Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-02-23
THE LIBRARY WAR.
IN The BOARD or EDUCATION.
One Participant Bounced The Other
Cases LETT for Further
investigation.

night with all the trustees present except
Mr.. Shinkman and the Mayor. After dis
cussing the bill now before the Legislature
TO allow the Board 10 charge tuition fees for
the High School and proposition to have
the bylaws amended SO as TO allow the Board
10 hire secretary who is not a member of
the Board, the following report was received
from the Committee on Library:
To the Honorable Board Of Education
GENTLEMEN: Your Committee reports an
unfortunate difficulty in the library Wednes-
day about p. M. The matter required i'm
mediate attention and majority OF the
Committee, after hearing the statements of
the Librarian and the all-day assistant to-
gether with those of lady and gentleman Ia
the reference library at the time al o'slock
p. M, excused the all-day assistant from
further service IN the library until she should
receive notice 10 resume work. Friday after
noon a meeting of tine full Committee was
held, and part of the library force examined
when the Committee adjourned tall 9 O'Clock
this morning To resume the Investigation,
which investigation was continued during
the day and until 6:l5 this evening, the
Librarian and all the assistants having been
persons have also been examined. The
committee finds that there has been consid-
erable insubordinaiion among all the assist
ants. and that on Wednesday afternoon the
ll-day assistant was guilty of gross insub-
ordination and "A breach of discipline In
view OF the facts your committee recon-
mends that the all-day assistant be at once
dismissed from the library service. Your
committee recommend that further time be
given them 10 consult for the future interests
of the library 10 report their action 10 the
next meeting of the Board; and that the
committee be authorized To employ such
temporary assistants as may be needed.
Trustee Blair asked if it would not tie bet
ter TO dismiss the while force, and was ans
wered by Trustee Utterwick, that no grounds
had as yet been discovered To make such ac-
ton necessary.
Trustee Hathaway stated that the com
mitttee wished more time TO investigate,
that it was evident that insubordination had
existed for some time.
Trustee Stuart favored giving the com
mittee further time.
Trustee Tibbetts said that if the Librarian
had been given complete control, this would
not have occurred.
Trustee Stuart said he was sorry the report
was not full and stated the case of each per
son interested. He wanted concise state
ment as to the charges against each party.
Trustee Hathaway said that if the commit
tee did make clean sweep at once it would
be Obliged to clese the library. Time was
necessary TO investigate. The committee
only went as far as it was sure of its ground.
Trustee Blair did not want to see one per-
son suspended. He wanted the whole mat
ter disposed of at once, and said it should
not be allowed to linger along, but should be
pushed
Trustee Stuart moved to refer the report
back to the committee until the next meeting
Trustee Utterwick said that as far as the
| report went the committees recommenda-
tions were made on grounds which warranted
immediate action.
Trustee Hathaway said he hoped that the
report would not be referred back, as the
committee was dead sure of everything re-
| ported. The committee wanted further
| time to investigate other charges. So far II
had worked right up TO this meeting and had
not had sufficient time. The committee had
discussed the advisability of placing man
in charge of the library.
Trustee Ransom wished the report left
until full report could be made. He
wanted all guilty ones served alike. Did
not believe giving the medicine in homeo;
pathic doses.
President Felker wished TO stand by the
committee as far as it had gone, and when
it found other parties guilty then set in.the
same manner with the next report.
| The motion TO refer back was lost and the
report adopted, Trustees Allen, Earle. Hath
away, Mills, Parker. Richards, Ulrich. Tib-
belts, Utterwick and Felker voting YEA, -
and Blair; Fox, Ransom and Reilly voting
No"