The times., 1899-01-14
NEW LIBRARY BILL.
District commissioners Draft the
Measure and Name Site.


Measure and Name Site.
In pursuance of the acceptance in legal
way of the offer made by Mr.. Carnegie OF
$3.50, 900 for the erection Of building for
the Washington Public Library, the Dis
trict Commissioners yesterday competed
the draft of bill and laid it before the
District Committees of the two Eolses OF
Congress.
The bill is very short. 1t provides for
site at the corner of Seventh Street and
Pennsylvania Avenue northwest. and lin
its the time for construction to two years
The text OF the bill is as follows;
Be it enacted iy the Senate and House of
Representatives OF the United States Of America,
in Congress assembled. That authority is hereby
conferred upon the Commissioners OF the District
OF Columbia to cause to lie erected upon rcSer-
yatiOn I, on the south side OF Pennsylvania AFc-
nue. between Seventh and Ninth Streets north
west. in the city of Washington, in the District
of Columbia, building tur the use o. the VASE
/ ingtOn City Free Library, with funds u be con
tributed by Andrew Carnegie provided that sdch
building shall be commenced within si> months
and completed within two years from the pas
sage Of this act, and provided, further. that 10
liability shall be incurred by the United States
or the District of Columbia 81 ihc cost OF the
erection OF said building.
Accompanying the bill was document
in the nature of report on the same. SIT
| llnR IOrt0 lne advantages Ol Tue ~ SdlioH-
| The report is as follows:
The Commissioners of the District of Columbia
! have thc honor to inclose herewith draft OF
bill to provide site for building for the Wash
ington City Free Library, which they request
( that you will present, and which they hope may
! have your approval and support in securing its
passage.
The site named in the bill is suggested by the
Commissioners because OF its accessibility, being
! reached by nearly every street car line IN the
pttts upi,t ha thnir In
| the largest number OF persons, who Will n!ahe
use OF this proposed library building.
The dimensions available shown on TIE
map accompanying this letter, and ar belle ed
to be more than ample for the building, alicw-
ing on the cast and west fronts space Tor park
ing, which will enhance the appearance OF the
| building. This location will. moreover, afoT'l
another opportunity to improve the appearance
| of Pennsylvania Avenue by lining is sutth SIDE
with handsome structures.
The reservation referred to was originally 4
gilt to the United States Government. ~ i mat
ter Of convenience, Louisiana Avcn,e vas tNtoni
ed through the reservation. but it MT Crig
inally intended Il street. anl is nj essential
at all to the comfort convenience to those
doing business in shat neigIbor1ooI very
slight detection lrluni Ninth Stree, aiFOrds ac
ceSsibility to the markets
In order that the buIilin.: may present
proper appearance Pennsylvania Avenue, il
may lac advisable to close up Louisiana Avenue
at this point. The statue of General Rawlns
located on the corner ri Ninth Street end Penn
no the disturbed, the building will not L,
within hundred feet of it.
Commissioner Wight took the bill to til,
Capitol in person yesterday morning. HI
found the Senate Committee on the Dis
trict Of Columbia in session and brough
the measure to their immediate attention
After a cursory examination of tn,
measure Mr.. Mcmillan indicated that h,
thought more desirable location could b.
! gplpptpU Objected
this building south of the Avenue.
Mr.. German also expressed the opinion
that better location could be found Fl,
thought that the question of erecting
building on the proposed site had been set
tied two years ago, when permission wa
sought to erect municipal building there
| The bill will be considered further b.
the committee before action is taken, an'
Chairman Mcmillan indicated that If it wa
| the desire of the residents of the Distric
to have the building at Seventh and tn
Avenue he would change his views accord
ingly.
A further donation for the propose
building came yesterday in the shape o
an offer by Mr.. Trentanove, the sculptor
to execute an heroic size" marble bust O
Mr. Carnegie to be placed in the building
The District Commissioners made publ
yesterday afternoon late that Mr. Carnegi
had authorized the statement to be mad
that he would give an additional sum il
excess of the $250, 600 promised the librar
building, which, 1t is understood, i
TO be used in the purchase of books. Tn
amount to be thus used was not given
Mr.. Carnegie left last night for New York