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157
REPORT OF THE
Commissioners for Public Libraries
AND MUSEUMS,
For the year ending 25th March, 1900.
The Public Library Commissioners, in submitting the report of
the first year's working of the Public Library, think it desirable to
preface the statistics and financial statements with a brief review of
the history of the public library movement in the Parish, together
with extracts from the reports already presented by the Commissioners
to the Vestry.
In August, 1895, a letter appeared in the Daily Chronicle, from
Mr. Passmore Edwards, offering £5,000 for a building suitable for a
public library, on the conditions that the Parish adopted the Public
Libraries Acts, and acquired a site under favourable conditions.
Universal pleasure was expressed, both privately and publicly, at this
generous offer, and an organization was established for testing the
feelings of the parishioners. On the 24th March, 1896, a poll of the
Parish was taken, and the Public Libraries Acts adopted by a
majority of 1814.
The first Commission was composed as follows:—
Miss A. E. Busk, Mr. T. Emary, Rev. T. G. Gardiner, M. A.,
Mr. T. Haynes, J.P., Mr. A. Hawkins, Mr. T. Hunter, L.C.C.,
Mr. E. W. Knight, Mr. J. Pascall, and Mr. G. Pocock.
The Commissioners held their first meeting on April loth, 1896,
and elected Rev, T. G. Gardiner, Chairman, and Mr. J. A. Johnson
(Vestry Clerk), as Clerk.
In the report of the Commissioners to the Vestry for the year
ending 25th March, 1898, the Commissioners reported as follows:—