10
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.
THURSDAY,
JANUARY 7,
1937.
Signposts to PROGRESS
T
When Will the
Book-Worms TURN?
HE book which I took down reverently from the public library shelf was one of the "Er-yes- I-have-heard-of-it" kind.
Reverently, because when I had reviewed it, I had felt that I was writing not so much a review na an epitaph, that fostend, of "Every-" body ought to read this book," it should have been. "Here lies an excellent work which died because there were not enough intelligent neople to keep it alive."
Now. looked at the slip which keeps a tally of the number of de- manda. To say that I was sur- prised is to put it mildly; I was flabbergasted.
It had been, as the librarian said, "round the hottses," from the bus-driver to the bricklayer, from the furnace-man to the city clerk, from the draughtsman to the machine-minder, from one to the other, week after week, month after month, in construi demand.
I spent the rest of the morning. In that library at Darenham, doing what every author should do to replenish his courage and every reviewer to strengthen his judg ment.
�
I examined the slips of books on scleńce, philo- sophy, psychology, rell- glon, economien, social problems, politics, mechanies, applied physics and craftsmen's books.
Every kind which would pro- vide an index of the inquiring intelligence, the cultural quest, and the upward thrust of a com- munity. Yes, even modern poetry, the little orphan Annie of present-day literature, was in de-
mand.
Of this demand for non-fiction lerniure, economies and social problema probably bulked largest. but even more illuminaling was the demand for highly specialised books.
"We And," Mr. John G. O'Leary, the chief Abrarian, told me, "that a worker, spending his days in a Beint-skilled routine job-nilnding a machine for example-will ask for a specialised book dealing with the whole theory of the internal combustion engine to which lie may be contributing just a screw or a bolt..
"For instance, we lind a request for a book on blast furnace practice, highly technical and scientifc. It costs ten guinens, so we bor- rowed it. Then others started to clamour, for it. We bought_It_and_ stocked it. It was in constant de- mand. Now we have to have four volumes."
District Railway motormen will study the latest works on electric traction.
Why pick on Dagenhain? I might, in writing of libraries, have chosen Glasgow, which has the biggest
WISDOM
library area. Or Cardin, where every man, woman and child "owns
two books in the pubile ibrary, In the sense that there are more books per head of popula- tion, and more books borrowed than in any other cily in Britain.
Or Bradford, which is "runner- up for the title of the best-read city.
Or Liverpool, which Issues 0,841,000 books a year.
hns, Or Birmingham, which numerically, the biggest municipal library bonks.
in the country-925,000
Or Leeds, where, in the service of industry, all the German patent specifications are kept, and every- thing, in any language, on the wool-trade, is filed for reference.
Or Sheffield, where, through the public library, the Industrial con- cerns lend each other books.
Or, for that matter, Middle Clay- don, in Buckinghamshire, which, with a population of 100, of whom
30 are registered borrowers, pos sesses 3,380 books.
I could, in fact, have chosen as examples to be followed, or in scores of cases, to be avoided, any one of the 518 local authorities which possess public libraries.
But I picked upon Dagenham be- cause of its exceptional circum- stances, and to show what a really enlightened authority СДП do under the greatest dimeulties.
Consider the circum- stances: Fifteen years ago Dagenham was a rural community with 9,000 popu- lation. To-day It is an unchartered city with a population of 105,000. London had suddenly opened its doors and poured into Essex its pent-up population. The L.C.C. had bulit Becontree, the biggest housing enterprise in the world.
Dagenham, with no one who had had any experience of locul goy- ernment. had to create a council
THE TAIKOO DOCKYARD & ENGINEERING COMPANY
OF HONGKONG, LIMITED.
BUILDERS OF ALL CLASSES OF SHIPS.
BUILDERS OF RECIPROCATING STEAM ENGINES. BUILDERS OF MARINE AND LAND BOILERS. -BUILDERS OF TURBINE MACHINERY
Undor Licence From Messrs. Parsons.
BUILDERS OF DIESEL ENGINES
...Under Special Licence From Messrs. Sulzer Bros.,
Winterthur.
Licensed To Manufacture Lanz Perlit Iron, Specially Suitable
For Internal Combustion Engine Working Parts.
DOCK & SLIPWAYS
FOR DOCKING VERY LARGE, AS WELL AS SMALLER VESSELS,
ON ANY TIDE.
ALL CLASSES OF SHIP, ENGINE AND BOILER
REPAIRS
AND EXTENSIVE WELDING, BOTH, ELECTRICAL AND
OXY-ACETYLENE, SKILFULLY AND PROMPTLY CARRIED OUT.
Tal, Address "Talkoodock". Hongkong,
Telephone No., 30211.9.
Call Flag: "Numeral One" over Pennant Ant."
BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE, Agents HONGKONG, CHINA & JAPAN
by
Ritchie
CALDER
HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI
BANKING CORPORATION,
Authorised Capital campion
Inated and Fally Fald-up...
Reserva Fand
$50,000,000 20,000,000
Sterling... £.1,800,000 Hongkong Currency Reserve $10,000,000 Reserve Liability of Proprietors $20,000,000
READ OFFICE:-HONGKONG.
HOARD OF DIRECTORS.
Tan, Mr. J. J. Paterson, Chairman.
0, lakin, East....
Deputy Chairman.
q
AU, Comptes, F., R. 8. Morrison, Esa. Hon. Mr. R. H. Dodwell, T. E. Pearce, Hon. Mr. M. T. Johnson, A, 1, Shielda, Es
J. i
NAOY
Mouros, Est,
L-NGKOK
BATAVIA
BOMHAY
V. M. GRAYBURN E... CHIEF MANAGER.
CALCUTTA
CANTON CHETOO
COLONHO GAIREN FODCHOW HAMPTONG FAMUDRO HANKOW HARRIN HONGKEW
theore
Iow
which would provide all compulsory services, on a rateable value.
Industries came, but derating had turned them from a poten- tial asset into a heavy liability,
• They demanded services, such as drainage. They brought in more and more people.
In that nightmare of local government, a library could ex- cusably have been forgotten. For a library is a voluntary ser- vice which no local authority need undertake-if it has not got a conscience.
Conalder now what happened. In 1930. they decided to create a ibrary.
Even to-day the penny rate yields barely £2,000, and those pennies arc sorely needed for services which the Acts of Par- ilament com- pel them to provide.
iron JOHORE KUDE
KOWLOON
DRANCHES :—
RUALA LUMPUR
LANDON
LYONS
MALACCA
MANILA
MUAIL (JOHORE)
MUKDEN
NEW YORK
PEIFING
PENANG
ILANGOON
SAICON
BAN FRANCISCO
SHANGHAI
SINGAPORE
SOURA HAYA
SUNGEI PATANI
TIENTSIN
TOKYO
TSINGTAO
YOKUHAMA
Current Accounts opened in Local Currency nod Fixed Deposita received for one year of alertar perils
Currency and sterling on terms which will be quoted on application.
ALSU up to date HAFE DEPOSIT BOXES In various #2 TO LET.
· Itongkong. Let November, 1930.
HONGKONG SAVINGS BANK.
The Hueen of the aberre Bank is com Aucted by the Hangkang and Shanghat Hanh Ing Corporation. Hulew may be obtained on application,
FOR THE HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI BANKING CORPORATION
Y. M. GRAYBURN.
klet MTAKT. Hongkong, 24th February 1936,
THE CHARTERED BANK OF INDIA, AUSTRALIA & CHINA.
Incorporated by Itoral Charter 1863, Paid-up Capital
£3.000,004 Reserve Idality of Peopvietors... 4,000,00 Iwerve Fund
£3,000,000
ALOR BTAR AMRITSAR
AGENCIES AND BRANCHES –
11.0110
BAIGON
SEMARANG
KARACHI
BERIMBAN
BHANGHAI
SITIAWAN
SINGAPORE
HATAVIA
Yet in the interest of BANGKOK culture, en- BONDAY lightenment, CALCUTTA fruitful
lel- CANTON
CAWNPORE sure and CEBU community COLOMBO
DELIK service HAIPHONG
KLANU
KOBE KUALA
LUMPUR
KUCHING MADILAS
SOURABAYA TAILING TIENTSIN
TONGKAH
(Bhuket)
MANILA
MEDAN
NEW YORK
THINGTAD
PEIPING
(knx)
PENANG
Dagenham 14 HAMUURO
to BANKOW
HARDIN 54d. HONGKONG RANGOON
the
prepared lovy rate highest in Britain-for its libraries. Compare that with Westminster, the wealthiest of all local authori-
YOKOHAMA ZAMBOANGA
Forelan Exchange and General Bank
transacted.
Current Aceminta opened and Fixed De posits received for one year or shorter perļoda at rate which will be quoted on application The Bank's Head Office in London ünder
ties, where the penny rate brings intake Exrector & Trusses business and claimi
£40,000, and the library levy is id.
In six years nearly 80,000 books have been provided.
Over 90 per cent. of the popula- tion is under 40 years of age. Barely one per cent, of the profes- alonal class. The rest are working class with an elementary school education.
More than a quarter of the whole population visits the library on an average once a week.
every of Irish Income Tax overpaid, os Arm which may be ascertained at any of ila Agencies & Branches.
THE YOKOHAMA SPECIE
BANK, LIMITED.
Capital (fully-paid-up) ........ 3.200.000.000 Reserve Mind................ Y.180,000,000 HEAD OFFICE:—YOKOHAMA, Branches and Ageselsant
Rio de
Alexandria Bangkok Batavia Berlin
Bombay
Calcutta
Canton
Dairen (Dainy) Nagasaki
Semarang Shanghal
Singapore
Sourabaya
Honking
Karachi
Janeiro
Kube
San Francisco
London Lee Angeles
Beattie
Manila Moji
(Mukden) New York
Nagara-
Danka
Telngtao
Hankow Markin lianalatu Hongkong
Daru
Tukyo
Yingkow
New libraries are going up, and the committee and Mr. O'Leary arc showing their usual enlightenment. The latest is being built-in`n`gar-Frostin don, where the people can sit and Hamburg read in quiet and comfort.
the brary Study circles use rooms for meetings. A children's corner is provided, where the tod- diers listen to stories and are en- A new couraged to tell them, generation of authors is being nurtured here.
Through the link with the Na- tional Central Library and the County Libraries Scheme almost any book on any subject can be obtained.
In this country there are 30,775,800 books in the public libraries. Nearly 200,000,000 are issued to *7,000,000 borrowers every year, and the annual expenditure is £2,440,000. That represents 15. 10. per head. In Manchester ("what Manchester says to-day, etc.") it 1s 2s. 100. Those figures may seem impressive, but they only serve to curtain the shortcomings of hun- dreds of local authorities.
I know a local councillor (and you all know his type) who boasts that he has not read a book since he left school and who opposes the whole idea of public libraries be- cause "books give people ideas above themselves."
Which is exactly why we should insist upon them.
THE
Patla
Peping
Ranyoun
Hrdavy. Tientulo
Intervet allowed on Current. Accountsa. Deposita-received for fixed perioda at rates.
to be obtained un application.
Y. KANO.
anulong, 18th November, 1030.
bluntzer.
CORRESPONDENCE
University Committed (1937): Suggestions
To the Editor,
Invited
Hongkong Telegraph-- Sir,The publle is invited to sub- mit in writing to the undersigned any suggestions or proposals bearing upon the following terms of refer-
ence:
(1) To investigate the present, and probable future, financial position of the Hongkong University and to ad- vise whether any changes are desir- able in lis staffing, personnel, salary scales or organization;
(ii) To enquire and advise whe- ther any such, or other, changes are. desirable in the interest of its utility or prestige;
(Ill) To lender any other advice or suggestions for the future of the University.
J. H. B. LEÉ,
Secretary,
Colonial Secretary's Offive.
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16
17
18
120
ACROSS
1 Direction to irritate the directors familiar to the electrician (hyphen, G and 5).
7 Fancy this being a source of
disease.
8 Seems to suggest the person to deal, and what to do, with a re- fractory colt.
10 Sometimes goes with a swing.
11 Give information It's first class. 12 Some hay. 15 Who stands if freedom fali? Who dies if - Ilve?" (Kipling). 16 Might be in there or therein or
might be this.
17 The housemaid knows all about the row about the bust bust.
20 An "As You Like It" character
fills most of this foreign town. 22 This mist is always getting the
wind up.
23 After a round it's a fair sight 24 After ten they are in residence. 27 For refractory locks (hyphen,
4 and 3).
28 Dieting (anag.),
20 Is this related to housemaid's. knee? Oh, nol It's strategy, you see.
DOWN ..
1 Don't Imagine there's only one
M.S. "PEIPING"
6th Feb.
M.S. "NAGARA”
.6th March
Shanghai, Yokohama, Kobo and Osaka.
.15th Jan.
M.Y. "DELHI”
20th Feb.
Passenger Rates:
Hong Kong to Mediterrançan Hong Kong to Antwerp
£47 $54
3 Exonerated,
-4 The plich stung-you-fellows?........
Agents:
GILMAN & CO., LTD.
G. E. HUYGEN
5 First person.
@ Welsh town.
Hongkong...
Canton.
Count the TELEGRAPHS" everywhere A
key to this shanty (two words, 3 and 4).
2 A girl I have in my eye.
7 A time-saving toss-up
words, 6 and 5). Sold again obviously.
13 Quadrupeds.
(two
14 Go out to sea like a famous
ploughman!
18 Thus a monarch very wet. 10 Real bun (anag.).
20 Decisive.
21 I there really were such a train it would be had for the old buffers that don't- travel in it.
25 This pipe is not for the mouths
of smokers,
20 Not a long island, surėlyt
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