Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-10
The Hope of n Free Library.

The Hope of n Free Library.
Notwithstanding the energetic and able
advocacy of Representatives Wellington.
Grout and Hardy and the faithful support
of Chairman Babcock and the District Com
mttee, a SHINY attended House yesterday
refused to pass the free library bill except
with the inadmissible amendment which
imposes the entire cos. on the local tax
payers of the District and violates the let
ter and spirit of the act of 1878 concerning
the municipal expenses of the District.
Inasrluch there are, according to the
latest library statistics, 600 cities and towns
of the United States which have these
taX-suppcrted libraries and as in many
of them the state joins with the munich
pality in sharing the expense it Is impos-
sibie to contend that the cost of creating
and maintaining such a library is other
than proper municipal expense, establish
ing d modern and necessary adjunct of the
local edIca tional system, on the same foot
ing the public schools.
Since the public library, like the public
schools, has come to be an ordinary NIL
ric.pal creation. whose cost in the Dis
trict's case is 20 be estimated and sub
yn:tted to Congress precisely as in the case
of other municipal expenditures, including
the schools the law IF 1878 concerning the
Proportional contribution of the United
States Enthusiastically governs. To make an
exception of this municipal expense, how
ever small, is to cut away piecemeal the
foundations Of the law of 1873 1t is in
effect denial of unsupported public
library. for no Washngton.an will wish
10 be held responsible for SO dangerous a
precedent as a palpabie violation of the
law Of 1873 in the Ebrary's behalf More
over the private subscriptions of over 5000
c-tioned upon the creation of a library
which shall be part of the Districts edr-
cational system and supported on the same
BASIS as the pubic schools These sinh
Scrlptions fail if the proposed evasion Of
inc national obligations under the law of
1913 is permitted finally to be consum-
mated
" hiie THIS law remains unchanged the
Sierence to It in this connection shorId ba
conclusive. and no other considerations
SHOULD lie necessary. 1t may be added
however. that the nation will profit pecu
harly oy this municipal expenditure of the
District When this library is in full oDera
Ton 1t will serve u general departmental
library for between 2D.ssy and :UGsD ner
sors and their families who are in this civ
as employees OF the general government
lie nation will thus be saved the expense
OF duplicating miscellaneous collections OF
BOOKS now enjoyed by a few of the depart
nlents, which in justice and consistency
would otherwise need to be repeated in
every department and bureau of the gov
erninent The local taxpayers will thus be
Caused to share with the government the
expense of a departmental miscellaneous
horary-an expense hitherto borne by the
nation alone
nd limo
ties supplied TO the school children and
ether youthful readers will relieve to some
extent the congressional library from over
GROWING on holidays and Saturdays and
permit this great library to become more
"nd more distinctly reference library for
students The proposed library VIII do we'll
one half at the expense of the District
what the congressional library now does
poorly. exclusively at the cost of the nation
Inc suggestion was made in yesterdays
House debate of popular:zng of the Con-
Gressional Library, which would obviate
the necessity of creating new library
This IS the old formula the suggestion of
the same visionary idea, which has served
50 many times to prejudice free library
projects and to retain the community in
the dissraceful libraryless condition in
which il finds itself today. Our legislators
ground that they may do something else
and then neglect to do the other thing
When the Congressional Library gets in
its new building it ought to be. and prob
ably will be. opened in the evening" but it
will never be a circulating library for the
people The copyrighted books which are
deposited there In accordance with law
cannot be scattered over the city, and
these great reference libraries for the
WORLDS scholars are not substitutes for
popular circulating libraries for the people.
The British Museum reference library with
It's two million books. does not satisfy Lon
don 1t has thirty local libraries for the
people Paris. with its great national ref
erence library, has in addition s:xty-four
popular libraries
The modern library is part of a munich
pal:ty's educational system. 1t is an adj
iunct of the public schools. and has been
termed the peoples free university The
nation. outside of it's local obligations un-
der the law of 1878. and outside of any
equities which may arise from the part
which the proposed library will play as a
substitute for miscellaneous libraries in
the departments, and to a limited extent
for the Congressional Library in part of
It's work. Sas always in its national ca
paciiy fostered educational efforts, and has
given a hundred million acres of public
lands and millions of dollars to the states
for educational purposes. Not foot of
land has ever been donated for this pur-
pose to the District.
Action upon the report of a conference
committee VIII in the end decide whether
Congress, which legtslates exclusively for
this national city, will or will not supply
II in the regular, orderly and lawful way
with a municipal necessity, which is en-
1oyed by hundreds of American commun-
ties, large and small. in every section of
the republic, through the progrcssiveness
of wide-awake and faithful legislators and
common councilmen.
1t is somewhat unfortunate for their own