WAIRARAPA INSTITUTE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 222, 26 July 1879, Page 2

WAIRARAPA INSTITUTE.

The annual meeting of the members of the Wairarapa Institute was held on Thursday last, 'and was but poorly attended. Mr Barnard on being voted to the chair, called on the Socretary to read the minutes of the last annual meeting, after which the following report and balance sheet was read for the past year. REPORT. In presenting to the yearly meeting of the members, the eighth annualjreportand balance sheet your Committee have the pleasure to state that the affairs of the Institute are in a most satisfactory stats. Twelve meetings of tho Committee have been held during the year and were well attended, The Hon. G. M. Waterhouse has again kindly presgnted the Institute with a donation of £46/13/4, for the purchase of books of permanent value with a wish that R. Wakelin, Esq, would assist in the selection. The order for the same was s»nt Home some seven months ago, and may be shortly expected, About 1000 volumes have been added to the Library during th» past year, and a parcel of over 300 more are on the way. There is how in the Library irreipective

of those ordered about 2000 volumes, a catalogue of which has beon prepared and is being printed. The thanks of the Committee are duo to Mr. Skeet, for several improvements and additions he has made to the premises as well as for a donation of 15 volumes of various works. The present number of subscribers is 132, three or four of whom only are in arrears. The sum of £44 has been spent in painting the building, &c., which is now in a thorough state of repair and well furnished. Although your Committee have not found it, f, x P e 'Vv nt kf'ig the Institute under the Public Libraries Act," they have discussed the matter thoroughly and decided that the matters be left to the consideration of the members at the general meeting- _ Your Committee have to report fc|i a since this balance sheet has the Education Board has forwarded a grant for £59 8s 7d. Ml' Rush in moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, was glad to notice that the Committee had met so often and that the meetings had been well attended, but he had heard that one member of the Committee had not attended a single meeting and he thought it shoujld have been taken notice of. On the Chairman askine Mr Rush for the gentlennns name he said he would rather not mention names as it was a reflection on the whole of the Committee. Mr Baillie begged to second the motion that the balance sheet and report as read be adopted and at the samo time thought that he knew who Mr Rush meant, and that no reflection on the Committee whatever, was intended but he thought that the absence of a member of Committee should be taken notice of, Mr Bock thought there was a rule that any member absenting himself for 3 meetings of the Committee was struck of the lilt.

It was explained that that rule only applisd when the meetings had been (held quarterly. The adoption of the report and balance sheet was then put to the meeting and carried. The election of officers and Committm was then proceeded with. Mr Skeet proposed and Mr Wood reseconded that the Hon. G. M, Waterhouse bo president—Carried, Mr Wood proposed and Mr Baillia seconded that Sir Webster be lion Secretary and Treasurer. Carried. The following Committee were then elected: Messrs Baillis, Bock, Brooks, Haines, Kimberly, Porritt, gka&t, Thomas, Stenhouse, and Wood. . Mr Wood propesed, aijd Mr Webitcr seconded, that Messrs G. Wyett and Bell be appointed Auditors for the ensuing year.—Carried. Mr Skeet wished to bring under the notice of the Commiitee, tne desirability of asking the Borough Council to refund th® rates, as the Institute was an educational establishment. Mr Wood agreed with Mr Skeet, and thought that the suggestiou was a good one and ought to be considered by tin Committee,

Mr Bock thought that application should be made to the River Board as he did not think the Borough Council could abate the river rites,

Mr Rush thought that, looking at the respective positions of the Borough and the Institute with regard to money matters, that they would stand a poor chance of getting the refund. Mr Rush wished to make a suggestion to the Committee with regard to the classifying of books. He thought that if theywere classified it would be a great improve- ® ment. i H Mr Skget explained that this had done since the shelves had been altered. Mr Rush moved, and Mr Wood seconded, a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer, and Committee. —carried. Mr Wood moved a vote of thanks to Mr Barnard, as chairman. He thought that the Committee owed Mr Barnard a debt of gratitude for the interest he had taken in tho Institute.

Mr Barnard in returning thanks, statod that he was sorry that he could not again stand in the Committee, but the distance was so great that he really found he could not do it; but not being in the committte would not lessen his interest in the Institute. COMMITTEE MEETING. The Committee held the meeting immediately after the general meeting. Present-Messrs Baillie (in the chair), Skeet, Bock, Wood, and Stenhouse, The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Mr Skeet proposed, and Mr Wood seconded, that Mr Haines be Chairman of Committee. The following acconnts were passed for payment Messrs Holliday & co,, ... £3 lie 9d, Our First Century, 1 ig o. It was resolved on the motion of Mr v Webster, siconded by Mr Stenhouse, that Messrs Bock and Wood be members of the Book Committer It was resolved on the motion of Mr Skeet, seconded by Mr Wood, that tho Secretary be instructed to writejto the Borough Council and River Board, asking them to refund the rates, the Institute beiug an educational establishment. It was resolved 011 the motion of Mr Stenhouse, seconded by Mr Wood, that th» committee meet on every third Tuesday in the month.