Public Library Committee.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5022, 7 June 1884, Page 3

Public Library Committee.

LEGISLATIVE ACTION.. A meeting of the Public Library Committee -was hold yesterday afternoon ; present — His Worship the Mayor (in the chair), and Messi's H. Thomson, W. H. Wynn-Willianis, W. E. Mitchell, F. Jones, T. I. Joynt, W. VincenJ, C. Kiver, W. Hosking, J. Gapes, Crooks, Bowman, Teinpler, Reese, Guinness, and J. P. Jameson. The Chairman eaid the meeting had been called for the purpose of receiving the answer of the Board of Governors to the scheme submitted at the conference. He would like to. say that the City Council, in order to lose no time, had handed to the Representatives a Bill providing for 'the management of the Public Librai-y being in the hands of a more popularly elected Board than the present College Board. He had received a notification from Mr Holmes, who had charge of the Bill, that that gentlenihn would bring in the Bill this session if possible. • The Town Clerk read the answer from the Board of Governors, as follows : — " 1. That the Board considers, in the event of the library being assumed by some other body the remission of the balance now at the debit of the library may fairly be considered. 2. That the Board cannot admit that the library is entitled to one-third or any specific amount of the proportion of the endowment for the School of Technical Science or other educational purposes. 3. The Board is not prepared to • promote legislation with a view to transfer its trust to such a body as that suggested by the Committee. 3 ' His Worship said that in effect the Board of Governors consented to nothing, and affairs were just in the same position as when the Committee started. He had replied to the College Governors that the answer would be laid before the Committee. Mr Vincent would like to move a resolution. When the sub-Committee found at tho conference that the Board were not prepared to accede to any of the requests made, they thought further action should be taken, and he had asked one of the members of Parliament to take charge of the Bill. He (Mr Vincent) would ask tho meeting to pass a resolution approving of the action he had taken as a member of the Committee and of the City Council. Mr Thomson thought the first thing would be to pass a resolution to the effect that the reply of the Board of Governors was very unsatisfactory. Mr Joynt, as one of the deputation, expressed his great disappointment at the result of the Conference. Against what now appeared the better judgment of other members, he had given the Board of Governors credit for candour. He had considered that they had agreed to recognise the Public Library as entitled to a share of tho endowment, when they agreed to tho conference. He would move — "That this Committee have heard with a considerable amount of disappointment and regret the conclusion that the Board of ■Governors have come to, and al9o feel that the reply of the Board of Governors renders it imperatively necessary, in the interests of the public, that action should be taken, either in Parliament or by law, for the recognition of the rights of the public." He feared that a mistake had been made in allowing the Governora to think that the Committee were alarmed at the prospect of the endowments being brought before Parliament. Ho did not think Parliament would confiscate tho endowments simply because an equitable adjustment was sought to be. made. He suggested that a Bill should be introduced for sharing the endowments equitably between the three institutions concerned. He would therefore supplement his first resolution with one to the effect " That a Bill be submitted to Parliament having thi3 last object in view." Mr Wynn-Williams seconded the motionHe had drafted a Bill in the direction indicated by Mr Joynt, and would ask the meeting to accept it and to entrust it to Mr Henry Thomson for introduction into Parliament. He read the Bill. The speaker concluded by recommending that a public meeting should be called in order to obtain ■& guarantee of the sanction of the ratepayers to the action of the City Council. Mr Thomson suggested that Mr Joynt's resolution should be divided into two parts, as it involved more than one question. Mr Gapes thought if the first part were agreed to now, the remainder should be remitted to a public meeting. Several members thought the Committee should pass the second part of the resolution, and get the public meeting to endorse the action now taken. Mr Guinness could not understand how a«y money could be due to the Board of Governors from the Library. If the Board had no right to distribute the funds other thsua equitably, they could have rw right for compensation. Mr Jones thought the conference as barren an affair as he had ever known. The Board of Governors appeared to have invited the conference simply for the purpose of saying " No" to every proposition. They had certainly cons anted to remit the amount overspent, but now ap])earcd to have gone b&ck upon that consent. There ! was no other course but to appeal to the people. Mr Joynt submitted his resolution in , two <Ji*tinct paragraphs, as follows : — "(1.) I That this Committee have heard with dis- '

I appointm nt and regret the reply of the Board of Governors to the proposals submitted to that body by this Committee, having for their object the maintenance and management of the Public Library at Christchurch." " (2) That the. reply of the Board of Governors renders it imperatively necessaiy, in the interests of the public, that a Bill should be introduced into Parliament during the present session, if practicable, having for its object the allocation of the endowments vested in' the Canterbury College for the benefit of the Museum, Public Library, and School of Technical Science, so that each of these institutions Bhall have an equitable share of those endowments set apart for its benefit, and also providing for the handing over of the control and management of the Public Library to a governing body other than the Board of Governors of Canterbury College." The first paragraph wa3 carried unanimously. On the second paragraph being put. some discussion ensued, the feeling being very general that it was essential that the management of the Libraiy should be removed from the Board of Governors. The paragraph was eventually agreed to. ' Mr J. P. Jameson moved — "That His Worship be asked to take early steps to have a public meeting called." Mr Guinness seconded the motion. Mr H. Thomson feared that this would cause delay. The motion was agreed to. Mr Reese moved — "That Messrs Williams and Joynt be entrusted with-'the drafting of a Bill in accordance with the principles involved in the second resolution moved by Mr Joynt." Mr Jameson seconded the motion, -which was agreed to. After discussing some other matters, the meeting closed.