Smyrna times., 1900-03-14
FREE LIBRARY MOVEMENT.
W. H. Janney Suggests Plan OF Procedure
and Drafts a Bill, Covering Same, to In
trOduce at the Next Legislature.

business being to discuss ways and
means toward converting the present
subscription library into Free Library,
to be open every afternoon and even
ing. When the regular order of bust
ness had been gone through, and the |
program rendered, the Library Com !
mittee of the Club made a report |
through their chairman, Miss Cora
Tschudy.
w. H. Janney, secretary of the
Smyrna Library Association, was pres
ent, and addressed the club on the line
of procedure as mapped out. The first
step was to get bill passed by the
next Legislature, and he read to the
club a form which he had drafted COW
ering all the necessary points, which
he explained to the club. The method
by which the Smyrna Library AssOcia-
tion could be converted into Free
Library, was by having a majority of
the stockholders assign their stock to
perpetual trustee, with instruction
that said trustee should vote always for
managers, pledged to keep the library
free.
There are at present Ala shares of
Smyrna Library stock, of which two
hundred and eight would be a major
ity.
The bill provides that the Town
Council pay quarterly on the first day
of January, April, July and October of
! each year a sum of money to be used
, in the management, maintenance and
, extension of the free library and read
i ing room, the sum to be paid SHALL
y during the first year, be 500. and in
creased each year thereafter by addi-
e tiOns of such sums as in the judgement
of the Town Council, are apparent or
necessary, the sum not to exceed 81 900
in any one year.
This is a very important matter
? under discussion, and 1t is thought the
library can be maintained by the town
;, without an extra assessment. The
: town is in a splendid financial condi-
!, ton, and its revenue is growing from
q year to year under an economical man
agement. The ladies of the Twentieth
h Century Club and the Smyrna Library
= Association, see no reason why the
- Free Library, under such conditions,
: should not be managed without entail
ing any additional expense on the tax.
payer.
20 The act representing the Free Lii
! brary for the Town of Smyrna is a
4 follows:
m WHEREAS 1t is proposed to make the Ii
brary and reading rooms of the Smyrna LII
IL brary Association, under such regulation
v as the managers of such associations ma
. adopt, free for the use of the citizens o
Smyrna, and as the free use of the librar
will conduce to the dissemination of GOO
"A ! literature. to the elevation of the standar
of citizenship and the fostering of the SAM
Or especially among the youth of the commun
he Ity, therefore.
BE 1t enacted By the Senate and House Q
r Representatives. Of tie State Of DelaWa,
On IN General assembly met, (tloO-t1irds .
95 each branch cORcurring therein).
90 SECTION l. That from and after sue
m time as The Smyrna Library Association
Oo Sudll cause US lllDfdrY ana feaOl02 room
90 to be opened to the use of citizens c
20 Smyrna, and shall thereafter keep the sam
Al open, without requiring any payment frOI
- individuals therefor, and shall apply the eI
az tire net income from the property of th
on | property of the association to be used
~ their management, maintenance and eXteT
Az sion, and shall cause the accounts of i
TX treasurer to be open to the inspection an
60 audit of the Town Council of Smyrna, an
7s shall make the President of the Town COul
OF ell of Smryna and the President of IL
&c School Board of SMYRNA eX-officio men
"a bers of its board of managers. it shall be Il
AZ duty of the said Town Council of Smyrn
"a and they are hereby directed to pay qua
"a terly on the first day of January, Apr
es July and October of each year, a sum
m money to be used in the management, mail
* tenance and extension of such free libraI
00 and reading rooms.
I'll SECTION 2. The sum of money to
80 paid as provided in Section 1, shall be du
10 ing the first year at the rate of seven hu
. dred dollars year and shall increase eat
80 year thereafter by the addition of such sun
; go as in the judgement of the Town Count
.24 are apparent and necessary for the manag
:. ment, maintenance and extension of I'll
free library and reading rooms; prOUtde
such increase shall not exceed such sums
shall make the amount paid to said associ
,er- tion in any one year more than one thousal
=, dollars;
OEOllON D. ludb dlltI bnc llDIdlD al
CHI reading rooms of the The Smyrna Libra
,ol Association shall have been made free,
accordance with the provisions of this az
rt- the property of said association used by orf
the benefit of the library and reading rooT
shall be exempt from all taxes imposed
eal authority of the State of Delaware.
lol- SECTION L. That the managers of sa
yed Association shall have power to make
- laws and rules for the government of the
'ur brary and reading rooms.
ar, SECTION g. That before the provisio
in of the act shall go into effect, they shall
- submitted to and approved by majority
ou- the votes cast at any special election, viii
lst, the said Town Council of Smyrna are here
authorized and directed to call; and at su
election, each owner of real estate will
}. rs the town of Smyrna, being a reside
n thereof, shall have a right to cast one vC
! 90 for every dollar amp fractional part of a d
/, 90 lar of town tax which is or may be assess
t'Vo 20 against his or her real estate at the time
l'4g holding such election; and notice of eve
Il.