The annual roosting of subscriber:! to the Wellington Athcmoum and Mechanic.-.* Insti tute was held Tuesday evc-niugin the Athenamm Hill. The attendance was rather small. Mr George Allen, president, occupied the chair. The President in moving the adoption of the report, said lie had hoped that by the aid of the Government subsidy they would have been able to carry on ai well as in previous years, but they had started the year with such a aomll balance from* last year, thvt they had not oeeb able to comply with tho conditions under which that grant was made. Ho alluded to the advisability of adding ntiro names to the roll of membership, and thus aiding the institution generally. It was, ho said, to be regretted that more interest was not taken locally iu the institu tion. The committee, ■as a whole, hal given a large amount of attention to the business of the Institute. Taking everything into consideration, tho balanca sheet did not show a discouraging state of things, for they had for many years been struggling with a large debt. In conclusion, he eulogised the manner in which the librarian, Mr Hamilton, had carried out his datic.?. The motion for the adoption of the report v/as seconded by Mr Gilbert. MrT, K. Macdonald (hon. treasurer), said the Athenaeum would never hold the position it should command until it wai better sup ported. With the fact staring them ia the face that they had only £2OO a year available for buying new books, binding, &c., they could not hope to carry out the affaire of the in stitution thoroughly. The remedy Wfts.ia the hands of the members, who might, by adding one subscriber each, materially aid the Athenaeum, He was surprised that the citizens did not take more interest in such an institution. (Hear, hear.) All that was wanted to make the thing A succoss was for the members to realise that it was a mutual improvement institution. He advocated new blood ia the office bearers, for new ideas would be sure to be beneficial. Respecting tho stoppage of the Government grant, the apathy displayed by the public in the matter had surprised him, Although the Athencoum hid been a great benefit to the city generally, not a word had been said about tho closing of the grant. 