The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-28
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IDEAS
ABOUT WHAT A LIBRARY
BOARD SHOULD BE.
WHY WAS UPHAM REMOVED?
SEVERAL, MEMBERS SUGGEST THAT
1T WAS TO MAKE POLITICAL
CAPITAL.
ANNIVERSARY WILL BE JAN. II.
Arrangements for the Big Banquet
Are Being Pushed With
Promise of Success.

Yesterday morning at the meeting of
the chamber Of commerce the special
order on the library tax" question was
taken up and discussed at length. In
cidentally, during the course of the
discussion, it was brought out that a
number of prominent Republicans,
who were members Of the chamber,
had not ceased to feel sore over the
action of Mayor Doran in appointing
Ed Feldhauser a year ago in the place
of H. P. Upham on the library board,
a place which Mr.. Upham had held
since the library board was organized.
And these Republicans said two or
three things which plainly showed, to
even a casual observer, that they did
not like the course which Mayor Doran
had pursued, as was also evidenced In
the address of N. P. Langford on the
subject. One member of the chamber,
who was one of the strongest support
ers Of the present administration dur
ing the last campaign, said yesterday,
after the chamber had adjourned, that
the Republicans of ST. Paul were get
ting disguised with what had turned
OuI W Dc ldlSG anu lliC SO'ASJ VI
Mr.. Doran in unseating such man as
Mr.. Upham had not been forgotten, and
not only this one case, but there had
been several just such cases, and that
Mayor Dorans policy in appointing
men which would further his chances
for reelection had not met with the
approval of the business men of the
city. After Mr. Langford had finished
his address, which is given below,
there was a silence, which was broken
by E. V. Smalley, who inquired who
was responsible for Mr.. Upham being
unseated, and Mr.. Langford replied it
was his honor, Mayor Doran, and then
the Republicans all looked queer and
resumed discussion of the library
tax"
n. P. Langford, chairman of the COM
mittee On education, reported back Mr..
Poets resolution on library tax, looking
towards securing a larger appropriation
with Which to enlarge the city library
by an increase in the tax levy of from
one-fourth to one-half of a mill on the
assessed valuation of the city of ST.
Paul, several weeks ago with the rec
ommendation that it be indefinitely
postponed. The subject was made
special order for yesterday, and the
chamber Wrestled with the matter for
an hour and half without being able
to reach conclusion, the special or
der being again postponed until the
next meeting Of the chamber.
Secretary Tallmadge read the report
of the committee, which was quite
lengthy setting forth it's position. which
was against the increase of the tax
levy. The report was signed by all
the committee with the exception Of P.
5. MacGoWan, who neither voted one
way or the other, but addressed letter
to the chamber giving his views on the
subject. He thought the stand taken
by the majority Of the committee was
erroneous, but in view of the fact that
the concensus Of opinion of the mem
bers Of the committee whom he thought
were better able to judge than he, was
that any increase in appropriation for
this purpose would react against the
public schools, he would remain neutral.
He felt that the city of st. Paul made
g. grievous mistake in neglecting it's
public library. If the majority report
Of the committee was adopted, he hoped
that they would recommend that the
commission deal as literally with the
library as possible.
After both reports Of the committee
had been read the matter was dis
cussed at length by the chamber.
Mr.. Langford explained the sense of
the committee, saying that they con-
sidered the proposition of Mr.. Peet not
a separate one, but as a part of the
question as to how to raise sufficient
revenue for the city of st. Paul as from
present indications, the amount derived
from the next tax levy would be less
than this years, which had been in
adequate to carry on several branches
of the city's work, especially the
schools.
During the course of Mr. Langfords
address he said:
Our library is yet in its infancy, and while
it is not as large as the libraries in many
Of the Eastern cities whose rare treasures
have been accommodating for half a century
or more, yet there are few unendowed librar-
les, having as brief an existence as ours, that
have gathered as many excellent books as
we possess. One reason for this is that
during the years that have elapsed since the
time when, from being an insignificant pri-
vate library it became city library, its af-