St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-28

Thus it appeared that st. Paul could
only be compared in the matter Of it's
library expenditures with Los Angeles,
city Of less than half its size. Yet
Los Angeles spent even more money for
its library than did ST. Paul The an
nual library fund available here should
evidently be. increased, but how? The
limit under the charter is $4,000. Min
neapolis, however, imposed a library
tax Of four mills instead Of the one and
a quarter mills assessed here for the
same purpose. Branch libraries were
also required in ST. Paul. More than
half the circulation in Minneapolis was
from the branch libraries. 1t was also
desirable that a public library should
accumulate contributions of statuary,
paintings, curiosities and the like.
These contributions could be best OBJ
tanned through vigorous work by an as
sociation Of citizens. The present libra
ry board did the best it could, but its
powers We're strictly limited. Mr.. Nc
Kean therefore favored the idea Of a
library association.
Henry J. Horn agreed with Mr.. Mac
Kean. Mr.. Horn said that st. Paul
was manifestly far behind its sister
city in this matter. The sale of the
market site for library purposes was
an accepted intention in the public
mind. A committee should be appoint
ton.
E. V. Smalley reminded the assembly
| that 'ill weeds grow apace, but you
must cultivate grain Mr.. Smalley con-
tinued:
"This matter cannot be accomplished
in let-alone fashion. There are a great
many people in st. Paul who will tell
you how not to do it. There are few
who will tell you how to do 1t. When
the sale of the market house was men,
toned first some people said, Wait for
the national government to give us the
! old postoffice building A matter Of
| five years. Other side, Wait till the
state can let us have the old capitol
building That would mean ten years
waiting. Others again said that a
business street like Seventh was no
| place for a public library. They forgot
that the great library of the Cooper in
| stitute in New York and the splendid
new public library in Boston are both
situated on busy traffic thronged
streets. Now, it's a mistake to say, as
as we often hear it, that st. Paul, al
| though it lacks a proper building, has a
good library. 1t hasn't a good library.
| And it's a very unfortunate way we
have here in the West to praise every
| thing in our own town regardless Of
| facts. The present public library needs
the addition Of 10000 or 10000 books to
! fit it for an yS original, historical or liter
ary researcinRI RIFor that matter, no man
1 with any regard for his eyes, would at
tempt to pursue any work In the pres
ent quarters Of the library. Even from
practical business standpoint a first
| class library would be of great benefit
| to the city. Without doubt great libra
ries at Boston and Washington have at
tracted to those cities thousands of citi-
Zcns for the benefit of themselves or
| their families. A similar result will
! fellow her, and even if we lost money
on the market house transaction, we
VIC uld much more than get it back
| through an increase in our population.
suggest the appointment of commit
| tee of nine or eleven members to work
in each ward so as to put the new coun-
| cilmen on record in favor Of a new
| library building"
Rev. w. C. Pope favored the i'm
provement of the city's center. He
had built his Church of the Good
| Shepherd in 1859 at Twelfth and Cedar
streets under the impression that the
center of the city would be the first
| part to build up. The neighborhood
| since then, however, had actually di-
minished the number of it's residents.
Every one settled in the distant sub
urbs. Until a few years ago even the
1 corner of Sixth and Robert streets
was the slums of the city. A hand
| some library at the market house
site would do much towards improv-
| ing the central part of town.
1t appeared to DR.. e. P. Ingersoll
| that nothing would more rebound to
/ the public profit in an educational or
material direction than the building
of a splendid new public library An
association to secure such a building
| could cooperate with the Commercial
| club, the chamber Of commerce, the
| clergymen's association and other or
ganized bodies and accomplish much
effective work. But the association
must netensaeraz &only at intervals It
| must stick to its task as q. s. Grant