XXIX

E.—l

Public Libraries Subsidy. The sum of £6,000 voted for public libraries has been distributed in accordance with the resolution of the House of Representatives. Immediately after the prorogation of the General Assembly last year, a public notice was issued intimating the principles upon which the distribution of the vote would be made, and invitingapplications from the managers of public libraries. A separate paper (E.-9) contains a list, arranged according to the education districts, of all the libraries that participated in the grant, with their several incomes, and the amounts paid to them respectively. The following is a summary of the distribution of the vote in. the different education districts : —

TABLE W.—Distribution of Public Library Vote.

The whole of tlie vote of £6,000 was apportioned in the first instance, but it was afterwards ascertained (1) that there were two applications from the same library, and (2) that part of the amount returned as income by a library committee was balance of cash from the previous year. The deductions made in these cases represent the difference (£7 ss. 6d.) between the vote and the amount shown as having been distributed. The amount of correspondence involved delayed the payment of some of the subsidies beyond the end of the financial year. The total sum charged against the vote is £9,532 13s. 7d., leaving a liability of £60 os. lid. to be provided for in the appropriations for the current year.

v—E. 1.

Education Districts. Number of Libraries. Income of Libraries. Amount of Subsidy. Auckland ... Taranalci Wanganui Wellington ... ... Hawlie's Bay ... Marlborough ... Nelson North Canterbury South Canterbury Westland Otago Southland 91 6 8 17 21 4 26 71 9 15 59 27 £ s. d. 2,359 1 1 106 2 11 829 5 1 1,711 17 6 1,299 12 2 190 6 0 645 7 7 2,355 17 4 603 19 5 715 4 10 2,228 18 11 1,000 5 2 £ s. d. 1,212 15 9 67 0 11 269 7 5 559 8 2 477 11 2 75 19 6 339 1 3 1,081 4 4 216 19 5 285 7 2 969 10 3 438 9 2 Totals ... 354 14,045 18 0 5,992 14 6