The sun., 1901-03-19
ACTION BY new YORK.
City officials Confer on Andrew Car
negie's Library Offer.
LEGISLATION Is NECESSARY
Committee Appointed to Draw Up a
Dill For Presentation at Albany
Enabling the City 10 Ac-
cept the Gift.

New York, March 1S.-As the result
of a conference held at the city hall, at
which Mayor Van Wyck. Comptroller
Coler, Corporation Counsel Whalen and
George l.. Rives were present. com
mittee was appointed to draw up a
hill to be presented to the legislature
ut an early date for the purpose of
enabling the city to accept Andrew
Carnegie's gift of S5.20G,000 for the
building Of public libraries here. The
committee comprises Mr.. Whalen, Mr..
Rives and Deputy Comptroller Levy.
All of the gentlemen present at the
conference agreed that the first thing
t. do in regard to Mr.. Carnegie's gift
was to secure the passage by the legis-
lature of an enabling act so broad In
its scope that the board of estimate
could proceed at once without him
drance to provide sites and mainte-
nance as required by Mr. Carnegie,
without question as to the entire
legality of such acts.
1t was at the suggestion Of the mayor
that the committee was formed. 1t
Is certain, SO Corporation Counsel
Whalen says, that the city can do
nothing in the matter OF accepting Mr..
| Carnegie's gift until this bill has been
passed, and he said also that before
the bill was drawn up the committee
would confer with the officers and
trustees of the library in regard to it,
What Colcr Says.
After the conference Comptroller Co.
Ter said:
"A general enabling act will be draft
ed for submission to the present ses-
sion Of the Legislature, giving power to
the board of estimate and apportion-
ment to go ahead, make contracts and
carry out the whole project as rapidly
as possible.
THE act will remove NIL impedi-
ments to the work. The bill will be
presented TO and passed by this session
of the legislature, and the product of
the noble gift of Andrew Carnegie will
be so soon visible to the people of the
city of New York that its influence
upon other rich men can but result in
good to the city,
Meanwhile public spirited citizens,
emulating SO far aS their smaller
means will permit the example of Mr.
Carnegie, are coming forward with of.
fers of sites for branch libraries.
Already nine sites are offered. 9th.
ers promise to subscribe literally to the
purchase of sites.
1t now looks as if all the G5 sites re
quired might be obtained by gift TO the
city. so that the only expense to thu
municipality would bc for the mainte
nance of the libraries.
Former Mayor Abram $. Hewitt will
give sites for two libraries.
Comptroller Bird S. Coler will Civ,
one site in Brooklyn.
Former Mayor Charles A. Schierei
will give one site in Brooklyn
Charles A. Moore; president of til,
Montauk club, will give one site il
| Brooklyn.
William Berri will give one site il
Brooklyn or contribute TO a fund t.
buy sites.
Ernestus Gulick offers a free site ol
the Eastern parkway in Brooklyn.
Former Senator w. II. Reynolds of
fers site in Borough Park. Brooklyn.
James j. Coogan, president of til
borough of Manhattan. offers site o
Washington heights facing the Boule
ward or one ON Sixth avenue betwee1
Twenty-siXth and Twenty -seventl
streets.