LITERARY INSTITUTE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 663, 8 July 1870, Page 3

LITERARY INSTITUTE.

The annual general meeting of members was held at seven o'clock last night, the Rev C. Fraser president occupying the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed, after which, in response to the chairman, Mr A. C. Fyfe, hon. sec, read the following report for the past year : — Your committee, notwithstanding the dulness and difficulties of the timeß bave good cause to congratulate you on the present state pf the Institute. They have endeavoured to economise, as much as possible, the limited means at their disposal, and as a primary Step with this object, have entered into an , Arrangement for the direct supply of newspapers and periodicals from England, thereby | effecting a saving of something like 30 per cent. ' The orders forwarded show a considerable addition to those of previous years ; the list being : — lllustrated London News, Illustrated Times, Punch, Bell's Life, The Field, Home News (two copies), European Mail (two copies), Saturday Review, Athenaeum, Art Journal, Casse!^ Magazine, Comhill Maga- 1 zinc, Chambers' Journal, The Builder, The I

Leisure Hour, Mechanics' Magazine, Macmillan's Magazine, Blackwood's Magazine, St. ' Paul's Magazine, Fortnightly Review, Scientific Review, Atlantic Monthly Review, Quarterly Review, Edinburgh Review, Once a Week, All the Year Round, London Society, Temple Bar. It may here be mentioned that a further saving is likely to be' effected, and a more p-ompt service obtained through the proposed new postal arrangements. Your committee have also, with a view of extending the usefulness of the Institute, made the readingroom available at all times, and free of charge, to persons residing in the country ; and visitors to the city may also avail themselves of the privilege, subject to the condition that they record their names in the visitors' book, which is kept in the library for tbis purpose. They have also during the year transferred the reading-room to the lecture hall, thus affording more comfort and better accommodation to the members. It has been considered advisable to appoint a collector to apply for- subscriptions, and at the same time to canvass the city for new members; and if this effort is seconded by the members generally, there. can be no doubt that the institute will be placed upon a footing equal. to that of any in the colony. At the same time your committee would seriously remind you that the institute has no extraneous revenue; it is entirely self-sup-porting, and its success and progress rest altogether with the members themselves. The present subscribers number only 140, and the subscriptions for the year amount to £145 16s — a sum far below what might reasonably be expected. The number of new subscribers for the past year is 40 ; volumes circulated, 6520; new books added to the library, 42. Through the kindness of Mr George Gould in advancing the necessary funds, the'committee were . enabled to make, arrangements for a continuous monthly supplj^ of books from England; bHt owing to the early return of Dr Powell, to "whom the committee had entrusted the selection of the books, this arrangement has been somewhat delayed. The committee will, however, soon be able to announce that the original proposal has been carried into effect. Considerable advantage has accrued to the Institute from a pecuniary donation made by the Literary Society, with part of which the following works of reference have been purchased: — Cressy's Civil Engineering, Morton's Cyclopoßdia of Agriculture, Chambers' | Bjok of Days, Natural History, English Cyclopoedia (four volumes), Johnson's Gazetteer, Judge Johnston's Justices of New Zealand, &c. The following is a list of books and miscellaneous donations made over to the Institute during the year : — From Mr Gould, Wood's Homes Without Hands, Youatt's Dog, Von Tempsky's Mi I la, London Labour and London Poor, Bell's Villette, Gaskell's Life of Charlotte Bronte. From Colonial Government — Journals of Legislative Council, Appendix to Journal of House of Representatives, Gazettes, and sundry Parliamentary Papers. From Otago Government — Votes and Proceedings of the Provincial Council. Also, from Mr Crosbie — Liverpool Albion. From, Mr Bull— Chelmsford Chronicle. From Dr Turnbull — Ballarat Star. From Mr Cass — Saturday Review, and Public Opinion. From Publishers — Taranaki News, Southland Times, Otago Daily Times, Grey River Argus, Hokitika Leader, Timaru Herald, Times, and Press. You will observe in addition to books, several home newspapers have been regularly received from friends, generally a week or so after the arrival of the mails, and the committee desire to express their satisfaction at the receipt of these on account of the interest taken in them by many of the subscribers, who thereby see home district intelligence, which it would otherwise be out of the power of the committee to provide. Your committee has not thought it advisable to arrange another series of winter entertainments, owing to the change of the readingroom and the numerous other attractions of a similar nature in and around the city. The rooms upstairs are at present unoccupied, and it may probably be deemed advisable to use them as smoking and chess rooms, if tbe committee fail in letting them. The gross receipts for the year are £240 19s lOd ; expenditure, £229 15s 7d, leaving a balance in hand of £1 1 4s 3d, while the ascertained liabilities amount to £31 lss 4d. The particulars of receipts snd expenditure are: —

In conclusion, your committee consider that it would be for the benefit of the Institute if Rule 4, making it compulsory for all the committee to retire at the end of each

year, were amended, so that a proportion of the o'd members might always remain upon the new committee. " Chvbles Fraser, Chairman. A. C. Fyfe, Hon. Sec. Mr Fraser stated in explanation of the report, that there had been some falling off in the rents obtained from societies using the spare rooms in the building; and that" the change introduced in ordering their periodicals direct from London, had involved a preliminary outlay somewhat in excess of last year's account. But a considerable saving would thereby be effected in the future. The income from subscriptions, which were the real support of the Institute, had increased. And for the first time since the Institute had been formed, they had a thoroughly comfortable reading-room into which they need not be ashamed to introduce strangers. They were also gradually forming a valuable library of books of reference, which would be found very useful to members. On the motion of Mr Daymond, seconded by Mr Hawley, the report was adopted. The election of office-bearers for the ensuing twelve months succeeded, and the result was as follows : — President, Rev. C. Fraser ; Vice-Presidents, Mr G. Gould and Dr Prins; Treasurer, Mr J. Thomson ; Librarian, the Rev. Canon . Cotterill ; Hon. Secretary, Mr A. C. Fyfe. Committee' — Messrs J. A. Bird, W. Black, R. P. Crosbie, F. Jones, A. Martin, W. Pratt, and Dr Powell. On the motion of Mr E. B. Bishop, a vote of thanks was recorded to the retiring officers, and a similar compliment to the chairman, terminated the proceedings.

'RECEIPTS. Balance July Ist, 1869 £25 9 2 Year ending 30th June — subscriptions 145 16 0 Entertainments 29 7 I Lectures 10 0 Rents 33 11 0 Fines 4 5 4 Sundries .. : 1 11 3 JE24O 19 10 EXPENDITURE. Coals and keroßene £18 15 6 Furniture 15 13 0 Repairs ... 12 2 9 Newspapers and periodicals ... 63 13 9 Books 9 2 6 Insurance 7 10 0 Interest aad commission ... ... 310 6 Advertising, printing, and stationery 19 10 8 Clerk's salary ... 75 0 0 Petty expenses ... 416 11 Balance 11 4 3 £240 19 10 LIBRARY ACCOUNT — BECEIPTS. Cash from Literary Society ... £28 8 8 EXPENDITURE. By books purchased 16 15 6 Balance £11 13 2