Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-27
Members of the Carnegie Library
Committee of Councils Perform
Lively War Dance.
THEY FURNISH THEIR OWN MUSIC.
A Majority Strongly Opposed to the
Schenley Park Site for the
Main Building.
DISPATCH POPULAR BALLOTS QUOTED.
Objections Raised to Granting Favor Before It Has
Been Asked.

Six members of the Councilmanic Library
Committee spent yesterday afternoon in an
eager but futile endeavor to locate the Car
negie Library. The discussion was warm,
and the temperature of City Hall was raised
several degrees in consequence. No site
was settled upon, but it was agreed by ma
jority of the committee that THE DISPATCH
Popular Ballots at the Exposition were good
tests of the feeling of the community on SUBJ
jects of public interest.
The meeting had been called to suit the
convenience of Chairman Lambie, but the
other members of the committee waited
around for his appearance until they were
tired, and then called the meeting to order
themselves, naming Mr.. Holiday for chair
man. Mr. Lambie came bustling in shortly
afterward and assumbed his position as head
of the committee.
The only business before the committee
was the consideration OF the ordinance Civ
ing permission to the Carnegie Library
Commission to occupy portion of the 10
acres constituting the Schenley Park ell
trance for the buildings. The ordinance as
read has preamble which reads: "Where-
as, the Carnegie Library Commission, of the
city of Pittsburg, are desirous of erecting
certain buildings, to be used as art gallery,
main library building, music hall and mu-
scum, on portion of the ground acquired
from Mrs. Schenley in the Fourteenth
ward" and then follows the enacting clause,
which authorized the Library Commission
to occupy as much OF the entrance property
as NAV be required for the building.
Knocking Out the Main Building.
Mr.. Heating, as soon as the reading was
finished, moved 10 amend the preamble by
striking out the word "main" before eli
brary building"
Mr.. Holiday moved as a further amend
ment to strike out the entire reference to
library building, leaving the ordinance to
apply only to the music hall, museum
and art gallery. He remarked in offering
the amendment that the park entrance was
not convenient place for such buildings.
and he really felt that none of them should
be placed there.
At this iuncture it became evident that
Messrs. Bigham. Lambie, Holiday and
ter, while Messrs. Shannon and Heating
were of the opposite view, although the lat
ter disclaimed any wish or intention of
locating the buildings at any particular
place. ALL the members joined in the dis
cussion at once, the anti-park site gentle
men being unanimous in the belief that the
Library Commission had not even asked
for tbo sito ,nd II uas pren, a tura for Cam.
ellis to offer anything when it was unde-
cided whether it was wanted or not.
Mr.. Heating in a Dual Role.
"Oh," said Mr.. Heating, chats all bosh.
This committee. as every gentleman IN it
knows. is part and parcel of the Library
Commission. and we all know the commits
sion, or majority of its members,
at least, are willing to locate the
library and other buildings at this
park entrance. In our dual capacity
of CounciImen and Library Commissioners
/ think we should allow this matter to 60
through until it comes up in the commits
sion, and then we can state our preferences.
Let us be careful not to place ourselves In
bad light by giving our opinions too freely
at this time. For my part 1 have not nor
will not develop my views on the subject
until it is considered in the commission. l
think our best course will be to make
tender of this property to the commission,
and then if they don't choose to accept it
there will be the end of it."
well, Mr.. Keating." inquired Mr.. BIge-
low, "are we here as Councilmen or COM
missioners?"
eff L were on the witness stand question
like that would perhaps be proper enough.
The gentleman well knows his capacity
here and he knows he should try 10 act for
the best in this matter"
An Expression of Opinion Wanted.
Councils have been asked for nothing by
the commission interjected Mr.. Lambie,"
and. consequently, in my judgment, there is
nothing to be done until the comm ission is
officially heard from. Mr.. Carnegie has
never expressed a desire to have the main
building located at tine park entrance, aud
while am opposed to that location for the
main library, still think it would be very
bad taste on the commissions part not to To-
cate it there ii be desires it."
"I have never heard Mr.. Carnegie express
any real preference for any site," said MIR.
Heating, ''but from some remarks have
heard him make l believe he is at least par
tial to the Bedford avenue basin site. l will
state here that consider that the poorest
place Tor a great library In this city, and if
Mr.. Carnegie would come out openly in
favor of it, Ishould either resign from the
commission or oppose Mr.. Carnegie's
wishes.''
"The only place in the city that is less de-
sirable than the Bedford site is, in my judg-
ment, the park entrance" replied Mr..
Lambie, rather warmly, 'and 1 think it
very much less"
Mr.. Bigham Wants to Know.
IL would like to know" said Mr. Bigham,
'what there is before this committee or
Councils to indicate that the commission
wants the site under discussion. Have they
ever asked Tor it?''
Mr.. Heating replied that he knew of no
request being made, but there would be no
impropriety in Councils rendering the site
without waiting to be asked.
"And why, then, is this ordinance or reso-
luton worded so as to make it appear that
the commission has asked for the ground
and that this is an answer" asked Mr..
Bigham.
Gentlemen" replied Mr.. Heating, "this
is not time or place or subject for cavil.
Common decency requires that we should
give this resolution respectful considera-
tion. If we make any mistakes, they will
be corrected in Councils before this matter
is finally settled. Don't let us cavil and
talk about what the commission wants or
does not want, when we all know the situa-
tion perfectly"
Il do not wish to cavil, but intend to
express my sentiments said Mr.. HoIli-
day, firmly. ~ am opposed to the park
entrance for the main library site, and
would not vote to offer 1t to the ocmmis-
sion even if they had asked Tor it,
Mr.. Holiday repeated his amendment to
strike out the ''uain library hnildinoo