The Star. WEDNESDAY JULY 18, 1883.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4747, 18 July 1883, Page 2

The Star. WEDNESDAY JULY 18, 1883.

Wb are glad to see that the Board of Governors are going to do something for tho Publio Library. It is not muoh, it is tiue, but we do not expeot much from these gentlemen, so that we are not disappointed.

One thing they might do which would add to the usefulness of the Library, and not oost them a penny. There are several weekly publications taken in, such as the Field, tbe Graphic, Illustrated London News, Spectator, Saturday Review, Scientific Amerioan, kc, which, after lying for four weeks, in the read-ing-room, are carefully buried upstairs. The Librarian informs us that he is net allowed to issue them to subscribers. Sorr why not P In other Libraries they are issued after lying on the reading-room table. Many persons oannot afford to waste their time by going to the reading-room, and waiting while the gentlemen who are learning to spell, take their daily lesson out of the most interesting of the periodicals. To these the issue would be a great boon. Besides, ladies, whom it seems to be the especial mission of the Board to ignore and snub, would be able to obtain a look at these periodicals. Why should there be a different rule for the monthlies and the weeklies? And why, exoept for the sake of being old-faßhioned, should the Ohriatohurch Library be oonduoted differently (rom other libraries in the Oolony P The faot is that there is far too muoh old* fogeyiim in Ohristohuroh. We want some young blood in our governing bodies, to give them a little more spring and energy*

Thb etidbitok of a Maori witceei in If Bryce's favour, does not seem to us good for much. We are quite willing to accept Mr Bryce's denial of his complicity in the ■laughter of women aod children, but all tbat the Maori witness says is, that "some of the women and ohildron got away." But thie does not prove that others were not killed. Tn faot, the language of the latter part of the telegram would seem to imply that some were killed, for it states that "the women and ohildren were protected, as far as posiible, and some of them, such as our correspondent end his mother, got away snd rejoiued their frier-da." The italic* are ours. Now what about the others who did not get away and re-join their friends P We-o they killed, cr merely made prisoners P This telegram teems to require furthor explanation ; as it stands it appears to do Mr Bryce's oaie no good.