PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 101 



of miners. This meaus that homes are isolated and self-depeudeut. Our winters 

 forbid the carrying on of farm operations during three months of the year, and 

 the farmer is necessarily driven into his home for much of this time. Would it 

 not be profitable to teach him in his hours of leisure? We have insisted that 

 the children should be educated, and have at great expense planted schools 

 in every portion of the land. Have we no responsibility beyond that? Does 

 education cease with learning the three " R's " or does it not then begin? 

 If so, are we to employ teachers to follow to their homes the young people 

 and there carry on the work we have begun ? and what better teachers can we 

 give them tluin good books? Let them be interesting, well chosen, and they will 

 be read. Once establish the reading habit, even in one member of the house- 

 hold, and you work a revolution in the daily thoughts and daily practice of 

 every member. 



Little money is required to start a movement for supplying this want, 

 but much careful organization. Solitary examples of those who see the want 

 and are making efforts to meet it, are already to be found in difterent parts 

 of the Province, and whether it be to provide printed matter to awaken interest 

 in, or stir the imagination of the members of a lumber or mining camp, or to 

 give to the boys and girls in the solitary log liouse, some faint idea of the 

 wonders of the world beyond the surrounding circle of woods, all praise should 

 be given for their efforts, however humble. And their example should stimulate 

 us who enjoy so much, to use our influence and experience to systematically 

 carrying out the work they have attempted. 



It is probably a dream, which ought to have no place in a building set 

 apart for pure science, but I could look forward to a time Avhen the student 

 in the city or country, would be able to put his hands speedily on the 

 records of the experience of otlaer students, whether of time past or present, on 

 every branch of human knowledge ; when every village or town in the Province 

 Avould look to their public library as their greatest treasure ; when in every 

 collection of homes, there would be found those who regularly gathered together 

 for consecutive and careful study of great thinkers, obtaining all the necessary 

 literature required for his elucidation, from some central library, and when every 

 household throughout the length and breadth of the province, would look 

 forward with pleasure to the day which brought the weekly or monthly 

 package of books from the great library. Then indeed, would the Northland 

 be more famous for its learning than for the extent of its domain. 



In addressing you upon the shortcoinings and deficiencies of our library, 

 I have been led to speak of the wants of our country in the same direction. My 

 predecessor in this chair, upon a similar occasion, forcibly presented the claims 

 of public museums, as scientific aids and popular educators. He recognized, 

 as I have done, the influence which this Institute wields both corporately and 

 individually, and I have no doubt felt as I do, that that influence will be 

 exerted to awaken the citizens of the Province and of the Dominion, to the value 

 of these libraries and museums, and that the result will be, to add to the 

 number of public l^enefits which the members of the Canadian Institute have 

 been privileged to confer upon their fellow citizens. 



