Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-30

partment, 2S312 J4echnical; War Depart
| ment. 1850 technical and 500 miscellane-
Gus; Treasury Department, q 900 technical
and 5000 miscs llaueous; patent office. 90 ooo
techpica1; bureau Of education, 20,000 tech
meal: Interior Department 10000 mssceila-
reous: Post Office Department. 10000 tech
micah and 600 misc ellareous: geological
survey. 23,1O7 technical; Department OF JUS
tice, 10000 tecanfcal; Department OF Agri-
culture 1900 technical; department Of Ia
Dor 5000 technical This estimate, based
on figures reprinted by The Star at that
tims. gave an aggregate OF ". liz techni-
cal volumes and n 400 miscellaneous books
In the various departmental and bureau
libraries.
The proposition to embody the miscella-
neous volumes in the departmental libraries
in the frae municipal collection did not In
volve the disturbing of the technical coliec-
tions, which, It wis recognized. should be
left intact at the places Of their greatest
use and service Thus the sarly project OF
forming the free municipal library involved
only the accession OF about 10000 volumes.
as part Of the nucleus for the formation of
the city library. In addition 1t was contem-
plated that the librarian of Congress would
be authorized by Congress to turn over to
the new institution such duplicate copies OF
uncopyrighted books in his charge as might
not be required for use in the Library OF
Congress. These were estimated to amount
Ia the aggregate to about 1850 Volumes
end in this way there was in view a con-
templated beginning of thirty -four Or thir-
ty-five thousand looks for free circulation
among the people.
Private Contributions Promised.
AS soon as the proposition to create the
municipal library was preached coatribu
tons vera promised from many private
sources. both of money and of books. con-
tingent, however. upon tho enactment Of a
law creating tho proposed library undar
n;unicipal and national auspices. II condi-
t. nal fund of several thousand dollars WIS
In this way Promised.
After repeated efforts bill for the crea-
ton and maintenance of the library was
carried through the House District commit
tee in the winter OF 1894-5 and was consid-
AIRED in the House. It's friends, however.
thoughtlessly permitted 1t there to be
amended to the effect Of calling for an In
dependent building for the proposed library,
thus necessftating the reference of the bill
to the committee on public buildings and
grounds. where it slumbered to the end Of
the session and Ihe Congress.
Endorsed by All Citizens.
The board of trades proposition to create
a free municipal library was heartily ap-
proved by all classes of citizens. The Dis
trict Commissioners promptly gave 1t their
official Endorsement. The public school au-
thorities warmly advocated the project as
tending toward still further enlargement
of the scope of the public educational work
that had then and is now carried to such a
high plane in the District. 1t met the ap-
prevail of the workingmen, who, through
their organizations, seconded the motion
for the library's creation and used their in
ffuence, exerted in various ways, to secure
the passage of the bill. The citizens asso-
Citations in the various sections entered
upon the enterprise with spirit and at their
meetings passed resolutions in favor Of the
plan and lent valuable aid for it's adoption
The departmental clerks, aside from their
RtI otto, tf.,v,e, Ixy~1 Tod n1n "a
thus, in short time, the propaganda for
the creation of the library was well under
way, with host of supporters of all grades
of official and private standing, and bring
ing influences OF every imaginable decrip-
ton to bear upon the members of Congress.
The board Of trade committee managed the
campaign for the library and advanced the
interests Of the plan whenever the oppor-
The postponemsnt of the project at the
first session during which the matter was
preached was by no means a permanent
discouragement,f for the committee reported
to the board at the annual meeting In the
following November GS95) that the purpose
was to press diligently on toward the goal
of legislationu. THE board again approved
the plan and the various agencies were
the session of $50. This campaign was
successful in part. The bill was passed by
both houses, though shorn OF it's references
to the matter of maintenance. In the form
in which it was enacted into law 1t differed
somewhat from. the original draft and ere
ated the library as q supplement. OF the
public education system of the District"
The House objected to the proposition to
place the expense OF maintenance equally
upon the District and the government, and
struck from the bill the paragraph to that
effect, inserting in it's stead a paragraph
placing the expense entirely upon the Dis
trfct. This raised the vital issue affecting
the organic act that has now been settled
to the satisfaction of all citizens who hope
for the maintenance of that law.
A Notable Conference.
The conference between the houses was
notable in many respects. The House con-
ferees were not chosen exclusively from the
District committee, from which the meas
ure emanated and which had supported it
In its passage. Two Of the three
conferees were taken from outside that
body and strove to retain the House pro-
vision regarding the maintenance of the
library. After many meetings, in which
the Districts best interests were ably sup
ported by Senators Mcmillan, Proctor and
Wetmore, conferees on the part of the
Senate. and Representative Babcock Of the
He use conferees. a compromise was agreed
upon The opposing sections relating to
maintenance, adopted by the two houses,
were dropped, leaving the bill merely a
creative measure without directing specif-
caIiy how the library should be maintained.
June 3, 1896, provides for the establishment
and maintenance of library In the Dis
tr;ct to be available as lending or circu-
lating library to all permanent or tenn
pCrary residents of the District; to be In
charge of a board of nine trustees to be
appointed by the Commissioners, and to be
located in some convenient place in the
city until a municipal building is erected
In the 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.
The COmmissioners' Estimates.
The law having created the library as a
supplement of the public education sys-
tenn of the District" the Commissioners
in conformity with their usual course, in
ccrporated estimates for the new institu-
ton in the next annual budget, submit
ted to the session beginning In December.
1885, asking for s, 800 for the maintenance
of the library. The House ignored the
item, but the Senate inserted it in the bill.
1t was stricken out In conference, and for
another year the library existed only on
paper. Steps had previously been taken.
however, for the Organization of the board
Of trustees. as provided for by the creating
law. which had been SO amended as to