The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-11
GESTs THAT THE CHARTER COM
MISSION PROVIDE WE'LL
FOR ITS FUTURE EXPENSES.
TO THE PEET REso-
LUTON PASSED, AFTER a
LIVELY DEBATE.
SEE NEW MORTAR CARRIAGES
Factory Where They Are Made
Thursday.

AT the meeting of the chamber of
commerce yesterday morning, the mat
ter of Library Taxes" was discussed
as a special order and disposed Of. E.
w. Peet. author of the library reso-
luton, moved that the report of the
committee. recommending that it be
indefinitely postponed, be laid on the
table, and. in SO doing, he said that ne
did not think the body wanted the re-
pert submitted to the charter commits
sion, as the sentiment and belief Of the
chamber on the question, as it was mis-
leading in several respects. First, the
stand taken in the report that the lib
rary board had money on hand as a
balance the first Of the year and there
fore could not use the additional ap-
preparation asked for in the resolution,
was erroneous, inasmuch as the bal
ance referred to went to pay January
salaries, and if the board had not been
conservative in their management of
the library in the distribution of the
comparatively small appropriation of
$4,000 they would have no funds
available the first of the year to meet
the current expenses of the month of
January. Mr.. Peet said the other state
ment made in the report that they did
not have enough room to accommodate
any additional books was also errone-
Gus, as they had recently moved the
Juvenile department into a large room
on the same floor of the court house
as the other departments, and thus had
do i1iY
the main circulating department. They
could easily build shelves over the pres
ent ones, which could be reached by
ladders and galleries, and would in this
way be able to secure ample accommo-
dations, for a large number OF new
books, giving adequate facilities for
several years to come. This arrange
ment would give them room for 80 per
cent more books.
Mr.. Peet said of the $4,000 books of
all kinds only 10000 were In circula-
ton, as the rest were government re-
ports and bound periodicals. The
library had II 900 patrons, which meant
$4,000 readers. Tt was we'll selected,
well managed, and best of all well used,
and he thought every citizen and tax
payer was alive to the necessity for
ample library facilities for a city as
large as st. Paul. In closing, Mr.. Peet
said he was particularly anxious that
the report of the committee should not
go before the charter commission.
While it contained as last clause the
recommendation that the charter COM
mission deal as leniently with the st.
Paul public library as possible, it drag
ged the question Of raising funds for
maintenance of the public schools dur
ing the next year in, which was quite
misleading as to the sentiment of the
chamber on the subject.
Mr. Langford-Why don't you go be-
fore the charter commission with this
report?
Mr. Peet-I don't want it to go before
the commission because it is not cor
rect.
A spirited discussion ensued upon the
motion of Mr.. Peet to lay the matter
on the table. Mr. Murray asked Mr..
Peet If he did not want the commits
sion to deal leniently with the library
board in providing for the tax levy
of a quarter to a half mill on the as
sessed valuation of the city. Mr.. Peet
replied that he did. but he did not
want this report to go before the body.
N. P. Langford. the chairman of the
committee making the report, rose to
make explanation of the intent of the
L.
Dean made the point of order that a
motion to lay on the table was not de-
batable. Mr.. Murray thought that Mr..
Langford should not be shut off from
explaining lis position on a point of
order. The point was sustained, and
the report of the committee was laid
on the table. After the report of the
committee. discussion arose as to
whether the report carried the original
oh ir- haI 10
the resolution was still before the
chamber. Walter Chaplin said he was
glad the motion had prevailed. He
thought the reins should not be drawn
too tight on administrative bodies, as
the fire board had a surplus by eco
nOmical mana cement, which they had
diverted to the permanent good of the
city
Thomas Cochran offered the follow
ing substitute which was adopted in
the place of Mr.. Poets resolution: Re
solved. That this chamber recognize
the urgent necessity for improved pub
lie library facilities, and we respectful
ly ask the charter commission to take
the whole subject into consideration
and endeavor to arrange for an in
creased appropriation on a scale grad
uating to the growing necessity Of the
city.
Charles F. MacKean said that in 9TH
err cities Of like size much larger ap-
prOpriations were made for library pur-
poses. He thought many families had
moved away from st. Paul on account
of meager library accommodations He
asserted that public opinion had set
aside the market house site for libra
ry, and when the proper time came and
the conditions warranted the eXpendi-
ture. new building would be built
Dean Liggett, of the state agricul-
tural school, extended an invitation to
the chamber to visit the farm at St
Anthony Park in a body Wednesday.
Jan. 10, to see the work done there and
to remain to dinner as guests of the
faculty. R. A. Rirk, of the board of
directors. who visited the school last
year. thought too much Importance
could not be put upon fostering of close
relations between the city and the
school. He thought they should have
some means of getting better trans
portation facilities between the city
and the school. The invitation was ac-
cepted with thanks.
Oliver Crosby, of the American Hoist
and Derrick company, said they had
completed the first of the mortar car
riages which they We're building for
the government, and invited the cham
Der to view their work next Thursday
afternoon. Mr.. Crosby said this was
the first work of the kind ever done
in the West. The mortar could easily
fire shot from the city to Fort Shell
ing. Each shot weighed 800 pounds,
and it required 100 pounds to fire the
gun, and one shot thrown into the bus
mess portion of st. Paul would demol-
ish five or six buildings Each car
rage was valued a. S. 600 The cham