The Portland daily press., 1899-01-28

the visitors ut the Capital Yesterday
There May he Movement Against
Use of Purse seines.
Augusta, January "a. The bill for the
establishing of a system of travelling IL
braries Is not the only one which relates
to the libraries Of the State. Some years
ago law was enacted for the better pro-
lection of sheep. That title does not sug-
gest law for the licensing OF dogs but
| that was the purpose of the measure, the
money derived from the taxes to be used
in paying for sheep killed by dogs. Now
after the slaughtered sheep have been
pc i'd for and SO 1t Is proposed to devote
this money to the cause of education, b.
applying 1t to the support of public H.
braries. Each town is to receive an
amount in proportion to the amount it
paid into the State treasury as deg tax
money. II u town has no public library.
then the State treasury becomes sort of
savings institution. holding the money
until the town wakes up to its deficien-
cies and establishes its library 1t is q
way to make the dogs pay part of the
bills for books for their masters. In or
der that all may be treated alike the bill
provides a public library system for plan
tations where 1t would not be feasible to
have libraries. This measure should not
be COMPOUNDED with that for the public
library system advocated by the women
of the State Federation this week. This
bill was introduced Thursday and tabled
for printing. These are the ways 1t pro-
vides for carrying out it's purpose:
Section /. All none, received by the
State treasurer, as provided In section
three of chapter two hundred and eighty
seven of the Public Laws OF eighteen
hundred and ninety three as amended by
chapter two hundred and ninety seven of
the Public Laws of eighteen hundred and
ninety seven. remaining un.xpended at
the end Of the year shall constitute a free
library fund, from which shall be paid
annually to each city or town where "A
free library has been established and
main tained on the certificate of the NUM-
cipal officers thereof, sum equal to the
proportiouate part OF such fund which
each has paid into the treasury.
Sect 2. The money SO paid to any city
or town shall be expended in maintaining
free library therein.
Sect The balance or said library
fund shall be held by the State treasurer,
in trust, fer the several cities. towns and
plantations from which it was received.
II any city or town shall determine by
vote to establish free library therein
and shall provide for the care and keeping
of the same. anu its municipal officers
shall so certify 30 the State treasurer, he
shall pay to such city or town Its acoumu-
lated proportion or part OF said fund Tor
the establishment of such library, and
thereafter annually its proportion OF such
tuEd for the maintenance of such library.
sect. 1. so much of said fund as Is re-
ceived from plantations shall constitute
fund for the purchase of books for the use
of said plantations; said books TO be pur-
chased by the state librarian under the
direction of the Governor and Council, |
and loaned to the citizens of any planta- |
ton on the application of its officers, or
any responsible association or person |
Their ein, for the period Of not more than |
six months, at the end of which period |
said books shall be returned to the state |
library and on application new invoice |
may be loaned.
SEQ. j. No city or town shall be en- |
Titled to receive any aid from the state |
under the provisions OF section two and |
section tive of chapter two hundred and |
forty two of the Public Laws Of eighteen |
hundred and ninety three by reason of
the expenditures of the fund herein |
named. either in establishing or in main
tanning free library.
sec. q All acts and parts of acts in
consistent with this act are hereby re-
pealed.