Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-08
THELIBRARY MIDDLE.
Board of School Control and
Committees Conflict.
A Law UPON THE NATTER
The Old Library May Not Be Sur
rendered by the Board.
COUECILMEE CLAIM FULL CONTROL.

The difficulty in Allegheny over the man
agement of the library and art gallery of
the Carnegie Free Library does not seem to
have been settled even by the action of the
City Property Committee in approving an
ordinance placing the control and manage
ment of the library In their own hands.
Some of the members of the committee,
however. wish to have the Board Of School
Commissioners represented in the manage
ment, but as they are very small minority
their suggestions were not adopted.
Since the meeting of the committee Mon.
day evening, when it refused to reconsider the
approval Of the ordinance mentioned, there
has been considerable speculation as to the
final outcome of the trouble, and it has been
limited that the City Property Committee does
not have the power to levy taxes for the sup
port Of the library.
1t is also doubtful whether the Board of Con-
troll will turn over Internationally, the old An
derson library consisting of Il, 900 volumes,
which is now in the Allegheny City Hall. The
library was placed in charge of the Board OF
Control which will scarcely feel like relinquish-
ing its control of the old library without having
q voice in itsfuture management
RELUCTANT TO TALK.
James A. Young, Esq, President Of the Allie
gheny Board of School Control, was asked yes
terday what action that body proposed TO TAX
Mr.. Young was very reluctant about talking on
the subject giving as reason that if he OF the
other members of the board should take any
decided stand against the action of the City
Property Committee that the members of the
latter body would accuse the members Of the
hoard of trying to create a disturbance.
tiT,nsc do of infa n
ALTHOUGH we believe that we should have
some voice in the matter, we will not do any
thing which will be in the least detrimental 70
the best interests. do not believe that the
CITY Property Committee are acquainted
with an act Of Assembly passed in 1872
which reads: That from and after the
passage of this act the Board OF school
Control of the public schools OF tine city OF
from the school funds such sums OF money as
may be necessary to- maintain Tree library
within said city for the use of teachers, pupils
of the public schools. and citizens OF Allie
gheny; and also to make such rules and regu-
lations as may be necessary for the mainte-
nance, government and care thereof
ONLY ONE CONCLUSION.
That would seem to imply that only the
School Board has the right to levy taxes for the
maintenance of the library, and also have full
control of the library in their hands. A public
library cannot be classed with market or en-
gine houses. If the City Property Committee
can take charge of the Carnegie Library it
should have assumed control of the present
library in the City Hall years ago."
Another member of the board said: when |
the CITY Property Committee comes to levy
taxes for the support of the Carnegie Library ] |
think it will find that it has struck snag, and
that its action will be illegal. Twenty thousand
dollars is not half enough to properly open the |
library. If they would appropriate $4,000 for |
the next two or three years the library would |
be given proper start. 1t would be placed on |
a solid basis. and then all that would be needed |
would be money to pay the salaries Of the |
Librarians. This penny wise and pound foolish |
proceeding is wearisome. They will dribble, |
and dribble along for years, and it will be |
years before the library is fully started.
A PAPER CoMPLIMENTED.
THE DISPATCH has taken up this matter in |
the right way, and hope it will continue its |
investigations until the library is placed in the
proper hands,
The law which Mr.. Young quoted was looked |
up by the reporter, and found as that gentle |
man had given it.
Select Councilman Hannah of the Ninth ward, |
and member of the City Property committee, |
was seen last night in regard to tha matter. 1
He said: That act of Assembly does not in
any way apply TO the Carnegie library. The |
latter is gift TO the people of Allegheny City, /
and as such must be placed in the hands of the
men who make the laws for the city. When
we accepted the gift an ordinance was passed
TO locate the library OH city property. Under
such circumstances 1 do not see how any per-
sons could think that any other body but the
committee in charge of the city's property
should have control of il. II the Board of Con-
troll wants another library they will have to es-
tablish one of their own. The act in question
only gives them the right to have charge of Ii
braries established by the city, and out of
the funds belonging to the city. This is not
the case with the Carnegie library.
NOT A POLITICAL MACHINE.
''The hue and cry has been raised that the
a,oir, vs,f mi IN ha chs of /
gheny Councils will make political machine
Of it. This is the siliiest nonsense. The report
certainly does not speak well for the members
of Council. Since have been connected with
the body, and that has been good many years,
/ have always found both branches of Councils
to be very Conservative body of men. They
are economical, but this is not the case with
the Board of Control
Take for instance the ward l represent
There is a school building there that was
erected 20 years ago at a cost of $4,000. So far
there has been but $4,000 paid on it The resi-
dents of the ward are now paying per cent on
the debt This is an extraTagant school tax.
Every time the board raises several thousand
dollars instead of paying of the school debt
they expend the money putting in new shut
tiers. painting the building, etc.
"Another reason why the library should be
in the bands of the members of the Councils is
that the latter are the people. New members
are coming in every two years. and they would
know the kind of books the common people |
would want. II commission of highly edu- |
Gated men had charge of the building they
might get collection of books that the COM |
mon people could not understand"
Common Council Will meet tonight to take
up the ordinance empowering the City Prop |
erty Committee to take charge of the building |
There is not the least possibility. il is said of
the ordinance failing to be passed 1t will cost
R20 900 to run the library the first year. John |
W. Benney the present librarian of the CITY.
who has filed the position Is years, will prob |
ably be placed in charge.