Omaha daily bee., 1900-12-21
PUBLIC LIBRARY BUILDING
Directors Ditous the Matter and Will Try
to Decide on Plans.
SENTIMENT IN FAVOR OF CONSTRUCTION
Land VIII Permit the Levy of n Tax
Sufficient to Erect Building and
Business sense seems to
Endorse II.

The special committee, consisting OF
Trustees Troutman, Casady and Baird, ap-
pointed at the last meeting of the library
board to devise ways and means for Sc
curing a library building, will meet this
afternoon at the office OF Member Casady,
when plan will be determined on.
Under the law. the recent census having
demonstrated that Council Bluffs has a
population Of 20 900 and upwards, the library
trustees are authorized to levy 3-mill tax
for the purpose of securing a library build
ing At the present assessed valuation Of
the city this would realize in the neighbor
hood of $4,000. From one OF the members
OF the committee is was learned yesterday
that the committee was In favor OF the
board exercising its full limit and levying
next year the 3 mills. The amount thus
realized, 1t IL claimed. would be hardly
more than sufficient to purchase an ade-
quate site for the building For the erection
of the building itself bonds could be is
| sued and a tax levied annually sufficient
to create a sinking fund to pay the interest
and ultimately wipe out the bonds. After
the first year it would not be necessary
to make the levy more than 1 or 2 mills, If
this plan was adopted.
General sentiment is in favor OF a library
securing OF one it is generally conceded
1t should be taken advantage OF. Speaking
| of the matter yesterday. Trustee Baird said
"A city OF the size of Council Bluffs should
long ago have had a public library build
ing, but under the law the board OF trus-
tees was unable to do anything in the mat
ter. Now that it Is demonstrated that we
have a population OF 25,0UU, we are in a
position to get one and believe the boa rd
will avail itself of the opportunity. There
are many reasons why we should have n
library building. Under the law from this
out We cannot levy more than ! mill an
nually for the maintenance of the library
! and the greater OF what would be realized
from such a levy would be absorbed by the
rent we are paying for the quarters occu-
pied by the library. There would be practi-
cally nothing left with which to purchase
books
with a library building OF our own the
question of rent would not enter II the
building was erected on the proceeds of
bonds the law permits us to levy not ex-
ceeding mills annually to create a sink
ing fund to pay these bonds and we would
have the proceeds from the 1-mill levy to
maintain the library with After deductiug
the necessary running expenses. such as
salaries, etc. we would have a nice little
surplus each year to put into new books.
Trustee Troutman said he was of the
same opinion Mr.. Baird, and further
ventured the opinion that II a site for the
building was once secured, he believed
some OF the public spirited citizens might
be induced to contribute Of their wealth SO
that the building could be erected with
out having to issue bonds. He thought
1t possible that assistance in this direction
might be obtained from other sources
Even II this should not prove to be the
case, Council Bluffs certainly ought to have
a public library building to which it could
point with pride and as long as am a
member OF the library board I shall do
all In my power to get II one," he said.
Mayor Jennings says he is In favor OF
the city owning library building but
suggests that the library trustees move
slowly in the matter. That Is to say he
believes. that with the taxes at their pres
ent height, they should be content to levy
not more than | mill annually and wait
until the proceeds OF such tax are sufficient
to purchase site instead of levying a a
mill tax the first year In his opinion this
additional burden would be hard upon the.
taxpayers.