Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-13
Congress and the National Library.
Ma Vort p,xf

Congress ana the NattOnai Lsorary.
From the New York Post
"Observe. NY son." said the minister Of .
monarch. with how little wisdom the people
are governed" N is not much better whca
the people govern themselves. Five or slx
years ago, when our national debt was larger
and the income smaller, the joint committee On
the library OF Congress proposed most magnin-
cent plans for q new building. TO cost ten Or
twelve millions. Now, when the Treasury d
overlooking, tie committee feel obliged By the
congressional apprehension of popular blame
| for extravaganza to ask for a building costing
only half as much, and Congress rejects even
this demand. 1t the objection made to the
plans had been that they were bad-as they
were--one would not have found fault: but no
one but the committee knew. or could be er.
pecfed to know. enythng about the plans The
questions b ught uN were whether II In worth
HE TO have national library at ell, where &c
Is best TO put Its house. and how much
IL worth while to pay for the building
TO the FIRST question. IL was answered that by
the operation oi tie copyright law We already
| haVe a nationa. library, an evil state Of things
Which Mr.. Mci.aae. OF Maryland proposed In
do away with by dee roying half of The book. m
| being useless. His drastic remedy found no ad-
rocate in words. though the House has alvnys
been doing what Indifference could 10 carry 81
volumes a
INTO space designed for $50 600 As 10 the place.
the project Of buy ing land for the site which bas
arrays oeen supposed to cover n Job with some
show o. reason, since the price usually talked of
Is apout three times the assessed value Was
summsrily dispo ed Of The enlargement of the
Capitol which could only be Temporary make
shtt, his also dropped out of sight Judiciary
square, by far the best site in the CITY has been
appropriate by some commission for the con.
strlcilon o. building for the Pension once In
Al VI s.tC.
II IL said that no member of the ONCE has becn
consulted. The Botanical Garden on pennevl.
vania avenue. which Is now most I'm favor In NOT
| lnconrenientiy situated. aud perhaps after the
channel OF the river Is improved IL NAV not be
exposed to the Potomac foods Thethird ones
ton was the cost AZ We said IL started az ten
or twelve millions for the building exclusive m
the lana. At that time the hiea was To construct
q magnincent nalace, with art galleries and vast
halls Tor the public to promenade in and some
small storage .or books. put in as II were raren
theticaly. The exterior was 10 he Gothic: and
as Otter happens with our public buildings tbere
were persons who d'i not think n beautiful AZ
| the present session the committee did not dare
| TO present SO eAtravagant plan. and suheti-
| tuted one With exactly the same Interior but IN
the Renaissance style to cost three or fuur
| millions, showing that they had proposed TO ex.
pend i've or six purely for an outside casing.
ana not an attractive one at that Until We
have design Of undoubted and extraordinary
excellence II Ii well 10 reserve our millions or
the Renaissance design we can only say that N
u IS the one exhibited two or three wears ago
IL Is little Improvement on the Gothic But the
House will have neither The House l,mtts tia
expense to $2o0O00o. Congress IL willing To
store Its books. but does not care I'm doing 40 60
attempt TO beautify the city OF Washington. m
| there had been any chance of its succeeding.
one might regret its parsimony.
1t has been confidently asserted that bv
adopting certain plan. books can be stored A
thoroughly tre-pr0of and not disagreeablv
plain building at the rate of three for q dollar
library Is always inconyeniently full before Il
is closeiy packed but the two million dollara
VIII certainly provide for five million volumea
twice as many as are in the largest library IN
the world, three times as MANY as are I'm the
next largest library, double the number pro-
vlded Tor IN The zen million dollar plan. IL Con-
gress should double it's rate OF growth son
acquire 50, 900 additional volumes every year
Tue building would be good for ninety yearp:
then 1t could be enlarged No plan for =
library building IL good that does not proytdo
Tor enlargement.
One OF the most sensible suggestions shown
curiousy how little knowledge Congress has az
libraries 1T was proposed that the matter be
referred TO q commission Of experts composed
among other persons, OF the librarians Of the
pH i, norarles OF Boston, New York, Philadel-
phia, baltimore, Cincinnati Chicago Milwaukee,.
and st. Louis. Now, If by this was meant A 4
probably was, the free public libraries owned bv
these cities and supported at publieexpense. the
cities OF New York and Philadelphia have none,
ST Louis has only putlie scilo6i library, and
the Public library OF Baltimore has not yet any
librarian. IL by public libraries Was meant. q
In the tariff all that are not private I'm thoee
cities-mercantile. society, proprietary. uni-
vefsity-then the body would be somewhat mn
wleldy However it makes little differences
which Interpretation is the true one. as the
amendment was not adopted, and the whole
matter remains In the hands Of the Joint library
commute, who do not consult librarians, ana
Whose iavorite plan was dsapproved of by the
librarians In convention at Washington and tor.
maiiy condemned by the Librarians in conyen.
ZION at Cincinnati. The result 80 far. though
not credltabe to Congress, Is not greatly to De-
iamentec. With the Original plans we should
nave mad al ugly. unsuitable and costly build
ing. With the new plans We shall probably have
an ugly, unsuitable. but cheaper building. The
saving OF six or seven millions is something.
and there is the further advantage that the Ia
ufary oi congress plainly housed viii not be tho
chief show place of the city, and will escape
Shat army OF sght-seers who in the costIler edi-
nee would nave made any proper use OF the
books impossible.