New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1899-04-26
ALTON 4 IAN
UNCLE SANS NEW BoOKMAN WILL,
HAVE NO EASY TASK 70 8s
PERFORM.
PLACE SEEKERS AFTER HIM.

Congress Jealous of interference
With the Library by the AssOcfa-
tion Which Mr.. Putnam Repre-
sents, and There Is Likely to BE
Trouble Ahead For the New LIZ.
s brsriah Unless He Has Lots OF Pa
thence and Tact-New Duties WIN
Keep Him Busy.
lf Mr. Putnam the newly appointed IL
ei artan5 of congress. had realized the
troubles that are ahead of him, 1t is likely
ina he would have persisted In his re-
fusal ito accept the place. He has been
pushed into 1t, against his own inclina-
ton, by the National Library association.
winch Is anxious to control the manage
nent Of Uncle Sans book collection
Inns association consists of Librarians, lit
5erary folks and reformers. who hold PEI
Faoolcal conventions and arrive at conclu-
SONS as to how libraries should be run.
\ congress. on the other hand Is emphat-
:l l opposed to any such interference
! from outside. and hence very vigorous
+ ng q has as been going on for some time
81 congress as a body looks upon the IL
4 pIafy as peculiarly its own and for Its
particular USE 1t refuses to regard the
correction as belonging to the public, or as
g nat1oHal library In the ordinary sense.
Inns may be wrong or right, but 1t Is the
TACT Congress Is jealous Of the library.
ana II resents the efforts of the associa-
tion to put It's finger into that pie, CON
ssiuerlhe the attempt gross imperttnence.
lt carries this feeling SO far, indeed. that
many members think the president ought
not to have the right to nominate the
II haf
should belong to congress alone,
the organization referred
Verv , rgfiprssented IN congress by few
atoage and Reed. and 1t Is they who have
secured the appointment of Mr. Putnam.
n ras comes n, N as the library associations
{ VIII mischief To begin with, his confir-
nation is likely to be vigorously opposed,
pbanu ~ because his hesitation to accept
representatives and senators, who enter
taln high estimate of the honor at
u saffiIhlhn a 10 the Guardianship Next, there
ing his salary CO., to e eoua i6a 81 81 od rails
received in Boston-an advance which is
UNDERSTOOD tnn1. to be promised him by Sena-
II Mr.. Putnam imagines that he9s com.
tns 70 washington to take care of books,
ns IS largely mistaken. for that will be a
i,lnao branch Of his work. His chief bus
mess l. VII be to attend to applications for
employment. It is no exaggeration TO
say that nearly one-half of his time: will
oe TAKEN up In receiving visits from sena-
for their friends, and In answering let
ters containing similar appeals. The Ii
orary IS considered by the members gen
az the 20 De as much part Of congress
ana they choose to take an active part
~ It's management. There Is not one Of
Fight W, noe fba hls that he has
est executive act. How different from
Boston, where the trustees of the public
library have never thought OF approach
Ing Mr.. Putnam otherwise than with
Difference. s.
The library Of congress is the only big
government institution outside Of the civ
II service. In 1t are 1873 salaried places,
though all of them are filled. there are
now on the file 5000 applications. Per-
haps there are some incompetents among
the 1873, and Mr.: Putnam may wish to get
rid of them. Let him try to do SO at
his perifl Every one Of these individuals
Is backed by q senator or an influential
row on his hands at once. The senator
or Representatives. OF course, considers
himself one Of the managers Of the estab-
ateempt Is sna w e aGa t resent
Meanwhile, Mr.; Putnam will devote
much Of his attention to the applications
and Endorsements Of scrubwomen. What
the patronage problem. At his home. as
we'll as at his office. he viii be heset con-
tinually. Congressmenasw will bully and
be- no rest for him. This was the sort
~ +bJ,, +hot hrnEa John SR,,aaaIl yonne
down. Vacancies can only be made by
dfscharring people. and anybody who is
make trouble. The ex-employe Is sure
to know enough about the inside work
ings Of the library. to bring plausible
charges Of maladministration. and his
o or senator Is very nkels
oa nsa .n ps,ta W. .,,ooasa I,hrayson nj
MI s..tii 5a suuGe N,e. vnn,s hia ahsi
congress t2 IS M ue tha hook coIiaction but
upon the taot he uses in dealing with
congresslne1 ~ ~ acoou ,ia W. tro,,s
fsnd them. TOE 70 go 80 Woula 20 rui tteIs
ihey ere ms ,,, posses eser tbe ~ wiah
they Will want to know the reason s, why.
flspecsaaliy must ne ovsa hsa noora cnn.
tors. Tor Ine upper mouse naH L,tUle ~ w., :,
troll oyer the ma oooh ~
has Theio%e III, a monsy His oriainate il
the house of REPRESENTATIVES. the ne ,appddo-
priations Tor the library are seaa.y, ,t 4e,
termined ~ tne senaIe;i a.et na s ~ .,i,I
put take 1rea 70 aniv tha torture "a Mr.
PutnamIthe peine Iorte sa 9 cure, as ' uh-
derstood In legislative procedure.
The offended senator VIII start the per,
formance py introducing res res3,n ,at -
DO with, the management OF the =. nor raj !:
It may be merely auestslS1gno o Is 70
oisposltlon was n.hus u ho"i.pR pith q
ateo Ior the Ply 20 " nI,a hns,eht
aG DE ne fo5 oa.Y se Thts naturaIiy means
Ios OF ~ u Nh ,,e LII, NJ ~. narhans The
resolution. VIII demand q stat ssna tb 0a
n nRpari among the states. Whatever it