The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-09
COL. MERCER Is DOUBTFUL.
Does Not Favor Making Historical
Library Entirely Free.

Col. George A. Mercer, president of the
Georgia Historical Society, is not at all
sanguine as to the success of the move
ment proposed by Mayor Myers and other
gentlemen to make the library of the So
ciety free to the general public, by secur-
ing a sufficient fund for this purpose by
annual subscriptions or otherwise. Be-
sides he has doubts of this wisdom of
making the library entirely free.
1t would undoubtedly be well to ex.
tend the privileges of the library so that
its benefits might be obtained by larger
number Of people, said Col. Mercer.
This might be done by providing for diff
ferent classes of members, and / have
favored this idea for some time. differ
ent rate might be made for individual
members as against those whose families
also obtain the benefit of their member
ship. A still lower rate might be made
for those who simply wish to avail them
selves of the privilege of the reading room
without that of taking away books. There
are many who would be willing TO pay a
small fee simply for he privilege of read
ing the magazines. The privileges of the
library might also be extended 20 the
pupils of the High School, and to the old
er children i'm the grammar schools as
we'll"
The gentleman who made the offer to
SuOSCIlbt 9JNO 10 tue SOClttS IL lIilS -iilllc
other gentlemen would do the same thing
is not likely to be called upon to make his
premise good" said Col. Mercer. There
is no danger of his proposition being ac-
cepted. Suppose it should he. however. The
sum realized in this manner, $4,000 would
not afford a sufficient income to warrant
making the library free, as the increased
demands upon the library would bring in
creased expense, besi5es which there
would be a considerable dropping off of
the present membership, many of whom
would not continue to pay for privileges
which others were obtaining for nothing.
Mayor Myers plan of a number of
gentlemen subscribing each a fixed sum
annually is more feasible, and might pos
sibly he carried to success. This brings
up the question as TO whether 1t would
be desirable to make the library free to
the entire white public, which l am much
inclined to doubt. With anyone who chose
to do so privileged to obtain books from
the library what guarantee would we
have that the books would be returned
or that when returned they would not be
badly damaged. Should this occur the
value of the library would soon be des-
troyed, and the members who have sus-
tanned 1t in the past, finding its privileges
no longer desirable, would fall away.
Even should these objections be over
come, the sum to be provided in this
manner would have to be considerable,
because of the many members who would
be unwilling to pay for the privileges
which they could obtain for nothing. Be-
sides there would be increased expenses
in the way of additional help at the libra
ry, and probably an increased supply of
literature, All these things would have
10 be taken into consideration in deciding
upon the advisa bility of such step"
1t is Col. MERGERS intention to call a
meeting of the board of curators of the
society one afternoon this week for the
purpose of considering Mayor Myers prop
osition and suggestions made from other
sources. There are members of the board
who inclined to view the proposed depar-
ture with more favor than is the presi-
Gent and the discussion may lead to
the adoption of some measure for broad
ening the socety's usefulness