Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-18

Sl,sv, Iuisce,iaheous books in the various
departmental and bureau libraries
Thus IL is to he seen that the facilities
Tor miscellaneous book use in the bureaus
OF the government were confined practi-
y W 70 three departments. the Interior
war and Treasury. Therefore some other
large branches of the government service
are utterly unprov.ded for and the clerks OF
.lese departments. with the other citizens
OF the capital, are thrown upon their own
private resources or upon various organi-
cations 10 which they might belong for
library advantages.
The proposition to embody the miscella-
neous volumes in the departmental libra
ries in the free municipal collection aid
not involve the disturbing of the technical
colectons that was recognized should be
ielt intact at the places of their greatest
use ana service. Thus the early project
OF forming the free murcipal library in
vowed only the accession of about .s,OD
volumes. as part Of the nucleus for the
formation of the city library In addition
II was contemplated that the librarian OF
Congress would be authorized by Con-
sress 10 turn over to the new Institution
such duplicate copies OF uncopyrighted
DOCKS IN his charge as might NOT he re-
CURED Tor use in the Library of Congress-
These were estimated to amount in the
aggregate to about l4.0oO volumes. and in
tais way there was in view a contem-
plated beginning Of thirty-four or thirty
five thousand books for free circulation
among the people.
Private Contributions Promised.
AS soon as the proposition to create the
municipal library was preached contribu-
tons were promised from many private
sources. both Of money and Of hooks con-
ungent, however. upon the enactment of
a law creating the proposed library under
municipal ard national auspices A con-
dltiohai fund of several thousand dollars
was In this way raised and is now regard
ed as available whenever the library is
placed on working basis on the lines
nfst laid down. In the first discussions
OF the project il was agreed that th., new
library should he ultimately housed I'm
the projected municipal building but In
recognition OF the fact that the commence
ment and completion OF such n building
was OF uncertain date Il was proposed 10
utilize meanwhile spare rooms in the new
city post office building, since transformed
building.
After repeated efforts a bin for tho cre,-
uon and maintenance of the library was
carried through the House District commit
tee In the winter of ls9i-5 ard was consid-
er-u IN the House. Its friends. however
thoughtlessly permitted IL there To ha
amended to the effect of calling for an in
dependent building for the proposed library
tLus necessit%ting the reference of the biIl
10 the committee on public buildings and
grounds. where it slunbored to the end of
the session and the Congress- The next
winter the effort to secure the desired leg
H.
Guilty bill was passed by both houses and
approved by the President creating and
rroyid'ng for the maintenance of a free
ru3nc library and reading room i'm this
District.
The Library Act.
The act as approved 10y the President
jane 3, 1896. provides for the establishment
and maintenance of a library in the DIS
trict to be available a lending or circu-
latlng library all
porary residents of the District: to be in
charge of a board of nine trustees TO be
appointed by the Commissioners and TO be
located liz some convenient place in the
city until a municipal building Is erected
in tie District. In that event accommo-
dations shall be provided in that building
for the library and reading room sufficient
for not less than 100000 volumes.
In accordance with the provisions of this
act. under the operation of unbroken Gus
tom, the Commissioners in their next an
rdal estimates asked for a total appropria-
ton of $500 for the maintenapce of the
library. This item was inserted by the
Senate. but finally omitted in the confer
ence report. The House had meanwhile
refused to violate the act of 1875 by placing
the entire expense of the library on the in
dividual taxpayers of the District.
In the House last Thursday Representa-
tive Dockery. during the consideration of
the legislative appropriation BILL suggested
tnal the act OF June 1885,, De repeated,
and declared his intention to endeavor 10
secure its repeal. suggesting that all neces-
sity for this library would cease as soon as
Congress had appropriated the means TOR
opening the Congressional Library at night
and had provided for the circulation of Its
volumes among the people Mr.. Dockery's
remarks have already been reproduced in
The Star. They are on the old line of prom
Uses given for the specific purpose of pre-
venting the accomplishment of the purpose
SO earnestly desired 10y the citizens. name
ly. the extension OF true library facilities TO
residents at the capital. The program has
been carried out before ard IL involves the
same promises that are now being made
of the development of the Congressional
Library to its fullest extent, both for ref
erence and circulating purposes
Developing the Congressional Library
Those who have been for years urging
the creation of a free municipal library
have felt that If Congress should ever
lengthen the hours during which the Con-
gressional Library might be consulted and
should throw open for practically free cir
culation large section of the collection
the necessities for the creation Of a munic-
ipal library would cease. In the past moth
iEg has ever been done to this end and
even now with the Congressional Library
established in an ample building with every
facility for night use and for the widest
possible utilization of the books, the House
cOHIIllttet Oh mas utCunel
to provide the means or the authority for
these steps, and IL is to be viewed as ex-
tremely doubtful whether anything of con-
sequence ever will he done in developing
circulating library the great national
reference collection.
A vast reference library for the worlds
scholars does not prevent I'm other capitals
the existence of numerous popular libraries,
and should not in Washington I'm Lon
don, where the British Museum with its
vast library of over 2,000,00U volumes is
still sacred TO scholars, there are thirty
local libraries in addition to many special
libraries open to various classes of stu
dents. In Paris where the great national
library is only open TO readers well armed
with credentials there are siXty-four popu-
lar Libraries, while Berlin has twenty-five"
The anxiety of Washington is to avoid
falling between two stools in the matter OF
popular circulating library.
Will Debate Property Qualification.
The question as to whether or not there
should be "a property qualification for the
exercise of the elective franchise" is the
subject of debate at the meeting OF the De-
batting Society this evening of the National