New-York tribune., 1901-04-18

PHASES ARE PRESENTED.
The relations of Roman Catholics to the public
library movement and the interests which they
desire conserved Ia that direction were dis
cussed yesterday by Archbishop Corrigan at a
tea given by the Cathedral Library Reading
Circle and Auxiliary at the Hotel Majestic. He
said in part:
In order to understand our position we must
first call to mind the present library law The
brsre af certain xed dc circulation and under this
law the city spends 100000 a year
nege @fGe"n t6e a9bjec % of nib ibrare is TecevnF great
aG PGSy T" has nG6 he scon of he Board
OF Estimate in giving bulk sum to the BrookIyn
with GHf it that the same polly may be pursued Win
reference to Manhattan and The Br3nXi I II Ihe ,
question comes whether these affiliated libraries
are TO lose their autonomy or not II they are 10 oe
simply absoi bed II VII 90 great o uGil ] %i ' u ~
part of the Cathedral: it is church property party
that 1t should remain under the control OF the
Cathedral, 1t is under eeces@stlfal supGrviisiomn on
70 the library Parents feel that they & can allow
for no book in the ffty-fve thousand can do harm
If The Public Library receives entire charge. We
will lose not only the control OF books hut tho
pendence, we Will have no voice In the future, be
cause the Public Library Is a private corporation
Church, and it is not likely that one would be
appointed to the heard boa As the ed hH9e library e Is
great calamity OF course. would be benefited
pfessnt p prorerfy ana he choice OF BOOKS s,., n,
no Trk the b Ne e the hsys scn 29@
travelling libraries in parochial and public schools
in large numbers Our library pays no salaries. the
work being done gratuitousiy. so that the money
1t is Very disagreeabie and odlous. and in a Ger
tain sense painful. TO allude to other IL
braries but their books deal great deal in So
are many We find a number OF books, suGn & as as
Growth of the Nineteenth Century, full of insults
faith. If we are swallowed up We could not
our library. We could not avoid circulating books
think oppSTbed to hsSy We like to see treated
from point of view. There Is evolution for
sity here is not Single book giving our view of
this question-the view held for centuries by the
All the atheise phases of the problem Are are present pres
riosity you would expect that our view would be
Of books giving our point Of view on IN burning cues
aiize that we number one haIf-possibly more than
onehalf-of the population OF this ,o city We Ger II
recall the grevous school question, but l do not
IF the present law is retained we will be thank
ful; or, if there be federation Of the Libraries
fights or if there he consolidation. with responsi-
bty to the city we WI . be a gTateH & y oS @IS no %
unfortunate to and very sad II We half of
@ to sper This matter ought to be brought to the
knowledge of those who have It In hand. We ought
TO have three or four distributing centres think
entitled TO that representation
WiIberforce Eames, librarian of the Lenox
Library was called upon, and after alluson
to Mr.. Carnege's offer he said:
It is not at all certain that the gift intended
for the extension of the New-York Public Library.
1t is for the city authorities determine how much
shall be allotted to each library. The trustees of
ali these libraries but wish See tn, money put
the 1t is only right that other libraries
that have done good work should be recognized
w. I. Eastman. inspector of the State Library
Commission. after remarking that there was not
a library owned by the city that distributed
books and that mo living man should attempt
to give his name to library said that he had
defended appropriations to sectarian libraries
He added:
work for the public good the public should stand
behind il; so far it is doing work for class.
j doubt whether the public should support it, | ap-
preciate the injustices that have been complained
Of this afternoon.
DR.. Joseph II. Mcmahon, director of the
Cathedral Library, presided President Feitner
of the Board of Taxation sat with the Arch
bishop. Among the others present were Father
Hearn president of the College of ST Francis
Xavier Monsignor Mooney and DR. Storer
w. H. II. Beebe. secretary of Columbia Uni
versity when part of Archbishop Corrigans
speech shown to him last night, said that
he did to reply to it further than to
say that in choosing books Columbia University
Library not actuated in the slightest degree
by antagonism the Catholic faith or any
other faith.
President Seth Low, of Columbia University.
asked TO be excused from making any state
ment last night. DIR. Garfield, librarian of the
Columbia University Library, and DR. John S
Billings director of the Public Library were
both away from the city yesterday. An attempt
was made to George l.. Rives and John
Bigeow. trustees of the Public Library, but
they could not be found.