LAWRENCE ATHENAEUM AND MINING INSTITUTE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XX, Issue 1428, 11 February 1888, Page 4

LAWRENCE ATHENAEUM AND MINING INSTITUTE.

A special meeting of the Committee of the above institute was held on Wednesday evening for the purpose of considering the annual report. Present— Messrs J. C. Brown (President), Stenhouse, Abel, Woods, Harrop, Copland, Finlayson, Crooke, Byrne, and Edgar - ANNUAL KEPORT. The sub-committee (Messrs Finlay3on and Byrne) submitted tha annual report, some of the olauses of which were con sidered at length and amended. The amended report is as follows :—: —

Your Committee have much pleasure in submitting the annual report and balance-sheet for your approval. The institution, during the year, while continuing to be of much service to the community, has not, your Committee regrets to say, been able to make any advance in the number of subscribers. The membership roll for the year shows a total number of 142 subscribers, consisting of 108 yearly, 24 halfyearly, and 10 youths, showing a decrease of 2 as compared with the previous year. The decrease occurs through the fulling off in the number of youthful subscribers. The balance-sheet shows that the year- commenced with a credit balance of £223 14s lid. The total receipts for the year equalled £843 13s lOd, whilst the expenditure was £311 9s 3d, leaving a credit balance of £255 19s 6d. There are. also outstanding liabilities (including £110 due to W. G. Parsons) to the estimated amount of £168 7s. There is also a sum of £38 0s 6d due to the institution for rent and subscriptions in arrears. In consequence of the small fallintr off in the number of subscribers, there has been, a proportionate decrease in the number of books issued. Last year the total number issued equalled 5384, but this year the number has fallen to 5355. . The number of books issued has been as follows : —Arts and science, 39; biography, 125; fiction, 4579 ; law, political science, etc., 11 ; history, 148 ; miscellaneous and educational, 308; poetry, 50; travels and descriptive works, 95— total, 5355. During the year 113 volumes have been purchased. There have also been about 40 volumes repla ced. The total number of volumes in the institution is now 3905. There are also about 37 periodicals and 42 newspapers supplied. Agreeably to the wish of subscribers, as expressd at the last general meeting, the magazines and periodicals are now supplied locally, and to the satisfaction of your Committee. Duplicate copies fit " Good Words" and " Sunday Magazine" are now received, and the "Westminster Review " has been ordered.

The smoking and chess-room has been fairly well patronised during the year. Your Committee WOQ ia sngsest -tba-t the cheM-nx™ 1x» improved f also, that increased accommodation be supplied at the rear of the building. Last year 107 visitors signed their names in the visitors' book. This year 79 have done so. Ten regular and one special meetings were held during the year, the attendance being as follows : — Woods, 11 ; Byrne, 11 ; Stenhouse, 10 ; Finlayson, 10; Crooke, 8; Harrop, 8; M'Coy, 7; Abel, 7; Edgar, 5; Vigers, 3; Copland, 2. Two meetings lapsed, the attendance being as follows :— Harrop, 2; Finlayson, 2; Woods, s; Stenhouse, 1; Edgar, l.

Your Committee regret to record the death of Mr P. H. M'Coy, for many years a member of Committee, and an active promoter of the interests of the institution. Mr W. H. Tigers, a member of Committee, resigned during the year. The vacancies thus caused were filled by Messrs Copland and Edgar. Owing to the agricultural depression and other causes, your Committee considered it advisable to grant a temporary reduction to Messrs Henry and Phillips in the rent payable by them for the Dales Plat reserve.

Your Committee/recommends that every subscriber have an opportunity of recording his vote in the election of members of the Committee. J. C. Bbown, President.

Some spirited discussion took place on the last clause, dealing with the mode of election.

Mr Brown proposed that to give every subscriber an opportunity of recording his vote, instead of the members of committee being elected in the room, a circular should be sent to each, bearing the names of the candidates, and the voting paper made returnable on a certain day. There were about 120 subscribers entitled to vote, and, as they knew, the highest number of votes recorded at the last election was only 72 This system was in force some time ago and it worked remarkably well. Mr Byrne asked how long since the system of voting by circulars was in force. The Secretary replied that it must have been before his time.

Mr Brown produced a copy of the circular, which bore the date of 1869.

Mr Finlayson was also very anxious that every subscriber should have an opportunity of recording his vote ; but he thought the present way was as good as any other in that respect. There were fully 100 subscribers at the last annual meeting who voted. Under the present system there were double the number of votes polled at the Lawrence Athenaeum election than at the Dunedin Athenseum election.

Mr Stenhouse did not see that the proposed change would do any harm.

Mr Woods had no objection to offer to it. He would be in favour of giving it a trial.

Mr Copland was strongly in favour of a change. His experience of the present scheme was most unsatisfactory, as it had not been carried out fairly.

Mr Crooke did not see any necessity for an alteration in the system of voting. Everybody appeared thoroughly satisfied with the present arrangement.

Mr Abel had nothing to urge against the change.

Mr Byrne protested against the reintroduction of the circular system. There would be no secrecy about the voting. Under the present system every subscriber had an opportunity of attending and recording his vote ; and altogether it was the most expeditious and most Satisfactory. He had never heard any complaints.

Mr Edgar was in favour of every subscriber having an opportunity of recording .Ms vote, and had no objection to the subscribers at the annual meeting being asked to express their opinion on it. He did not believe, however, in the system being adopted at the coming election. He thought that the subscribers were perfeotly satisfied with the existing arrangement. He noticed that when a keen contest was expected remarkably few stayed at home.

Mr Harrop approved of the principle, but opposed its coming into operation at the next election.

On the motion being put, Messrs Brown, Abel, Stenhouse, Copland, and Woods voted for it ; and Messrs Finlayson, Crooke, Byrne, Edgar, and Harrop against it.

The President gave his casting vote in favour of the motion.

Mr Finlayson begged to enter his protest against the President's conduct in adopting the extraordinary course of giving ws casting vote with the "ayes." It was against all precedent to do so, and he objected to a motion being carried in this way. Mr Brown hoped Mr Finlayson would allow him to .know what he was doing. He admitted Mr Finlayson had precedent in his favour.

Mr Finlayson. only wanted Mr Brown to do what was right; Mr Copland thought Mr Ftnlayson had no right to question the Chairman's ruling.

Mr Byrne took grave exception to the coarse adopted by the President. It was an extraordinary thing to see a chairman of a meeting giving both his deliberative and casting votes in favour of his own motion.

Mr Edgar, while not opposing the principle of Mr Brown's motion, objected to the way in which it had been carried. The meeting then closed.