FAIRLIE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20782, 17 July 1937, Page 4

FAIRLIE

PUBLIC LIBRARY

STEADY PROGRESS MADE One facility possessed by Fairlie which is a subject for favourable comment from visitors, is the public library. and several Interesting facts with regard to its progress are contained in a special report prepared by the librarian (Mrs M. L. West). The library was established with the assistance of a Carnegie grant of £lOOO, and while a subscription is still required for the lending section, the Mackenzie County Council has several times considered making the whole library free. The grant was obtained through the efforts of a former county engineer (Mr R. L. Banks), and the county chairman at that time (the late Mr F. Gillingham) also took considerable interest in the matter, and laid the foundation stone of the new building. Early New Zealand books are one of the features of the library, and works on forestry also occupy a special shelf. Altogether, the shelves contain 8060 books, comprising the following: History, biography and travel 1133, fine arts and useful arts 177, general science 93, literature 228, religion 71. miscellaneous 551, juvenile 300 and fiction 5608. In recent years. 530 books have reached the stage at which they had to be removed from the shelves. A noteworthy fact is that for the past year there were 14.200 books issued, which shows the support accorded by the people of the district. Within the year, 180 books were added to the shelves. The library has always been helped by donations of books, and those who have assisted in that way in the past 12 months are: Miss Banks (Oamaru), Mrs A. Barton. Mr A. Riddle, Mrs W. A. B. Morton. Mr R. L. Banks, Mr Ronaldson (Christchurch), Messrs Burns and Philps i Sydney) and Government Departments.

Children have made great use of the reference section. In the free reading room, 23 magazines and weeklies, and 30 daily and other papers covering New Zealand and parts of Australia, are regularly available. In the last year some 3200 people visited the reading room.

In his will, the late Mr F. Gillingham instituted two annual free subscriptions for the boy and girl writing the best essays on a library. The competition is always keenly contested by pupils in the Fairlie and country schools. When he visited Fairlie some months ago, the Hon. W. E. Parry expressed surprise that such a wellequipped library existed in the town, and considered that it was a facility of which the district could justly be proud. It is understood that the Government intends to assist towards making such libraries free. GENERAL NEWS Farmers desiring to take advantage of the vaccine for pulpy kidney, which was recently explained by Mr E. J. Lukey in an address at Fairlie, can order it through the Mackenzie Inspector of Stock, Mr E. J. Robertson, Fairlie. Orders should be lodged immediately.

Wintry weather conditions prevailed throughout the Mackenzie County yesterday, but excepting a light covering on the higher levels, there was no fall of snow. Considerable interest has been taken in the suggested reticulation of the Ashwick Flat. Cattle Valley, Middle Valley, Tondro's Road and Kimbell districts, and a public meeting, which will be addressed by the South Canterbury Power Board's engineer (Mr G. W. Morrison), will be held in the Parish Hall on July 23. PERSONAL Miss E. L. Jones, Fairlie. is spending a holiday at Carterton. Mr and Mrs D. W. Keenan, of Fairlie, ar i on a visit to Akaroa.