Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-01-07
STATE HOUSE.
The Recess Calm Peryades
the Whole Capitol.
Grange and Women's Clubs Will Ask
for travelling Libraries.
Gossip Picked Up in the Lobbies and About
the Departments.

After the tumult and hustle of the
| opening days of the session. those con-
nected with the various departments
were glad, Friday, to have a chance to
catch up with some of the work that
has been neglected the past week. With
| the many visitors in the departments II
| has been almost impossible to conduct
the work with regularity. AS soon as
| the members are firmly settled down to
| their work there will be less calling upon
the departments, outside where the com
| mittee hearings are held, and all will
move along more systematically.
But few of the legislators remained In
the city after the adjourning of the ses-
sion, Thursday afternoon, to Tuesday of
next week. These few are, as rule,
| those who live so far away, that they
| cannot easily get home and back again
without bother, SO they remained
Those few who remained were in their
places reading and writing, and now ana
then talking over the situation with one
| another. Many did not pass much of
| their time at the State House, on ac-
| count of the storm but remained in their
comfortable hotels and boarding places.
All the officers of the two branches
were at the State House a part or all the
day, as they about all had duties to
which they wished to attend As it is
the first of the session, there was much
to be done.
Governor Powers was a busy man, all
Friday forenoon, attending to the bus,-
ness of his office. and in receiving the
callers who had business
Governor and Mrs. Powers with their
family left on the express in the after
noon for their home in Houlton where
they will remain until next Tuesday
Mrs. Powers is planning upon passing
the greater part of the time this winter
IN Augusta with the Governor.
one of the things that all are remark
ing at, is the promptness of the presid-
ing officers of the two branches in get
ting the committees appointed. Last
year one of the chief topics of the con-
versation during the recess was the com
mittee possibilities which were to he an
nounced on the following Tuesday. bu.
this year, that subject is removed and
each man is studying upon the subject
of the matter upon which he is supposed
mittce.
One OF the important days of the ses-
sion will be January 26. when the Fed
Grafton of Women's Clubs will visit the
Capitol in the interests of legislation
The ladies have made this visit at each
session of the Legislature for the past
few years and this day is now set apart
for them as a matter of honor. 1t
seems good, SO many of the Legislators
think, to have the genter sex in at
tendance at the session of the day. in
such large numbers. Those who at
tend are always interested to see how
the men act. that they make them
selves able to follow the rules of the
organization in their own meetings.
One of the measures that the ladies
will urge. this year. is the far famed
travelling library, which they recon-
mended to the last Legislature. but
which was defeated. This did not dis
courage the ladies however. for they
realized the idea was new one and
that it would require time to show the
SoiOnS what it was. They had said
enough about it to get the Grange of
the State interested and, together. the
two bodies hope to have their request
that an amount be appropriated for the
establishment of travelling libraries
granted. There have been many petit
tions circulated in the Oranges and
among the women's clubs to be pre-
sented,' 50 a flood of these petitions will
soon be coming in. In the petitions of
1897 the amount of $4,000 a year was
asked for. but in this years petitions
no sum will be specified.
For the benefit of the legislators that
they may fully understand the real
travelling library law, sample travel
ling library has been sent to this State
from the state library of New York,
and it can be seen in the private office
of State Librarian Carver.
1t consists of small book case. large
enough for 50 books. With this is a cat
alogue case and all the forms of papers
that are used in connection with 1t.
With all this is still another packing
case in which the whole is shipped
from one point to another. A town
applies for one Of these libraries and
reliable citizens sign the necessary Pc
pers holding themselves responsible
fOr the safe TGluIIl VI tlC DoOh9 - . NoNA
condition, or if in the case of. a Wo-
mans club, the members hold them
selves responsible for the return. Inc
case of books is sent along at the ex-
pense of those who apply for 1t and
they have the privilege of Keeping It
three months. In most states where
the idea has been adopted. an extension
of time is allowed. At the end OF this
time the case of books is returned to
the library where it is inspected ana
sent on to the next place.
The cost of the outfit. outside OF the
books, is about so for each case ana
catalogue case OF course the books
have to be paid for by the State ana
their value will depend upon their
quality. In some states the librarian
is left to select the books, while in oth-
ers corlr1ittee has the work IN
charge. The sample library from New
York, is made up of about medium
grade in regard to the writer's.
Many of these libraries are bought
and set in operation. the different ones
being sent out about as fast as they
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