THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9305, 4 August 1908, Page 1

THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

♦ CITY COUNCIL INDIGNANT. REQUIRES FURTHER INFORMATION. I The proposal that the control of the Public Library should be taken over by the City Council from the Board of Governors of Canterbury College was again before the Council last evening, when a letter was read from the Registrar of Canterbury College stating that the Board was not prepared to negotiate with the Council for the transfer of the library except on the basis of the acceptance of clause 6 of the chairman's letter of July 17. The chairman did not think that any useful purpose would be served by forwarding | information regarding endowments. Particulars of the Gammack and Postle bequests were enclosed. A letter was read from the Mayor (Mr C. Allison), stating that • before applying to the Board of Governors for the papers relating to the endowments, which had not been forthcoming, he had searched all the ordinances and statutes that he could find beaming on the question, and they failed 1» bear out the statements of members' of tue Board that the library endowed was not a public library. He, quoted statutes, which, he said, showed conclusively that the library referred to was a public library. The inference was very strong that it waa'contemplated to make the Literary /.Institute the public library the College was authorised and endowed to aostablish, and the College trustees havnig never attempted to establish any oth^r public library, it must be admitted Jsjbat the present Public Library Avas tiie one established and endowed. ,uf any doubt of this ever existed it $ad been dispelled by the refusal of the Ijoard to even consider th© question of transferring the library, with iti£ trusts, to the Council unless i^ withdrew its proposal to a judge of the Supreme Cfciurt ari bitrate on. the question whether the library was entitled to a sharp of the endowment. When the Board inter- ; viewed the Council the revenue from the Gammack trust was aboujt £400, and it was admitted that th^ income ! would be eventually from £800 to £900, and, he was informed," even niore. ff further time were given to investigate it would be found that the- library was entitled to an even larger share of the endowment than it had received. The Council would be doing an injustice to the ratepayers if it ejected to take over, the library without testing the right of the library to a share of the endowment. Councillor Sorensen's motion should be held over until further inquiries should 'be made. No injury could result from a postponement, as the Board must maintain the library,' and further research would probably disclose that it was sufficiently endowed to prevent the necessity ol taxing the ratepayers for its maintenance. Councillor Sorensen moved — " Thai the Board of Governors of Canterbury College be informed that the Council is prepared to take over the Public I Library, including tne land,; buildings,

books, papers and periodicals, the Gammack and Postle bequests, and all other cash assets or credits relating to the said library, subject to the mortgage of £4000 and the debit balance on the Public Library maintenance account." Ho said that the first proposal to contribute £300 did not meet with his approval, for it was not likely to increase the efficiency of the library, but would simply mean that the Board would contribute £300 less. It was more than questionable whether the Council had any possible right _to a share of the endowment, notwithstanding that it might be argued that the Board had created a precedent by paying out of it since the time when, it took over the Mechanics' Institute. The Board had work to do for which it had not sufficient money, and practically it proposed to starve the library. He did not in any way propose that the Council should pay. any money in making the exchange, but he thought that an effort should be made to secure the control of the library to the city. Councillor Gapes said that he saw no reason why the Council should take over the library, and he considered that the Board should provide the Council with all the information it had. if it wanted to be quite fair in the matter. Councillor Sorensen said that after hearing the correspondence, he would be glad to withdraw his motion, pending the receipt of further information. The Deputy-Mayor said he agreed with Councillor Sorensen, and was even in favour of a resolution asking the City solicitor to apply to the Board for permission to go into the whole history of the College endowments. The Board dare not refuse. Permission havjng been granted Councillor Sorensen to withdraw his motion, Councillor Hall said that it would be appropriate to consider the la6t letter received from the chairman, in which he stated that in his opinion no good purpose would be served in giving the information asked for. He moved — " That this Council does not see its way to negotiate further in the matter unless the information asked for is supplied." It was not fair, he said, for the Board to say, "Wo are not going to discuss endowments because we are not going to give you any." TheCoun- j cil was not in a position to make any agreement that it would not as far as lay in its power give up any claim to those endowments > and it could not do so until it knew what its claim was. The Board's solicitor some time ago had advised that it was entirely in the dis-" cretion of the Board as to what it gave from the endowments for the library, but it was a matter that was open to argument, and it probably would not be settled without resort to litigation. If the Council was advised that it was entitled to any share of the endowments he did not see that it had any right to give up that right. If the Council was advised that there was considerable doubt as to whether the city was entitled to a share, the Council could reply that it did not think it had any reasonable right, and would be prepared to do practically what Councillor Sorensen's motion indicated. Councillor Hall's motion was seconded by the Deputy-Mayor, and carried.