Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-26
FREE LIBRARY BILL
Hearing Before the House District
Committee Today.
TEE BOARD OF TRADE MEASURE
Necessity for Such an Institution
Here Fully Shown.
A BILE OUTLOOK
TIE BOARD OF TRADE MEASURE
A FAVORABLE OUTLOOK

A FAVORABLE OUTLOOK
The House District committee gave
hearing tn s morn ng upon the bill providing
for a free circulating library. the pro-
Visions Of which measure have been pub
Hshed heretofore in The Star.
Gen. A. w. Greedy first addressed the
committee, favoring the BILL with certain
amendments. Gen. Greedy said he repre-
Scented the Washington City Free Library
recehtly organized by public subscription.
now containing 400 volumes. He said the
support which has already been given this
library accentuates the necessity for an
adequate free circulating library. He felt
that the promoters Of the Washington City
Free Library should receive recognition for
their work. and to this end he offered an
amendment providing that the Washington
City Library shall be received as a part of
the library organized under the pending
bill, stating that the trustees have unani-
mously voted to turn its books over to the
proposed public library. He also proposed
an amendment provid ng that the assistant
librarians shall be appointed after profess
sional examination by the board of trus-
tees.
Mr.. T. w. Noyes' Address.
Mr.. Theodore W. Noyes. representing the
library committee of the board of trade.
then addressed the committee. He said that
in this bill the people of Washington asked
to be placed on an equal footing as far as a
free library was concerned with other in
tellgeht and progressive communities. Ac-
cord:ng to library statistics, the people of
Washington have a greater number OF
books per capita, in their city than those
of any othe, American community but ac-
cording to cold fact they have the actual
enjoyment of fewer books per capita than
the people of many of the villages of the
United States. The million books in the
congressional and departmental libraries
are Inaccessible as Circulating libraries, and
IN the evening to the general public, and
the average Washingtonian is tantalized
with the sight of what he cannot enjoy. It
is another case of Water water every
where, nor any drop to drink
Mi. Noyes said tnat what g needad Is a
tax-supporteI circulating library, with read
Ing rooms open in the evening as wei as
during the day. Since 1850 the library sup
ported by the municipality as an adjunct
to the pubic schools has been recognized as
the only true public library in the modern
sense. Six hundred towns and villages of
the republic now enjoy tax-supported libra
ries Of this kind. The stage Of municipal
development in this matter attained nearly
half century ago by certain American and
English cities. and now reached by numer-
GUS young and aspiring communities all
over the land may reasonably be demanded
for the capital Of the republic in 1896.
Popular Sentiment Asks the LesisIn-
ton.
Popular sentiment appeals for the legisla-
ton outlined in this bill without dissent
ing voice. The board Of trade has unani-
mous!y indorsed 1t, and the library commit
tee Of that organization has obtained SUBJ
script.ons Of some 5000 from a few public
spirited citizens with which to help to equip
the library with books when 1t has been
created by suitable legislation. Other sub
scriptionS Of money and books are assured
when the library bill becomes law. Citi-
zens' associations in various sections of the
city have added their Endorsements to that
of the board Of trade.
The most important function Of the mod
ern library ia its service as a supplement- of
the public school. to be utilized by all pupils
In connection with their studies, and to be
enjoyed as kind of free university for
evening attendance by those oppressed by
poverty, whose school studies are cut short
by the necessity CT laboring during the day
for support. There are in the neighborhood
of 7O,0OO children Of school age in the Dis
trict, and about one-haf Of ,his number are
over twelve years Of age and in special need
of library facilities. The school trustees of
the District are alive to the fact that such
library is a necessity to the fullest mod
ern education, and Al a recent meeting they
unanimously adopted indorsing resolutions
The District Commissioners, the official su-
periors of the trustees, have repeatedly
indorsed the library project
Appeal From Worlkingmen.
In behalf Of this legislation there comes
also a powerful appeal from the District
wOrkingmen. According to the census of
1890 there were then engaged IN the Dis
trict in lines Of work classified as manu-
features over $1,000 adults To this number
must be added the thousands of working
men in other lines of work not classed as
manufacturers. and then this number must
be multiplied, since many are the heads of
families, to ascertain the number Of read
ers. The local Federation of Labor, repre-
senting the organized worklngmen Of the
District, has on two occasions indorsed the
project, and recently the legislative COM
mittee Of that body, acting under instruc-
1ions from the federation, memoralized
Congress, petitioning for the passage of the
bill.
The nation, Mr.. Noyes said. is interested
in the creation of this library, not only as
a partner in all municipal concerns of the
natjons city, but also for the reason that
1t will be a money-se wing device in respect
purely national. When this library Is in
full operation it will serve as q general de-
partmental library for the 10000 persons in
ment. The nation will thus be saved the
expense of duplicating miscellaneous col
lections of books now enjoyed by q few of
the departments, which In justice and con-
sistency would otherwise need to be repeat
ed In every department and bureau of the
government.
The creation Of this library and its con-
duct on a broad scale would give to the
small number Of clerks who are now favor
ed with limited library facilities much
finer circulating library and would supply
to a great body of government employees
privileges Of which they are now entirely
deprived. 1t would serve as an economical
substitute for the score OF more of small