The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-10-29

now being supported by the towns heard
from about fifty soldiers, or about one hum
dred in the state. BY invitation Mr.. Deavitt
appeared before the committee and made
statement, mainly in regard to the sums due
this state from the United States and in re-
lation to the soldiers homes in other states
and who were admitted to the national
homes. He was Of the opinion that by proper
effort quite large sum could be collected
from the general government on the old war
claims. The bill provides for the purchase
of farm not to exceed two hundred acres,
for home ut a cost of not over IS 900, to be
governed by board of fourteen managers
who are authorized to aid persons who are
entitled to the benefits of the home, and
have families at the soldiers own home in
any proper manner, but such relief shall not
exceed the average cost of maintaining an
inmate at the home. The committee will
have another meeting soon to further con-
slider this bill.
A PUBLIC hearing took place in the senate
| chamber Wednesday evening before the Joint
| committee on the state library, of which
| Senator Ide OF Caledonia Is chairman, and
| the house co nmittee on public buildings OF
which Mr.. Farnham of West Fairlee is
chairman, in regard to the question of erect
| ing new quarters for the state library. Gov
| ernor Pingree presented the recommends
ton adopted by the trustees, of which he is
| er otici0 chairman, ON Tuesday evening.
| They recommend the construction of a
| building separate from the state house, for
| the purposes of the state library, the SUI
preine court, the library and collections of
| the Vermont Historical Society and other
| public uses, at an expense not exceeding
| S50,0O0. Governor Pingree also spoke in
| regard to the great want of accommodation
which exists now, giving his experience as
| q lawyer desiring to use the library in the
practice of his profession. He said that
| many of the books were practically inaccessi-
| BILE on account of the lack of shelf-room
| and in the winter no one could stay in the
| library, for there was no way whatever OF
warming it. Hon. Z. p. Walton one of the
trustees, described the accumulation OF
books in the dome of the state house and in
| the committee-rooms, the value of many OF
| them as records of the history of the state
and the impossibility of getting at them, as
| he knew from good deal of disappointing
| personal experience. The books were now
perishing for want of care which it was i'm
possible to give without new quarters. Hon
| Charles III. Heath, another of the trustees
endorsed the statements of Mr. Walton. He
also spoke of the advantage of having the
supreme court hold its general terms in tn,
same building with the library. In that cour
large numbers of books were used, and tn,
library was continually consulted. Now
| the books must be carried back and forth be
tween the state house and the Washington
county court house at great Inconvenience
| and danger of loss. Mr.. Huse, the state Ii
1
brary contains twenty-one thousand book
exclusive of pamphlets, and that there i
accessible shelf-room for only half. Th'
shelves hold twelve thousand books, but til
alcoves are so filed between the shelve
that not more than half the books can b
got at. The books and pamphlets ar,
worth at least $4,000. Many of them ar
now piled in places where they must de
teriorate and where they are PRACTICAL
worthless. Mr.. Huse described the advan
tages of having the supreme court sit clos
to the library. He said that at the genera
term in 1888 one thousand sixty-five volume
of reports We're taken from the library an
carried to the court house. One disadvar
tage of this was that persons who wante
volumes could not have them after they ha,
. been carried away by Others If the librar
and supreme court were in the same build
ing, this need not happen. Mr.. Huse ais
spoke of the Inconvenience which the men
bers of the legislature had suffered durn
the sessions, and said that the present roor
could be used advantageously, Were a neN
building built, for legislative library. TIL
committee will meet next Monday evenin
to confer upon bill.