The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-17


library, located in the chamber OF
commerce building, second floor, being
a library and reading room combined,
the whole accessible to the public dur
ing the greater part of the day; the
books being loaned out to applicants. at
a very low rental There are several
thousands of volumes, most of them
UP to date and of prime value from a
literary point of view. OF serial itera-
ture there have until recently been the
current magazines and numerous dairy
and weekly newspapers; also some OF
the leading class journals. COnSlder-
ing the limited accommodations OF the
library catalogue, there has been an
encouraging patronage. Miss CHAP
man has long been known as the most
kindly and helpful Of librarians. In
response to the interrogations pro
pounded, she says:
For three years, or until last april
the city council made an annual ap-
preparation of $1,000 for the supporter
the library. This donation being with
drawn, the library has been selt-sup-
porting, chiefly from the small tax I'M
posed upon the rented books rms
amounts to about $40 per month. The
readers of fiction pay the larger part
of the sum, and in order to make
considerable amount it is necessary
that the library should keep up with
the popular writer's of the day This
we have been unable to do, owing to
the insufficiency of the funds. Even
the leading periodicals have been cut
off from the reading table. 1t has al
ways been the custom to bind the
standard magazines as soon as vol
ume is completed, as they add mater
tally to the reference library, but for
year and half they have been laid
Ill ,.7I-r- tho
bindings are unfit for use, thus de-
privtng the public of their perusal, and
only on account of our financial ina
bility to have the binder give them
necessary attention. Mr.. F. j. Leon
ard has been kindly circulating sub
scription list for the purpose of re-
placing the current magazines upon
the reading table His efforts are APP
preciated very much. and we hope he
will succeed. Last year the Ladies
Literary club aided materially in the
support of the library and the special
and combined effort of the Ladies'
clubs of the city, together with the
lecture delivered by Mr.. Edwin Milton
Royle was also of great assistance.
While the readers of fiction do not
patronlze the library as formerly, sim
ply on account of our inability TO keep
up the supply of popular works, it is
more widely used as a reference library
by teachers and pupils The library is
at present seeing its darkest days, but
we are confident that the people will
not remain blind to the needs of an
enlightened community, and that the
light viii soon break through and dis
pei a few of the clouds"
We all know that the only radi-
cal way of remedying an evil is to ap-
peal to those in authority, rely on their
ability, and await the result
GLEN MILLER's BILL.
Our fellow townsman, Glen Miller,
has proven his willingness to assist in
deciding the question by instituting
and submitting to our senate a bill
praying for the establishment and
maintenance of a free reading room
and library in Salt Lake City, as well
as other Utah cities of the first and
second class. On being interviewed in
regard to this laudable effort, Mr.. Mil
Ter said:
Il do not regard this as d perfect
bill. 1t is not my ideal, but it is the
result of deep and serious thought as
regards the needs of the people of
Utah, and those needs which would
be practicable, considering the DISPOSE
ton of the present Legislature. A few
OF the salient features of my bill are
as follows:
BE it enacted by the Iegis-
lature that the city council of each
city of the first and second class shall
have power to establish and maintain
free public library. A tax of one
mill on the dollar each year be levied
to sustain this library.
There shall be board of six
trustees. Only one of these may be
long to the city council These are
to serve without compensation, and
take entire charge, having exclusive
control of all funds, and adopting such
rules and regulations as they see fit.
Upon presenting a petition signed
by fifty legal voters Of any city under
the first or second class, an election
shall be called to vote upon the cues
ton of establishing and maintainingn
public library, together with the
tax
These" said Mr., Miller, "are but
few features. and [ have received
many suggestions as to the altera-
ton OF some Of them. The following
are a few of them:
'F'irst-That the limit of taxation
should be no less than one mill in
stead of no more than that amount
Second-That the board of trus-
tees be equally divided between the po-
| itical parties and the sexes.
''Third-That no member of the
council be permitted to be one of the
board of trustees
This. however. would cut out Mr..
Diehl, who is d natural man for the
position.
4 also find that great deal of feel
ing has been created among warm
friends of the idea, that the tax has
not been made compulsory This, how
ever, would be directly opposite to our
! constitution. and they probably do not
know that even If the bill were passed
TINS provision could not be enforced, as
1t is in direct opposition to section 5.
which | quote:
The legislature shall not in7nose
taxes upon any county. city, town or
! other municipal corpora ton. but NAV
| by law vest in the corporate authori-
ties thereof respectively the power to
assess and collect taxes for all DUR
| poses of such corporation
Inc petitions for my library bill have
| been overwhelming The Federation of
/ Women's clubs Of Utah met Wednesday
! evening and presented one. They were
represented by Mrs. Carleton Mrs. Kin
ney, Mrs. Dart, Mrs Green of Provo
and Mr.. Diehl. [ find that Salt Lake
! City and ogden have already formed
the nucleus of first class free libra
ries. Provo has not, but the ladies are
| anxious to establish one, as well as
prominent citizens in other small cit
les of our state, notably Lehi and Lo-
! gan. In fact, the ladies seem to be tax
! ing the lead in this movement all over
the state, and it is well that they do.
! Formerly they represented only a SEN
] fiToa r n