Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-07
BY WoRKINGMEN
The Effort to Secure q Free Library 70,
Washington.
An Institution That Would he OF
Benefit to All-TnlI<s With Some
Leaders of Labor

Since the passage Of the resolution by
the Federation of Labor. about two weeks
ago. directing the legislative committee of
that body to cooperate with the library
committee of the board of trade in the eff
fort to secure the establishment of a free
library in this city. there has been much
quiet discussion and approval of the mat
ter on the part of leaders in labor organ
izations. -..
A number of them have been interview
ed by a Star reporter. Mr.. George o.
Cook said: Il have always thought there
ought to be good public library, centrally
located in Washington. AS a matter Of
fact such an institution should exist in
every large city or town in the country,
and my impression is that. with the ex-
ception of Washington, every large city
and town in the United States has one.
The advantages of a public library in any
town are almost beyond calculation. and
the amount of good that could be accom-
plshed by the establishment of one here
could hardly be estima ted.
10 my mind the project as proposed by
the committee of the board of trade is
grand good one. and think that it ought
to be carried out at once; that, in fact, 1t
ought to have been pup In operation long
ago. My earliest recoiIectfons are associ-
ated with public libraries ! lived as n
boy, in Brooklyn, N. Y, where every one
could, by the payment of q small fee sufIi-
Gent to guarantee the return of the book
desired take a book home with him from
the public library. OF course, if the per-
son desired to sit down in the library and
read he could do so, and for this privilege
there was no charge. Later in life / went
to Denver, Col, which was then one of the
youngest cities in the country. But young
as 1t was the enterpr.sing citizens had es-
tablished an excellent public library. 1t
was located in the chamber of commerce
building and had large patronage. There
was no charge made there for the use of
the books, but a deposit to the value of the
bcok WAS required if person desired to
take volume from the library building.
There was also a fine library attached to
the High School at Denver for the use of
the students, who We're allowed to take the
books home if they wished. but We're not
required to make deposit for their re-
turn, their honor being relied upon for the
proper care of the books.
Il think 1t would be a good idea if the
government would take the surplus books
which are to be found in the library of
each of the departments in Washington
and put them in a general library made ac-
cessible to the public. The result would be
beneficial not only to those who now make
use of them, but to thousands of others as
well, who never think of going to a de-
partment library to look for information.
IF were permitted to suggest location
for the proposed library l would name the
new post office building, in which, doubt
less, suitable rooms can be secured when
the structure is completed"
Mr.. c. T. Walport, secretary of District
Assembly No. &C. Knights of Labor. said:
Il am heartily in favor of good public
library, as 1 believe such institutions are
the source of much good to every member
OF the communities in which they are To-
Gated. So far as l am advised as to the
plans of the committee of the board of
trade, which Is agitating this question.
they meet my approval but l would not
wish to be understood as favoring that
plan at the expense of the workingman's
| library, as sought to be established by the
societies of organized labor in the District,
or risk of interfering with the plans of the
managers of the latter.
1T is the idea Of those who have the
latter in charge to have place where
laboring men who are unemployed can stop
in off the street and without the necessity
of changing their work-day clothes for bet
ter garments can sit down and read as
long as they feeel disposed.
at was also the idea Of the promoters of
the present workingmans library that by
combining labor bureau with the library
there would be many occasions when
man who was out Of work could, by hav-
ing his name registered on the books of the
bureau, secure employment. 1t is true that
the workingman's library does not at pres
ent contain many books, but we feel con-
fident that it will grow in time and be
useful factor in the community"
Mr.. Milford Spohn said: Il have no doubt
that every intelligent workingman OF this
city favors free public. library and reading
re ON. Visitors from other cities have fire.
quently expressed surprise that in the cap
ital city of great republic there is no in
stitution of the kind. while in every city
of any pretentions in this country and Eu-
rope library is maintained, patronized and
appreciated. The beneficial effects of a free
circulation of healthful literature in a com
munity cannot be overestmated. The Ii
brary, with the largest facilities for the
dissemination of the knowledge of the ages,
is a factor as potent in the advancement of
the race toward a better condition and
higher civilization as the school house or
church. In fact, the library Is the great
public school house, the book the public
teacher, and whether it is healthy fact or
fiction, 1t is the source OF that knowledge
which elevates men.
"a public library would therefore pro-
duce desirable results which could not be
measured by the financial expenditure. With
comfortable reading rooms supplied with
the current literature IT would become z
desirable and profitable resort for the work
ing people. Their stole of literature is very
limited. None has the luxury Of an extern
sive library, yet MANY keenly enjoy the
companonship of books. None, therefore.
of our residents should be more favorably
disposed toward a public library than the
working men and working women of this
city. With the generous aid given to the
free schools of our city, with educational
facilities equal to those of any community
in the republic with the establishing of
great universities, which in the near future
the continent, we should have here public
library equal, If not superior, to any city of
the world"