The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-04-06
FOR A FREE LIBRARY.
Mrs. Emerson's Able Arguments
Presented to the City Council
City Can Receive $1,000 Worth
of Books as a Gift.


Last Monday night as reported in The
Herald of next day, Mrs. Emerson APP
peared before the members of the city
council IN behalf of the directors of the
public library and asked that the mayor
and council take the necessary steps,
as prescribed in the act recently passed
by the legislature, to establish a free
library in this city. Believing that the
address of Mrs. Emerson on that occa-
sion to be valuable as setting forth not
only what has been accomplished by the
the old library. but also what is hoped to
be accomplished by the new one and fur
thermore, believing it to be a clear, con-
else presenta ton of the provisions of this
important new law. The Herald repre-
sentative called on Mrs. Emerson and
solicited the privilege of publishing the
address,
In view CT the generous offer of the IL
brary directors; the comparatively small
sum asked for-10 cents for every $1,000
assessed, and the known fact that the
Tree library is great aid to the COM
munlty, there seems little reason why the
request should not be granted. The pc
titlon presented contained the names of
$50 of the taxpayers of Ogden, which were
secured with very little effort. less than
half a dozen being found who declined
to sign the petition.
Salt Lake citizens have not yet moved
in the matter for their city, and as 1t
is even now time that all assessment es-
Inmates were in, there is chance for
Ogden citizens to be first in the matter
of securing a free public library. Follow
ing is Mrs. EmerSonS address:
Your honor, Mayor Spencer. Mr.. Presi-
dent and members of the city council
An act to authorize cities and precincts
to establish and maintain free public IL
braries and reading rooms having passed
the legislature, we, the directors OF the
Library association, in compliance with
49,. TO -Nrrr-
honorable body the names of 80 property
holders and taxpayers of the city OF
Ogden, who favor the levying of a tax
of 1-1Gth of a mill instead of 1-S of MILL
as the law provides, for the maintenance
OF a free public library in our city.
For three years and half, library
has been sustained in the rooms below,
partly by subscriptions. aided by enter
tainments of various kinds and sheltered
by this and former city councils.
The burden of raising the money for
this work has become too great for the
directors to carry any longer, ana we Ieel
that by this time all must realize the
Importance of this library to the youth
of our city and will be willing to levy
small tax for it's maintenance.
The library contains over 1,2o0 volumes,
which have cost the association over
81 coo, but when provision is made for It's
support the books will be donated to
the city.
According to this bill the mayor will APP
point nine directors, three for one year,
three for two years, and three for three
years While do not ask Tor a pace
on TINS board for myself, as when the
library comes under the control OF the
city and is supported by public money
l shall feel that my mission is ended, hut
/ would advise the appointment OIL some
of the old directors, as they have long
bean familiar with the work and Will
manage the library in a careful and econ
omical manner.
/ feel that no words of mine are needed
to convince you of the good influence tnat
is going out from this library among the
young people of Ogden; cultlVatlnS rove
for good reading and fostering q haolt
of study, and as our future prosperity
will enable us to provide better accom-,
modations for reading room, we VIII
be able to extend our good work and
gather in more of our young men 10
spend their evenings in this profitable
manner. ++a
we have the names of some OF Inc Inc
heaviest taxpayers in the city on our iiSe
and | am proud to say that we nave the
names of many workingmen, VINO NAYS We
their little homes valued perhaps a. Sl'o ~
or s.. Ooo, who consider that tax OF ~ or
On cents a year for the library would pc
nothing compared to the privileges they
and their children would ENJOY.
AS expected, we found a few Srump9l.ers
who acknowledge they know notnl1 u
about the good work beng oo:pe ns Tii NO c
the lax 1t was simply the old oug-a-poSo
of Increased taxation that they oppo INs..
We hone YOU will give this matter your
favorable consideration, that you may ne
able to look back upon IL a. a. 't e.iyir,e as
ino, act of your administration glvilis' aa
i a. ii, ~ 10 ogden. the honor Of being me
first city in the state TO estapii9h q
public library. =, EMERSON.
President Librar!