The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-19
in the year, and are obtained by dividing
the home circulation by the number Of books.
No. of Average Tax Total

An examination OF these hgureS VIII re-
veal the following facts:
l. That ST. Paul has fewer books than any
city on the list except one.
2. That the books in the st. Paul library
are used more frequently than in most of
the other cities and that, too, without any
branch libraries, which in Minneapolis, for
instance, account for % per cent of the cir
culaton. This disproves the assertion that
ours is not reading community.
g. That many of the other libraries have
large revenues from endowments and other
outside sources, while the st. Paul library
depends wholly upon taxation, except for the
small amount received from fines, etc.
f. That the revenue of the ST. Paul library
from taxation is less than that of any other
city in the list except Providence R. l., which
has a large private endowment.
s. That the total revenue of the st. Paul
library is so far out of proportion to the
size, wealth and relative Importance of this
city, as compared with other cities, as 10 De
nothing less than pubic disgrace.
In view of these facts, every friend OF the
educational interests Of this city must READ
with deep disappointment the report submit
ted to the chamber OF commerce last Nonuay
by a majority of its committee on education,
opposing any increased library provision In
the new charter. With all respect to the
well known high character of the signers OF
this report, and the worth of their motives,
it is hard to believe that they could have
realized the full import of their action IN
effect, these gentlemen recommend that tne
limitation to $4,000 per year, adopted Blk
a permanent feature Of our charter, and so
an effectual bar be raised against any library
development whatever, for years to come;
Their argument may be briefly SUMMARIZED
thus: We cannot use any more money Whlle
the library is in it's present quarters; we can
not get into new quarters, because we cannot
issue any bonds for building; therefore we
can do nothing. This is the old familiar end
less chain which has done obstructive duty
for the last ten years. There are just Two
defects in it, as logical proposition; namely,
both the premises are incorrect. First; Inc
library board can more money now, anu
needs it badly. Its balance of So 904, Dec. l,
is not a surplus by the way. but must pay
all expenses until about March l. If the board
had s25 600 annually instead of SO, oo0 II cou-d
buy much-needed books flor which there
is still ROOM; 1t could es,' ablish one or more
branches; it could probably rent de- mt EN-
pcrary quar- ers. TIE SEQ r n Is equal
ly faulty for nobody proposes to ISSUE ponds
for library building. and there is DO neeu
to- The old Market house property mas .Deeh
set aside by general consent as the resource
for the future library build ng, and 1t is
almost certain to be sid within the next two
years and as much of the proceeds as Gees
sary applied to that purpose 50 that the
way is open for an advance, just SO SION
as reasonable revenue Is provided. The
library board asks simply to- be paced under
the state law which fixes half-mlll on the
dollar as the maximum. Then II the c)uhcia
will fix the appropriation 70: 1899 at $25,O3O
and for 1900 at $50 go, we can reasonably
expect within three years to have beautiful
commodious building a growing C election,
branches with daily service, and all the
agencies which GO to make public library
the center of citys higher life.
/ -Chares Z. MacKean.