The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-04-16
TRUSTEES TAKE ACTION.
Object to Method by Which Some
Councilmen Seek to Get Con-
troll of the Public Library.

AS was to be expected the Albright
library trustees do not take kindly to
the resolution introduced in select
council by Mr.. Melvin, providing that
the fiscal affairs of the library be con-
trolled direct by the councils; in other
words that the bills be passed upon
item by item by the councimanic aud
iting committee and paid by the city
departments.
1t is not that the library trustees
object to having councils scrutinize the
diSburs ament of the city appropriation,
but they do object to turning over to
councils or any one else any part of
the management and control of the
institution which under the terms Of
the agreement under which the library
was presented and accepted, is vested
solely in = BOARD of trustees. Leaving
aside the principle involved. the Mel
vim proposition would be Objectionable
because of the obvious mischief that
could result, and for This if for no
other reason it is to be protested
against.
The matter was the principal subject
of discussion at Saturdays regular
meeting of the trustees. EX-Justice
Alfred Hand. president of the board,
made a lengthy statement of the condi-
tions attaching to the gift Of the Ii
brary to the city and pointed cut how
the Melvin resolution, if adopted, would
be III direct conflict with the terms Of
the agreement. He expressed himself
as StrenuOusly opposed to the attempt
ed usurpatiOn and his views were con
Cured III by N! the trustees present,
which included Henry Belin, jr., r.
II. Dale. Colonel II. NJ. Boics, Attor-
nev II. II. Hannah. Mayor James Moir.
Rev. W. Y. Ford, james Archibald and
City Clerk NJ. T. Lavelle.
The accounts of the library are first
audited by the trustees auditing COM
mittee then passed upon by the board
of trustees and finally submitted to the
city controller for examination. In ad-
dition to all this, they are printed in
detail in the annual report. and thi :
report is distributed to the public.
Each bill before being paid is certified
as correct by Secretary Librarian
Henry j. Carr, passed upon by an
auditing committee of the trustees, an.
proved by the trustees as a whole and
then scrutiniZed by the treasurer OF
the board.
President Hand, at the request of the
trustees, agreed to prepare a state
ment embodying the boards position in
the matter, to be given to the public
through the daily papers. 1t was de-
cided, also, to have a stereotype made
of the deed of the library to the city
and the ordinance under which it was
accepted, and print the same in every
annual report. These documents were
printed in the first few reports. but
because of the expense and the belief
that the public thoroughly understood
them, they were omitted in the later
reports.
There is little likelihood of the Mel.
! vim resolution ever being made law
I let alone becoming operative. SELECT
council passed 1t, but in common coun-
ell it was referred to a special commit.
tee and judging from the calibre OF
the men composing the committee, II
is likely TO remain there indefinitely
The committee is COMPOSED Of Messrs
Keller, T. f. Morris, Tewksbury, Cal.
pin and Zizelman.
Mayor Moir is said to be opposed tC
the resolution, and as a library trusted
assented to eX-Justice Hands views
/ The chances are he would veto it if II
| ever came to him.