The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-06-02
new JERSEY LIBRARIES
Mr.. John Bodine Thompson Re-
views the State Institutions
Extension Work.

Mr.. John Bedtime Thompson. President
or the New Jersey Literary Association,
writing in the True American says
AS early as 1874, James Alexander. one
of the proprietors of East Jersey. with
William Livingston. afterwards Governor
of New Jersey. and others, raised EGO to
purchase books to lend to the people. In
1854 the Legislature passed an act to incor-
porate societies for the promotion OF
learning, and in 1893 extended it to oper-
ate as an Incorporating act, also for
libraries. Under this law library COM
panies were organized In various towns
and cities and villages of the State; but
in most instances, by and by, the interest
tagged, and the books were first neglect
ed. then stolen. and finally given away,
or sold to pay for storage.
In 1871 a law was passed establishing
school district libraries throughout the
State, and more than two-thirds of our
schools are now supplied with such IL
braries. These have educated the people
up to a desire for something better. and
they are themselves also becoming bet
ter by being made more and more dis
tinctly Difference libraries.
In 1883 the hour and the man had come
to begin the movement for something
better. In that year one of the members
Of the Legislatures was William Prall. a
native of Paterson, a graduate of the
University of Heidelberg. a gentleman
who had already been trying to secure a
free library for Paterson. He succeeded
in obtaining the passage OF a law under
which, through his efforts, Paterson was
the first city in the State to secure a free
public library under municipal authority.
The act includes what is really a. refer
ehdum clause. The governing body of any
municipality may submit the question of
a free public library to the legal voters
OF the municipality, and if the majority
vote for a library, the matters is set
tied without further discussion. In case
the law requires that a tax of one-third
OF a mill on every dollars worth of taxa
Die property shall be levied by the tax
authorities, then the Mayor has the an
pointment of five trustees at once. and
thereafter of one each year. the term be-
ing five years. He himself is ex-oficio
trustee, and SO is the superintendent Of
Public Schools. DIR. Prali writes that the
design was to form a perfect and dis
tlnct corporation, to tie 1t to the city and
the system of public education. and to
Keep II OUTSIDE the play OF party politics.
Inc pan has succeeded. Men and women
nave been found willing TO give of their
Time and their labor, and. in some in
stances, of their money, lnus to benefit
their Fellows. The trustees OF the public
libraries have full powers TO do an things
necessary to carry Out the Intention Of
the library act; and they are dischare-
ing the trust faithfully.
We are learning that the instruction
impaired IN the enc is only the begin
ming of the education necessary for the
preservation OF our liberties and the per
petuatlon OF prosperity; that true educa-
public must provide facilities for such ed
ucaIlon II free government is to Continue.
sIhe New Jersey Library Association
Was organized in Trenton, December 29,
1880, and is doing all it can to incite the
inhabitants of New Jersey to the appreci-
alton OF their privileges to become athor-
oughly educated people,