The Delawarean., 1901-01-26
CLUB WOMEN
ADDRESS SOLONS
State Federation Members En-
tertain General Assembly.
URGING The FREE LIBRARY BILL.
State Asked to Empower Each Town
TO Establish Its Free Library, and
When Town Raises 500 To-
ward Expenses State
Gives $IOO.

"A delegation of women of the State
Federation of Women's Clubs ON on
balned members of The General As
semoly at the Dover Century Club
mouse ON Thursday afternoon with a
view to interesting the legislators in
las new free library bill introduced in
the House by Representative Shall
cross.
Mrs. A. D. Warmer, president of the
STATE Federation; Mrs. Ella Marshall.
Stade superintendent of Circulating
Libraries; Mrs G. G. Fuluon, president
OF the Dover Century Club; Miss Mae
Cooper of daafoud; Miss Ellison of
Middledown, and number of other
Members from Smyrna and Dover were
present
A bill is pending in the Legislature
entitled, IAN ACT providing for the es-
t3blishment and maintenance of free
public libraries
AS conditions are at present. no town
IN this State, except Wilmington, has
}he power to establish, maintain or as
slst free library, no matter how much
i ; Inhabitants might wish to do so
The object of the bill now in the hands
of our legislators, is to give to incor-
p5raIed GOWNS this power.
The main features OF the bill are AS
follows
lst. Any incorporated town in Della
ware is authorized to accept donations
or gifts Of or for a free library; or to
establish such library with the funds
of .he town, whenever a majority of
The qualified electors" of the town
vote SO ito do.
End. The way to do this, is for
twenty-five qualified electors to peti-
lion the town council thirty days be-
fore yhe regular annual town election,
TO let the people vote upon the question
OF the establishment of a free public
library. The town council is chen com
PEELED to give notice TO the inhabitants
of the town by advertisement that
such question will be voted upon at
the following regular town election.
AT such election ballots with the
words, "For Free Library and
others with the words, Against a Free
Library are printed or wril.en. If a
majority of the ballo5s cast have on
them For a Free Library" then the
library is to be established at once. In
addition 10 persons usually entitled to
vote at town elections, all women over
81 years old, who have resided in lhe
town three months before the election
and paid town tax for THE year
preceding, are entitled to vote ON the
question of a free library, and also in
the election of the town library com
mission provided for in the bill.
3rd. AS soon as lit lis ascertained
that majority of the votes are in
favor of free library, the town coun-
Gil lis compelled to levy and raise tax
for the establishments Of the library
and for its maintenance each year.
The sum to be raised by taxation each
year for the library lis mot to be less
than a certain sum fixed in the bill,
nor more than amo her amount fixed
therein.
4h. Whenever ii is certified that
town has established free library,
and c ;, ,,irt;,,,or IN, no = at;o,, ,4 1o,c ~ :,
ONE hundred dolans year for it's sup
porJ, then the State Treasurer is to
pay for the use of The library one hum
dred dollars year out of the State
Treasury.
5th. The bill provides for the ap-
pointment by the Governor of a State
Library Commission, consisting of
mime persons. Women may be APP
pointed on this Commission. Its duties
ARE to investigate the various town
libraries and strive to get free librar-
les established in the towns; and to
make bi-ennial reports to the Legis-
lature If THE bill lis passed lit is also
proposed to amend the existing law
relative ito travelling libraries, so as to
put their management in the hands of
this State Library Commission.
9Th. When a town has established a
free library, the qualified electors, in
Guiding such women as above describ-
ed, are to elect a town library commits
sion who shall have exclusive charge
and custody and management of the
local library, and of the moneys for the
library. Women may be elected ON
this Commission.