Morning journal and courier., 1885-11-25
COMMUNICATION.
The Free Public Library Scheme.

1 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 l see that you believe the people of New l Haven need, but do not want, free public | library. Certainly the little there was of l discussion at the meeting of Aldermen called | last week expressly to consider the subject | went far to justify such conclusion It | was strange to me to see those who spoke in
 opposition to the proposition of the Institute | making use of precisely the objections rais- l ed by their committee six For eight months since, and treating them conclusive of the 1 whole matter, while their committee, after great deal of careful inquiry, had unani- mously reported in favor of the project. The objectors did not certainly manifest | any desire to make the scheme, or any defi- alss s sf4sa 9ha roesoa saf Gdsd sd These were their arguments: 'fIt is too ! much like jug with the handle all on one side;" s'I don't believe in any sort of part nership for the city," FIf the city commits some little breach of the contract then the Institute will break up the arrange ment and take it's books all back ;'' s'The books of the Institute are, many of them, out of date-old rubbish-and the city don't want them;" ''If the city wants i brary let it establish one worthy of itself;" ''Three or four thousand dollars year ought to be enough to run it and we don't believe in letting the Young Mems Institute make money out of the city, and for one or more of these reasons, no other being named, thir- teen Aldermen voted to reject the proposi- tion, but finally consented to let the commit tee try it again.
 It seemed, however, to some, at least, that all these objections sprung from misappre- hension of the matter. What is the Insti- tute? An institution organized to furnish good reading to New Haven people. There fay active body, however, IS made up of people who be- come members by paying $3 year. They cease to be members when they cease to pay Any man in New Haven can become mem Der; every one of those Aldermen would be welcomed as a member at the same time l as the rest There is no honor or emolument connected with it. The direc- l tors are such because they know that such l library is great public benefit, and their single aim has been and is to make it as good as possible and open to as many as pos sible
 If the city would take the matter in | hand in earnest there would soon be nothing for the Institute to do. In the hope that such course would be taken we said we will give you substantially l the free use of our property. We will lease it to you at nominal rent But you l must agree that you will use it for the pub | lie good keep it in good condition as it | now is; return it to us if you get tired Of the | business and let some of our men go along 1 with you, at least till you have learned how | to manage this kind of property and until | you have put enough into the work to insure | your perseverance Beyond this all books
 and other property that the free library 1 acquires shall belong to the city. If this IS l partnership then it is a partnership to al low your landlord to come into the house to
 make repairs. It is a partnership to let a l driver go along to hold the horses when you | borrow @ team.
 At first thought some have said the Insti-
 ute should give it's property to the city and
 trust it to do the rest. But many of the
 books and most of the Institutes funds are
 coupled with trust and those managing the trust think it their duty to be careful Sup
 pose the city should take the Institute proper
 ty for four or five years, and, suddenly thinking it s'rubbish" (with John O. Alder man Bradley) abandon it. The injury to
 the Institute and it's work would be lrrepara-
 ble. Its patrons would all be gone, the 1n-
 terest of it's friends gone and it would have
 to apply it's property in some new or special
 way Is it not right to require that it's prop
 erty shall be kept in reasonable repair till
 we pass this point2 Now this covers the sub-
 stantial ideas of the plan proposed.
 It would cost the city to get as far along
 towards free public library some $40, ,O0C
 CT $50, ,000 at least. It has seemed to
 many who can look at the public interest
 wisely from two subsequently, when there
 can be no conflicting interest-that it would
 be quite help to have the city have the use
 of so large sum to start with. If, however,
 our rulers are unable to see it
 in this way the public will be
 likely to wait till the Institute
 grows up to meet their demands.
 And perhaps, in view of what has been said
 and done, this is the wiser course now. If
 only the people would take hold and help the
 Institute and each other by increasing it's
 membership and its means there would at
 no distant day be free public library with
 out any increase of the tax list. Who will
 contribute something more to this patriotic | work? HENRY E. PARDEE,
 Of the Committee