The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-04-27


for this purpose ten per cent of the School
Fund Income, SUBJECT to, apportioameat
in 1850, and annually thereafter, togeth-
er with the proceeds of a special State tax
to be levied each year, of one tenth of one
mill on the dollar valuations of taxable
property.
2. 1t provides that this Fund shall be
set apart specifically, for establishing and
raplerishing Torn School Libraries.
3. 1t provides that the books for these
Libraries shall be purchased by public au-
thofity, and not by the local Selcol
Boards as heretofore. s.
4. 1t provides that an extra number
ot the State Laws, Journals and Docu-
nents, sufficient to supply each Town
and City School Library with a set, shall
he printed by the State Printer. and de-
lvered to the State Superintendent AMI
these shall he substantially bound, under
the direction Of the State Superintendent,
with the approval Of the Governor, at a
cost not exceeding thirty cents a volume,
to be paid out the School Library Fund.
The precise manner in which the books
shall be purchased and distributed, except
that they shall be purchased 'by public
authority" and distributed in some inst
proportion among the towns and cities of
the State" is not specified in the act. As
the means for the first purchase, can not,
from the terms Of the Law, be collected
ap1 ready for use before next Spring, it
was thought best not to cucumber the act
with details, which might hay, en5arrass-
ell AMI endangered its passage. These
details, providing for the selection and
purchase of books, their distrubition, and
regulations for the management of the
llbrafies, will be carefully considered by
Hon. Henry Barnard, the Superinten-
dent Of Public Instruction, and Prof. J.
j.. Pickard of the PlattviIle Academy,
who have been app 'nted by the Legsla-
ture to make such revision of the School
Laws of the State as they may think nee
essary, and report the same to tho Gov
enor in season to be by him submitted to
the next Legislature for its consideration.
1t need only be said in this. connection,
that every precaution will be taken to
guard the interests of the State, and pre-
vent by every restriction of law, the pcssi-
bility of swindIing or cheating in the cor-
tract for the books-for upon the faithful
investment of this sacred fund will much
of the popularity and usefulness Of this
law depend. 81 #..
There never was measure involving
new and additional taxation, that ever.
passed the Legislature with such unanin
ity. The State Superintendent Report.
which strongly urged the Town Library
system, was not laid before the Legisla
ture until three weeks | efore its adjourn
ment; Mr.. Barnard who had been con-
fldentiy expected here, and whose perso-
nal efforts and experience we're greatly
counted on in aid Of the measure, WIS
dotolned i'll Connecticut by severe Illness:
and the Bhtary law was not introduced
until within eight working DAYS of the
clos OF the session, and notwithstanding
all these unJoward circumstances. this
mcasure--a tax measure too in STRINGENT
t;mes-passed both houses most triunnb-
antly, by a vote of19 to 3 in the Senate,
and 81 to 10 in the Assembly; or in the
aggregate, by yoto of 10 to 13. [ have
no doubt that the men who supported this
noble and benificent measure. will Iono
he remembered with honor and. gratitude
by an intelligent and approaching people.
This School Library Fund will amount
to ut at least $4,000 annually, and will
gradually increase in proportion to the in
crease OF the School Fund Income. aud
the increase of the taxable ..ropertv of
the State. There will be something Ike
$500 year from the School Fund In
come; ami one tenth ola mill tax on the
doll'r yaluati,'n, on Sl75, O0O, 900 of tax
able properly in the State, as equal;zed
last year, would realize SI7,50o: if the
taxable property should be equalzed. rs
1t may be, at Two hundred millions. then
then the income from this special Library
tax would amount to 20, 900 annually. /
should conclude that the Library Fund
will reach not less than $4,000 wear
within the next three years. But estina-
ting it at $4,000, it would give on an
average T. each oftha go towns and
cities Of the State, s53 per year in books
at who!eSala rates; AMI deductipo the
probable pro ,ata for the cities AMI villa
yes, there would be about s 10 ON IN AZ
erage for each of The rural towns. ES,i-
's''st'ns the present p opulation at $50. 600
and dividing it by the humber of towns
AMI cities, we should have all AVERAGE of
1888 persons for each town and civ
and $40 or $50 per year in books for
this number would appear but modar-
ate investment. This amount. thongh
small, Will nevertheless afford respecta-
bic beginning for Town School Libra
ry, when we take into consideration that
= similar amount will be added annually
thereafter. ,nf t.t .rs,i So
a single volume may serve as MANY
as twenty six persons a wear eoch how.
ing lis use two weeks. Many School Il.
braries have reported twelv. times tine
number OF books loaned annually that
there were in the Library each y,lame
upon an average having been taken ont
once month during the entire year. In
the reports of the Town Libraries of In
dana, occur such expressions as the fol-
lowing, winch will not be lost on tue pub.
nc mind: Nearly all the books have been
drawn out as many as twenty Ave tines.
many. of them oftener, and quite a num-
Der ofthe books are not permitted to re-
r,hnin l., thn ;hno... - - = ),