council, Road Boards, or in fact any other governing body in town or country the same privileges which similar bodies enjoy at home. We have not space to go into the details of the Act to-day, but may do so on some future occasion. The Act has been brought into force in .Auckland with a marked success, and it rests with the people themselves here whether they will have a public library worthy of the town. If an earnest and general desire is felt to secure the enjoyment of those pure and intellectual pleasures which only good books can supply, and at the same time provide the j means of information to the whole of our townfolks, then a majority of the ratepayers can at any time bring all this about by setting the machinery of the Public Libraries Act in motion.

Mr. Hendry has requested us to state that his 'bus will leave town for the mail steamer at 10 o'clock to-night. Wo regret to learn that Mr. Beale, the grocer, is in a very precarious Btate of health, and it is feared he will not recover. We would remind the jurois on the inquest on tho fire that they will have to be in attendance to-morrow at 2 o'clock to resume the inquiry. A punctual attendance is necessary, as they render themselves liable to be fined. The schooner Cleopatra arrived at Moturoa on Saturday evening, from Lyttelton, with a cargo of cement consigned to the Harbour Board. She went alongside the Breakwater this morning and discharged cargo. The s.s. Stormbird arrived at tho Breakwater at 7.30 this morning, and after discharging 20 tons of general cargo, sailed for Wanganui at 10 a.m. George O'Bryan, charged with breaking into a dwelling-house at Manutahi South on August 7th, was brought before the Resident Magistrate at Carlyle on Friday last, and committed for trial at the Supreme Court, New Plymouth. The s.s. Wanaka left Wellington early this morning, is due at 11 to-night, and leaves for Manukau shortly after arrival. Captain Edwin telegraphed at 12.34 p.m. to-day —" Bad weather after I' 2 hours from now between east and north and northwest, and considerable nnd increasing sea and rain. Glass fall within 12 hours." An elderly man named Price, belonging to Feilding, was found dead near the Wanganui racecourse on Saturday morning. His body was discovered in a small creek. The body was one mass of burns from head to foot. He is supposed to have slept in the hedge near by, which was much burnt, and to huve crawled to tho creek for safety.