Evening star., 1898-11-15

methods of statisttfians. it appears that
w. .he bistrict workinGman has fourteen
American. And the only difficulty is that
ne cannot possibly make any use of them
whatsoever. There are fifty-two
libraries in the District, each containing
over 1000 volumes, and not one of them is
a free lending library, with a reading room
open at night for the benefit of the gen.
& erai pubic Such an institution is the most
Viewing this ocean Fpf More than a million
BOOKS, spread tanfalizingly before them,
the Worklngmen the school children. the
government clerks the great mass of the
knowledge which comes efrom reading, may
wen exciaffn with the-Ancient Mariner:
water everywhere, nor any drop
.proach of the absence of a true
pubic library in the modern sense has In
the past year been finally taken from the
national capital. The board of trade COM
mittee pushed steadily forward in the cam
pa1gn to this end, and on June 3, 1896, Sc
cured the passage of a law by Congress eS-
tablishlng the desired public library as
supplement OF the public educational sys-
tenn OF the District. But no appropriation
was made for the library's maintenance,
and a fresh struggle began over the issue,
whether the infant institution should be
starved by Withholding sustenance or by
tendering only the indigestible and ulti-
mately fatal food of support exclusively at
the local taxpayers expense as an exception
to the organic act of 1878. Finally, June 30,
1888, the question of maintenance was SCI
tied by an appropriation for library uses
on the ordinary municipal basis in accord
ance with the act of 1873. The public Ii
brary sustained by public appropriation.
but supplied so far with books exclusively
trough private donations, has been housed
in comfortable and accessible quarters az
1896 New York avenue and is now organ
lZed and beginning operations as one of the
most useful and beneficent of our municipal
institutions.
While there is good ground of hearty CON
graduation over what has been accom-
plshed the boards labor of love in connec-
ton with the library is not yet ended. First,
DOCKS must be supplied in adequate num-
berS. Between 10000 and 12,O0o volumes
have been donated, and nearly $1,000 for
the purchase of books memorial funG
to purchase scientific periodicals has be-
subscribed. Public-sprited Washington will
without doubt contribute literally for this
noble purpose
In addition to the effort to enlarge the
resourf IS of the library by private subscrip-
tions, he board will doubtless vigorously
sustain the Commissioners and the library
trustees in an endeavor to secure liberal
library appropriations, including one for
books, and also legislation seeking to Sc
cure for the library's use some of the dupli-
Gates, copyrighted or uncopyrighted, on the
shelVes OF the Congressional Library, and
the miscellaneous books not required for
official reference in the departmental libra
rieS.
Another great gain of the year in Wash
ington's intellectual development has been
the opening of the Congressional Library
at night, & privilege long sought in VAN
by the people, and specifically urged upon
Congress in the last annual report of tn;
pubic library committee. On October l,
1S.'S. the doors of the Congressional Library
opened for the first time to the general
public at night, and with this wonderful
collection for reference uses and the Wash
n dir 10 fIr1ty
poses. Washington may felicitate itsell upon
sitting down TO d literary taDIe well ilIIe,.
with wholesome digestibies, treat all the
more enjoyable because of the contras,
with the captaIs protracted period of lit
erary starvation. y.
The committee on charities and correc-
uchs reports progress in the campaign for
the creation by law of board of charities
for the District, and urges that every eff
fort be made to secure the enactment of
this law at the earliest possible moment
1t recommends the passage of the kill to
provide for the compulsory support of chill
dren by parents, legislation reducing the
maximum age Of girls admitted to the re-
form school from eighteen TO fourteen; pub
lie support of the Associated Charities,
and interest in the housing of the poor
through the Sanitary Improvement Com
Tany. The committee congratulates the
community upon thu conversion, at the
commissioners suggestion, OF the periodic
ally appointed central relief committee into
CitZens' Relief Association, and it strong
ly urges that steps be taken to secure for
Washington in $780, the meeting of the
national conference of charities and cor
rection. ~
This condensation of the committees sug-
gestionsindicatest the whole scope of the field
OF refornatory opportunities opened before
the District, and l venture to emphasiZ.
the hope that in the ensuing year Congress
may crystalline into law some or all of the
forcible recommendations of the commit
tee.
The board, working diligently on these
varied lines through its officers and com
mttees, will contribute to the DEVELOPMENT
of the capital, physically, mentally end
morally, and to the upbuilding of an IDEAL
municipality on the banks of the Potomac
1t does not suffice, however, merely to
foster the various features of municipal
attractiveness which are making Washing
ton an object lesson to the city builders of
the world in certain lines of development.
The facts concerning this municipal ad-
vancement must be made known universal
ly. The city's light is not to be hidden un-
Ger bushel one of the objects of the
board of trade is to disseminate informa-
ton concerning the attractions of Washing
ton to the end that all the people of the
republic may know and appreciate their
capital and that the city's population of
progressive and well-to-do Americans may
be rapidly enlarged and its material pros
perity thereby promoted A special COM
mittee has been appointed to arrange for
the publication of a Washington handbook
to be prepared by Secretary Harries. The
letters absence from the city during his
active service colonel of the District
Regiment of Volunteers and his severe i'll
ness since his return have prevented The
issuance up to this time of the proposed
book. This work is, however, it is under
stood, in an advanced stage of preparatiCn
and the appearance of the publication may
doubtless be expected during the coming
year.
Some members of the special committee
on the Washington handbook have planned
to exploit the beauties of Washington, rot
only through the printed and illustrated
pages, but through stereopticon views sap
plemented by the comments of one or more
lecturers who are to do missionary work
for Washington in various sections CT
the country. If discreetly managed this
project should produce excellent results
The Approaching Campaign.
Next sessions legislative campaign of the
board of trade will be as important as any
upon which it has ever entered. One new
project is Of overwhelming local conse-
quencc.
In 1895 the board of trade discussed, at
public meeting, the necessity of a new code
of laws for the District, and listened to able
and convincing addresses on the subject