, 1874-06-08

score muat be at losa for arguments to nasal
his plan In tho aggregate.
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY FUND,
Tho annual report Of tho President Of tho
Uhcngo Public Library WAS printed In TIE
Tribune Of yesterday. It makoB showing that
is at onco crcdttable to tho Board Of Managers
and significant Of stcady progroRB IN tho future
II thoro shall DO no narrow-mindod partisan or
political effort to hamper It. Tho Public Library
has had q roaf e1istence Of soarcoly moro than d
year. Tho first tax ralsod for It WAS in 1879, and
this waa not COLLECTED till 1873. Tho tax toyied
for 1881 not all collected yot. Aftor dotucting
tho deficiencies, the aggregate amonnt Of 1noney
turned over to tho fund Ia about sa5, 900. Whom
thc.tax Of 1873 shall have boon collected, tho
Bohrd will havo about 94a,000 over aud above
tho amount expended. on which tho Library
will have to subsiat for oightoen months
to como, as tho tax-levy Of 1874
will not DO all collected till November, 1876. IA
tho necessary running expenses arc now s27, 800
per yoar, this will mako 1t oloHe sailing for tho
Board, and will leave no margin for tue purchase
Of books. In such q condition Of things, it ia
| surprising that tho City Comptroller should
recommend reduction Of tho Library appropri-
alton to $4,000 for tho present year, OF about
! one-ha1f tho sum to whioh tho Board is cutit1od
under tho Inv. While Chicago finances aro in
condition that calls for rigid economy this isnot
tho place to begin. Tho authorized appropria-
tion for tho Library is not exorbitant. To cut It
down ono-hale now would DO to strang1o It in lta
| Infancy. Tho Public Library can be 1nado
sham in tho oyos Of tho people by withholding
at hts Gn1o tho money necessary to give 1t ro-'
speotabllty Is that tho intontlon Of tho city au-
thorttes7 Tho number Of books now on tho shelves
is only 10000; mud, after all tho books which
have boon donated and ordered shall have been
received. there will not bo moro than 10000 vol
umes in all. II tho appropriation for this year,
| Ia reduced to s25.000, not moro than $4,000 Of
which will bo collected, the amount wilt not be
sufficient to cover the aotual running expensos,
and It will bo moro than two years before tho
Library Board will bo able to buy single now
! volume. Tho rooms might as veil DO closed up
at once. Tho Boston Library has 5000 vol
umea and 1000 borrowers. Tho Cincinnati Ii
brary has GO, 900 volumes ind 10000 borrowers.
| It will bo soon that tho number Of borrowers In
Cincinnati Is now equal to the whole number Of
books In our Library, and tho borrowers in Bos-
ton orc three times moro numerous than our
volumes. At tho best. the number Of volumes
in the Chicago Library will not exceed 10000
this yoar, and II there is to ho no purchase Of
current books tho public interest will rapidly
decline aud tho Library will 1oao all its value.
Tho number OF borrowers Is already 2,578, and II
the rate OF increase for tho last month iB min.
| tanned, they will number 80, 900 before tho end
of another year. The number Of volumes
would soarcely go around, patent-ofIice reports
! and all, and eAoico would be altogether ont Of
| tho question.
Wo have heard it whispered TINT aomo people
in authority cherish resentment against the
| Library On account Of its present location. Had
| tho Board OF Education behaved properly In tho
premises, the Library would .havo boon
which was acquired by tho city In o
trade with the Government for this specific pur-
poBe. but when tho exactions Of that board
made It unwse for tho Library Board to take tho
| Custon1-Hou site. we arc informed that aomo
personB fayored locating tho Library In the
West Division. This was found to bo imprac-
sicablo. Chlcago, In spto Of the divisions made
| by winding river, has natural centro, by
reason in part Of its conyerging lines OF street,
railways. What that centre is. WAS well demon-
strased by the rebuilding after tho Aro had
wiped out all locations. 1t happens to bo in tho
tho less accessible to the Wost md North Dlvis-
ions. An effort was made to f1nd euita-
bio building near Madison atroet bridge,
but in vain. Finally tho building on
tho corner Of Madison street md Wabash
avenue, where the Library now is, was secured
ut a reasonable rental, and wo doubt whether
moro desirable location could have beon
found. Tho Library Is now situated within one
block from where the horse. .rairoad and stage
inos converge, aud ia equally accessible from all
three divisions OF tho city.
We do not waut to bolloyo that A1r. Hayes has
been influenced by any local prejudice in recon-.
mending tho reduction Of tho Library appro-
priatfon to ono-lalf OF what tho Library is en-.
titled to undor tho law. But tho recommends,
ton Is 80 injutlicious and ill:tlmed that he
should reconsider it In order to relieve himsoll
Of this suspicion. II ho docs not, the Common
Council must not countenance an attempt te
choke OF our Public Library. 4 Public
Library is either desirable, or It Is not. II It Is
not, then lot us close the doora at onco, and be
dono with it. But If it il, then II must furnish
the number, variety, mud attracttyoness of book
that will commend It to the public. Wo have
,noroly tho nuolous Of q Library now, though