Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-07
DID NOT RECONSIDER.
The Allegheny City Property Com
mittee Wants to Have Control
OF TIE CARNEGIE FREE LIBRARY.
The Board Of School Control Not Given
Representation.
A BREEZY MEETING LAST NIGHT

A BREEZY MEETING LAST NIGHT
Contrary to the general expectation and
to Mr.. Andrew Carnegie's expressed wish
to have the library of the new tree library
building, which he recently built opposite
the City Hall in Allegheny, managed ny
committee of Councils in conjunction with
committee of substantial citizens, whose
terms of Office should exceed the usual
councilmanic term, the City Property Com
mittee of the Allegheny Councils refused
last evening to reconsider the ordinance
which it recommended at its last meeting,
and also refused to allow the Board OF School
| Control to have voice in the management
of the library proper.
When the committees met last evening
Messrs, Ammon, Lahugh, Lare. Cochrane
Arthur Kennedy, Ernstein, Buente, Dab
| l1nger, Millard, McAuley, Pappert, D. b.
Smith, and Thomas were present.
AN APPROPRIATION NEEDED.
When the usual bills had been passed
the clerk stated that an appropriation was
needed to buy books and provide for main
tanning Carnegie Library for the next year.
| Chairman Ammon stated that ST., 900 would
probably be sufficient and this brought up
| the question of allowing the Board of School
| Control to have a say in the management oi
| the affairs.
Mr.. Kennedy made motion to reconsider
the action of the committee at its last meet
ing when it approved an ordinance barring
the Board of School Control or any OF Its
members having anything to say In the mat
ter.
Mr.. Dahlinger seconded the motion, and
then ensued a scene which, although excru-
ciatingly polite, was very painful 70 the
participants.
Mr.. Kennedy said he made the motion at
the suggestion of the Chairman, Mr.. Am
mon. This was denied by that gentleman,
who excused himself by saying that he had
been misunderstood,
Then Mr.. Dahlinger read an ordinance
which he said he had prepared at the in
stance of Mn Ammon, in which commit
tee from the City Property Committee, to
consist of five members, and a committee
from the Board of School Control, to con-
sist of an equal number of members, should
have charge of the library. Mr.. Ammon
again denied that he had sanctioned the con-
struction of such an ordinance, although ne
said he knew that Mr.. Kennedy and Mr..
Dahlinger were in favor OF 1t.
INTERFERENCE RESENTED.
Mr.. Lare then took the floor in opposition
to the motion to reconsider the action of the
committee and made few remarks:
What is the use of letting anybody else have
hand in running this thing except ourselves.
We can manage that library all right, and
when the time comes that we can't well call IN
outsiders. We can manage II all Ilgnt ana
don't eed the assistance of no board OF school
control
Mr.. Hunter, President of the Common
Council, who was present at the meeting,
and who had been using his breath in an
effort to have some letters read, finally
gained the ear of Chairman Ammon, who
ordered the Clerk to make known the con-
tents of the missives That functionary then
read letters from the librarians OF Libraries
in Boston, New York, Baltimore, Chicago
and St. Louis. There was nothing OF i'm
portance in the letters, and alter they had
been read Mr.. Hunter apologized, stating
that be expected they would have impaired
more information to the committee than
they did.
AN INTERESTING CONTROVERSY.
For few minutes the controversy was
very interesting as Messrs. Kennedy and
Dahlinger clung firmly to their oars, and
although the opposition did the same the
two gentlemen who wished to have the
school board represented in the management
of the library were voted down.
In fact they were the only ones who voted
to reconsider the action of the committee.
Mr.. Ammon said that although he had
been severely criticised for his action at the
previous meeting he was prepared to hold
up his end of the fight.
Mr.. Kennedy asserted that as the library
was an educational institution, and as the
Board of School Control had charge of all
affairs which related to the education of the
masses it should have voice in the man.
agement OF the library and art gallery.
That as the School Board had the right to
levy taxes, if only from business point of
view, it should be represented on the Board
of Managers.
Although his arguments were most conf
else, pertinent and convincing the commit
lee refused to reconsider its previous action.
5000 FINALLY VOTED FOR.
The next question which came up was the
amount which should be appropriated for
the purchase of books and the incidental
expenses of the building.
Mr.. Ammon again proposed $15, 900, but
Messrs. Kennedy and Dahlinger thought
this amount too little and asked for S25, 900.
A compromise was finally made on $40, 900.
1t was stated that there were 100 citizens
of Allegheny who would give $500 each to
stock the library and place pictures in the
rtgallery.
Then came the question of an appropria-
tion for remodeling the City Hall building.
Joseph Auglin, the architect, was present
and had prepared five sketches, showing as
many proposed changes. The committee
looked them all over and discussed the mat
ter fully, when they concluded to ask an
appropriation of 1000 ior the purpose.
Mr.. Auglin suggested that the entire
front of the building be extended 25 feet to-
ward Federal street, which would leave IL
feet of space inside the sidewalk line for a
stoop extending the entire length of the
building. A wing in the rear, toward West
Diamond street, could be put up, and that
lookup, the latter above ground.
TO HAVE A DETAILED PLAN.
He was instructed to prepare a detailed
plan of the changes and submit them to the
committee.
The principal reason for the proposed
change is to allow sufficient room for Coun-
ellis, their quarters at present being entirely
inadequate. They will be still more so when
the borough of Bellvue is annexed to
the city, which will be done in a
few months at farthest. Then the
room occupied by the postofice is not large
enough, and as the citizens generally want
that Office to remain in the building it can
be provided for when the alterations are
made, occupying the same relative position
it does now, and that at good rental to the
city. The new portion will be of brick with
stone trimmings and Will conform to the
beauty of the library across the way, with