The morning call., 1895-02-19
TWO FACTIONS ARE
TO Do BATTLE.
CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE ME-
CHANCES INSTITUTE HAVE
A GRIEVANCE.
TRUSTEES EXPLAIN MATTERS
TROUBLE ON ACCOUNT OF THE
READING-RoOM AND ELEC-
TON SYSTEM.

81 represent 400 members of the Mechan-
ics Institute, and am armed with a just
grievance against the majority of the pres
ent board OF trustees of that institution"
said E. Vogle yesterday. "The 400 are not
the only ones who line UP on our side,
either but you can count lot more who
are lovers of justice but who are not ardent
enough in her cause tofundertake fight.
| mean by this that the signers of the petit
ton which went before the board some
time ago are not the only ones who think
as we do
1t was ascertained from Mr.. Vogle that
the petitioners want to know why the read
ing room was moved from light, well
ventilated room on the third floor, down
into the basement, which is claimed to be
dark and poorly ventilated. A violent pro-
test was also entered against the preferen-
| tial process of electing the trustees. But
now comes the real cause of the bitter feel
| ing on the part of the petitioners, which is
| that the board of trustees entirely ignored
| the petition, or in other words threw it in
the waste basket. This act was the proven
bal straw that broke the camels back, and
the consequent result is that friends have
become enemies. One of the petitioners
even resorted to Scripture, and said some
thing about "a house divided against it
SELF etc. This latter sentiment, however,
is discouraged by the majority of the petit
TONERS, who say that they are simply out
for business and for the good of the insti-
tute.
A. S. Hallidie, president of the society,
was seen yesterday in regard to the present
existing state of affairs, and he said that
what trouble there was had been caused by
few who belonged to the old party.
at is true" continued Mr.. Hallidie,
''that lengthy petition came before our
board, citing. an alleged grievance, which
was that the reading-room had been
| moved down stairs, and other improve
ments made which were not improve
ments, but rather detriments to general
| comforts, etc. Now, I'll tell you why the
paper lost all its Importance, and was
never heard of afterward it was simply
| because fully Is per cent of the signerS
were non-members of the institute, and
not in any way whatever connected with
| it, and at least 40 per cent of the remainder
| signitied, on being questioned, that they
had signed without being quite sure what
the object of the petition was.
Speaking about the preferential sys-
tenn of election" continued Mr.. Halhdie,
why it's excellent; the Bohemian Club,
the University Club and even the last
Democratic State Committee, came down
and thoroughly investigated it, and pro-
nounced it most effective.
"You can say that there is not the
slightest cause for just complaint. We
| have made noted improvements, costing
| 5000, and we are square with the world. ="
Richard 2. Doolan, Assistant United
States Appraiser, a trustee, stated that the
| whole trouble was between the ''ins" and
the ''outs." 81 am what they call an in,
and belong to the improvement party, and
we have done yeoman service. The read
| ing-room is Just where it belongs. 1t is
| lot& lid
| stairs, and in the present arrangement the
member doesn't grow weary climbing four
or five flights. l could mention a half
dozen improvements which have been
| made since 1898"
ferdinand Formulas, another trustee,
and who is up again for election, said he
| also was a reformer 81 am of the
opinion, however, that all this talk against
the present board is on account of it's
action in regard to disposing of the services
| of the former librarian, Horace q. Wilson,
which was a purely economical measure
| by which we saved, on him alone $3.50 per
month.
"If the party, now trying to get into
power, is making this matter an issue, l
can tell them that they figure without
their host, as Mr.. Wilson has signifed his
unwillingness to return to the library, and
| is now making arrangements TO embark in
some mercantile business"
VIII IL. FISHER, real-eState dealer OF IA
| Post street, who is up for election, said
to the reporter, that he was what is known
as ans''out," but that he was "in it Just
the same.n II am in it for all the i'm
! provementS, and for every plan that can
be formulated which will tend to augment
the efficiency of the service and comfort of
the institute.
II think that you will find that every
one, no matter to which party he belongs,
will indorse my sentiments, and all this
| talk about 'ins and outs, and old school
and new school is all bosh. Here's the
whole thing in nutshell: A few members
liked the convenience of walking from the
chess and checker-room into the reading
room, across the hall. They made com
plant about the change, and little more
care shown in getting up the petition
would have obviated the present difficulty
"In regard, however, to Mr.. Wilson, ]
should like to have him heard, that is, il
he is dissatisfied with his treatment by the
board"
|