Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-29
A PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Bill as Finally Approved by
Congress Today.
MUNICIPALITY SUSTAINED INSTITUTION
History of the Movement Leading
TO This Splendid Result.
T E XT OF TIL E B L L

free public library in the District of Co
lumbia. The bill to this effect. which has
today received the final Legislative sane
tion, will soon be in the hands of the Pres
ident for his formal approval The new
statute creates the first free public library
in the modern sense of the term which the
District has ever enjoyed This accom-
plishment is the elimination of the work
of several years. 1t represents hard-fought
battles, the overcoming of serious obSta-
cles and temporarily powerful objections.
The measure passed by Congress,
der the title "A bill to establish and pro-
yiGe for the maintenance of u free public
library and reading room in the District OF
Columbia is as follows:
BE it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, That
free public library and reading room is
hereby established and shall be maintained
In the District OF Columbia, which snail be
the property of the said District and a sup
pIement of the public educational system
OF said District. All actions relating to
such library, for the recovery of any
penalties lawfully established in relation
thereto. shall be brought in the name of
the District of Columbia, and the Commits
siOners of said District are authorized on
behalf OF said District to accept and take
title TO all gifts. requests and devises for
the purpose of aiding in the maintenance
or endowment OF said library; and the
Commissioners of said District are further
authorized TO receive as component parts
of said library collections of books and
other publications that may be transferred
to them.
Sec. .. That all persons who are perma-
nent temporary residents of the Dis
trict of Columbia shall be entitled TO the
privileges of said library, including the Use
or the books contained therein, as a lend
ing or circulating library, subject to such
rules and regulations may be lawfully
established in relation thereto
Sec. j. That the said library shall be in
charge Of a beard of library trustees who
shall purchase the books, magazines and
newspapers. anu procure the necessary ap
pendaSeS for such library. The said board
Of trustees snail be composed of nine mem
bers. each of whom shall be a taxpayer in
the District of Columbia, and shall serve
without compensation They shall be ap-
pointed by the Commissioners of the Dis
tTict Of Columbia, and shall hold Office for
SIX years: Provided, That a the first meet
ing of the said board the members shall be
divided by lot into three classes The first
class. composed of three members, shall
hold office for two years: the second class,
composed of three members, shall hold
office for four years: the third class COM
posed of three members, shall hold office
for six years Any vacancy occurring in
said board shall be filled by the District
Commissioners Said board shall have
power to provide such regulations for its
own organization and government as it
may deem necessary.
sec T. In3t the SAID board snail have
power to provide for the proper care and
preservation of said library, to prescribe
rules for taking and returning books to
fix, assess and collect fines and penalties
for the loss of or injury to books and to
establish all other needful rules and regu-
lat!Ons for the mana cement OF the library
as the said board shall deem proper The
said board of trustees shall appoint libra
rian to have the care and superintendent
OF said library, who shall be responsible to
the board OF trustees for the impartial en-
fOrcement of all rules ard regulations law
fully established in relation to said library
The said librarian shall appoint such as
sist4nts the board shall deem necessary
to the proper conduct of the library. The
said board Of library trustees shall make an
annual report to the Commissioners of the
District of Columbia relative to the man
sEement of the SAID library.
Sec y That said library shall be located
in some convenient place in the city of
Washington to be designated by the Com
missiOners nf the District of Columbia up
on the accommodation of the trustees of
said library, provided, that in any munich
pal building to be hereafter erected in said
District suitable provision shall be made
for said library and reading room sufficient
to accommodate not less than 10o,O0O vol
Umes.'
The Library Movement.
The proposition to create a municipality
sustained library in the District was first
advanced in The Star and seriously urged
several years ago. There had been. prior
to that time. several movements by public
spirited citizens. and especially the work
lnEmen, looking TO the establishment of a
free library by private subscriptions but
nothing practical was accomplished until
The Stars proposition of a municipal Ii
brary was taken up by the library COM
mittee of the board OF trade and adopted
by the board at a meeting held on the 2Ith
of March, 1891. That date represents the
beginning of the active campaign for the
Iree library. which has just been closed
with success At a meeting of the board
held last November n report was made
from the committee public library con-
sisting of Theodore W. Noyes chairman:
A T. Britton. NJ NJ. Parker. Weston Flint.
+. 3. Mcclure, James T. Dubois and Dam
lei Murray. which detailed the work of the
year then concluding accomplished by this
body toward the securing of legislation
In that report attention was called to the
report of the year previous when recon-
mendations were made looking to the main
tenance of the proposed library at munich
pal expense. as the public schools are sup
ported. This 1894 report was unanimously
adopted by the board. and the committee
was authorized and instructed to urge upon
Congress legislation which should create a
library OF the kind described. The bill
drafted by the committee and adopted by
the board of trade was indorsed by the
District Commissioners. the school trustees
the local workingmen's organizations the
East Washington and other citizens or
ganizations-in fact, by every conspicuous
organized representation of local public
Approved by Congress.
The reception OF the proposition in Con-
gress was also favorable. Many warm
friends and advocates were secured in both
Senate and House. The measure was. how
ever, held back in the Senate that It might
first be tested in the House. The House
District committee, after thoughtful con-
sideration Of the bill. nanmousiy reported
it favorably, and In is report argued yigor-
OuSly for the adoption of the measure In
the consideration of the bill in the House
Its friends thOughtlesSly permitted It to be
amended until the erection of an indaoend-
ent public building for the proposed library
was called for. with the result tina. the
measure was referred 10 the committee on
public buildings and grounds, where In
company with numerous other public build
Ing projects, il was buried and never resur-
rected- There was no eIl opposition to the
measure on its merits, and the committee
resumed work IL the following autumn with
the hope that the Fffty-fourlh Congress
(CoEtinued on Third Page)