Erom a perusal of the twelfth annual report of the Committee of the Milton Athenaeum, which was laid before the members at the meeting held in the reading room on Friday evening last — a summary of which appears in this issue — it will be seen that the finances of that institution are not in such a healthy condition as one would naturally expect to find them in a district like our own. The report is of a most desponding character, and complains bitterly of the miserable support which has been accorded to the Athenaeum during the past twelve months. So stinted indeed has this been, that the working expenses have more than swallowed up the income derived from all sources. The natural consequence is, the Committee have been unable to procure any new books during the year. The same lament able result attended the efforts of the office-bearers the year previous. The number of subscribers have certainly increased from 50 to 79; but then the revenue has fallen from £78 13s to £70 9s. There are altogether 2200 volumes in the library. The number circulated in 1880 was 2524 ; in 1881, 1825, and this year only 1173 volumes were applied for. It will thus be seen that the public in terest taken in the institution is gradually drifting from bad to worse, and, it must be apparent to all, that unless more support and encourage ment are given to it by our towns people and farmers, the doors of the Milton Athenaeum will soon have to be closed. Such a proceeding would undoubtedly be a disgrace to the town and district. We are at a loss to account for the existing unsatis factory state of affairs. Our fairly large town is situated in the midst of a wealthy and tolerably thickly popu lated agricultural district, while hun dreds of scholars daily attend our spacious. national school, and tax to the utmost all the available space in the building. Tet, in the face of all this, it has heretofore been found im possible to raise the small sum of £100 per annum in aid of an institu tion of such a valuable educational and moral adjunct to the church and school as a public library. 