Morning journal and courier., 1884-03-12
The First Move

I'm the Direction of Establishing a Free
 Public Library in New Raven-What
 the Plan Is.
 The general committee on free public library met last evening in the Mayors office.
 In the absence of His Honor the Mayor,
 John E. Earle presided. The subcommittee.
 consisting of J. P. Barker, M. F. Tyler and
 T. A. Barnes, which was appointed to devise
 means for raising funds for a free public library, reported and their report was ac- cepted. The report was as follows:
 1 To the general committee on public library: The subcommittee appointed to consider l the method of raising money for g public | library beg to report that they have had the matter referred to them in consideration, and while they are not prepared as yet to | present a carefully planned and detailed 1 scheme of operations, they think it desirable l to report to you as early as possible some l general conclusions at which they have ar- rived As general outlines of 8 working plan, we beg then to report as follows: -
 First, we recommend that an effort be
 made to obtain by subscription from the citizens of New Haven gifts to the amount of $1OO, 1000; second, we would suggest that in order to obtain this sum every adult person in this city should be reached; next, that
 every person not an adult earning his living,
 or any considerable portion of it, should be reached, and that the public be informed
 that no gift is too small to be accepted. and
 that if everybody who can and will give is
 properly solicited, the amount needed can be
 raised. In order to reach every individual,
 we would suggest double division of the ground to be worked. Merchants, persons without occupation, and storekeepers general
 ly, can best be reached by territorial di-
 vision. The city flor this purpose should be divided into districts not so large but that
 the class indicated can be thoroughly can
 krTa ak rnTkh hTrn
 Another division of the people should be
 made by occupations. We believe that the professions and the great body of mechanics and laborers can best be reached Tn this way. One of the first things, however, necessary to be done is to get the matter as thoroughly as possible before the attention and into the
 minds of persons who employ these classes.
 We would suggest, therefore, as one of the
 early steps to be taken, that an address setting forth the object in view in proper terms, so worded as to command attention and obtain consideration, be issued by the general committee, and that this address be presented, in such a way that it will not be neglected, to the head of every establishment in town that employs labor of any kind. We would suggest that it be one of the objects Of this address to persuade the heads of estab- ishnaents to cooperate with the committee, either by becoming themselves the agents Of the committee to see that the proper presen- tation of the matter is made to those under their employ, or by suggesting persons who can act as such az ents. These agents should be put into immediate relations with the general committee, should act in entire sym pathy with them, and, we would also suggest, should act in entire conformity to the committees plans and arrangements. This work we should consider preliminary. It should go on while the territorial division above referred to is being perfected. and the agents for that work are being selected. It should be done long enough before the con- templated subscriptions are actually begun to allow for thorough organization and for careful preparation of all the practical de- tails of the scheme. We would also suggest that day certain, at 8 date not earlier than sometime in the month of May, be fixed upon by the committee as the day on which solicitations for subscriptions shall uniform ly begin, the day on which all the machinery which had been organized shall be regularly set to work. We would suggest further that before that day, not too long before It, general address to all the citizens of New Haven, setting forth the necessities of the case and the proposed plan, setting forth also the condition in which the library project will stand if the money is raised, and the prospects we have for it's maintenance when once established, be issued by the general committee, and vigorously and thoroughly distributed throughout the community. We would advise the taking of means to put this address into the hands of everybody, men, women and children, to post it wherever handbill is seen, and that the committee in this work exercise as much energy and zeal to inform the public that on certain day gifts for this object are to be asked of every body, as those whose living depends upon their advertising show in their efforts to inform the public of the entertainment or the patent medicine which they try to persuade the public it will be for it's advantage to patronize. We have no doubt that in this part of the work the com mittee will find hearty and efficient co-oper ation in the public press.
 This much we are prepared now to recom- mend as the outline of plan of operations which in our judgme nt it is advisable to at tempt, and which if thoroughly executed we have reasonable hopes will be successful.
 All of which is respectfully submitted.