E.—l.

XXVIII

income of each library derived from subscriptions, donations, and rates, provided that the receipts for the year were not less than £2, and the vote was divided according to the amount thus augmented; but no library received credit for a larger income than £75 —that is, in no case did the augmented amount on which distribution was based exceed £100. In accordance with a Gazette notice of the 30th October, 1899, the day appointed for the distribution of the subsidy was Bth February, 1900, and the amount of the vote was divided among the 312 libraries from which applications, each accompanied by a statutory declaration on the proper form, had been received. The vote, as thus dealt with, afforded a subsidy of 4s. 7'25d. in the pound of the nominal income, and the subsidies ranged from £23 os. 7d. to £6 4s. sd. Some libraries supplied with the proper form failed to send in formal claims by the 31st January, 1900, the date fixed by the Gazette notice, and did not therefore participate in the vote. The number of libraries participating in the vote was 312, which shows an increase of twenty-seven over the number aided in the previous year. In order that the purpose intended to be served by the vote may be attained to as full a degree as possible, it would appear to be desirable in future that the whole of the subsidy granted to each library should be expended in the purchase of books, and in any year to withhold a subsidy from any library that fails to comply with this condition as to the manner of expending the previous year's subsidy. The following table shows the distribution according to education districts:—

Summary of Distribution of Public Libraries Subsidy.

Education Districts. Number of Income on which Amount nf Snhsidv Libraries. Subsidy is calculated. Amou ™ OI »u»siay. Aucklana Taranaki .. Wanganui Wellington Hawke's Bay .. Marlborough Nelson 72 9 17 17 25 3 23 10 57 15 45 19 £ s. a. 2,662 4 9 485 17 6 1,150 1 3 1,946 7 9 1,126 7 6 162 18 10 902 9 11 516 5 11 3,034 3 10 858 5 3 1,969 18 11 669 9 10 £ s. a. 596 0 8 98 14 11 221 10 2 205 17 5 256 0 11 37 10 6 207 17 8 118 18 2 510 15 4 168 16 5 414 4 2 154 3 8 9 10 0 Grey North Canterbury South Canterbury Otago.. .. Southiana Two special grants .. Totals 312 15,484 11 3 3,000 0 0