The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-26
LIBRARY OFFER
IS APPROVED
Continued from First Page.)

MI Virginius Newton thought it would
be bad policy to accept the offer Of the
Passenger and Power Company. By &C
cepting Mr.. Carnegie'S offer the city
would secure a valuable asset. The in
fluence of a library was far-reachng.
The men of which Virginia is proud were
educated by the influence of books. With
a larger budget than ever before Rich
mond could this year put aside $4,000
for Lee District and another $4,000 for j
Jail. This would seem to indicate conclu-
sively that Richmond could accept the
offer OF Mr.. Carnegie without injury.
A GREAT PUBLIC NEED.
Major Norman Y. Randolph was op-
posed to the acceptance of the Passenger
and Power Company's offer. He urgently
hoped Mr.. Carnegies offer would be ac-
cepted. Richmond would be greatly in
jured by the declination. He told of Z,
library of 1000 volumes he had placed in
his factory and of the great good it had
done, and Of the similar 1000-volume Ii
brary placed by Ma jor Lewis Ginter in
his factory. The failure or the State Ii
brary to meet the demand is not a fair
test Of the value and advantage of a Ii
brary. He believed that next to the Me-
chanics' Institute the library is the great
public need and necessity of Richmond.
Major Randolph also told of the library
Richmond, and OF the work done by the
Rosemary Library, as shown by actual
statistics
Mr. Newton stated that the men of
force in the earlier days of Virginia s
history gathered their force and power
from their libraries. To-day many in
Virginia are unable to own private lib
raries. Their strength and forcefulness
must be drawn from public library.
is PRACTICABLE.
Mr.. Robert Lee Traylor urged the ac-
ceptance of the offer and earnestly adj
vocated it's practicability. He reviewed
the similar movements elsewhere. Mr..
Traylor stated that on November Is, 1920,
the first public library in America was
founded by the donation of a lot of books
by the London Company for "a library
in Henrico." Compare said Mr.. Tray
lor, our brave start in the matter Of a
library and our present condition"
DR.. Calisch explained that his remarks
as to pride in accepting an offer from
citizens applied only to the offer of Mr..
Carnegie.
y VALUABLE ADJUNCT.
DR.. Mitchell, of Richmond College,
thought the library would be valuable
adjunct to the Mechanics Institute and
the public schools, and in fact all of
the educational systems of the city.
Dr. Mitchell thought library would,
in even larger measure, be of value to
the larger class who are not in the
schools. a library throws open the doors
of opportunity to all.
Major Capers desired to emphasize the
good that would accrue to the school
children of the city. If necessary an
additional tax should be levied.
Mr.. James Lewis Anderson stated that
there was a general popular demand
among the people of Richmond for the
library. He believed that if accepted
there would be no Objectionable features
necessary resulting from the fact that
the library might be used to small ex-
tent by the colored people. He believed
the city could and should we'll afford to
accept the offer.
ADVISE IT'S ACCEPTANCE
The committee then went into eXecu-
tive session for a half an hour, after
which 1t announced that its action in
the matter was to recommend to the
Council the acceptance of Mr.. Carnegie's
offer. The committee declined to give
further details of the half-hour session.
It was understood on the outside, how
ever, that the vote on the proposition
stood five to two, as follows:
Ayes-Messrs. Caskie, Wallerstein, Cor
don, Camp, and Cottrell-5.
Noes-Messrs. Allen and Drewr-2
Mr. BloCElberg, who is known to favor
the acceptance of the offer, was absent
on account of Illness in his family