The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-05
ACHIEVED NOTHING
PLANS FOR RELIEF OF HISTORICAL
SOCIETY ALL DISCARDED.
MANY PLANS SUGGESTED.
BUT NONE NET THE APPROVAL OF
MAJORITY OF MEMBERS.

TO the Board of Managers the
Proposition That the Expense of
the Library BE Reduced So That
Income and Expenditures Might
COrrespOnd-NOne of the PROPOSE
lions Served.
After two hours of discussion, all of it
more or less interesting, and after some
dozen varying plans and suggestions had
been outlined and then discarded, the
Georgia Historical Society adjourned the
meeting held last night, after accomplish
ing nothing.
There was a larger meeting of the So
ciety than is at all usual, some fifty or
sixty members being present. Col. George
A. Mercer, president of the society, pre-
sided In calling the meeting to order he
announced that the remains of Gen. Ma
thanael Greene had been discovered by
the committee headed by Col Asa Bird
Gardiner, who was present. The search
for the remains, which had thus found
successful oonsummation, had been made
and remade at intervals for nearly a cen
fury.
the society, but it had a special purpose
and significance. That the society's finan-
cial condition is not of the best and that
it is badly in need of funds to continue
its work on the lines attempted in the
past have been brought forcibly to the
attention of its members during the past
three weeks and special and unremitting
efforts have been made to induce their
attendance at the meeting and partici-
patton in the discussion.
Various plans had been suggested the
most prominent being that which provid-
ed for several classes of members en-
titled to varying privileges and paying
varying annual dues. This plan had been
that suggested by DR.. r. J. Mum and
last night DR.. Mum himself offered a
substitute. Briefly, it was to the effect
that at the first meeting in every year
the assistant secretary should submit a
budget of expenditures for the year, in
Guiding all probable disbursements that
this amount should then be divided by
the number of members of the society in
good standing and that the result arrived
at in this way should constitute The
amount of the dues for the year.
This started the discussion and on this
members. present began. There were as
many remedies offered for the cure of the
evils which afflicted the society as there
were differences as to what these evils
are. After time, however the differ
ences on the latter point disappeared in
very large part and it was generally
agreed that the principal trouble was that
the society was spending more than its
income
Col. ]. H. Estill was the first to oppose
the resolution of DR.. Mum, which he said
was impracticable and unwise and would
result in the disintegration of the society
and the destruction of its power for good
rather than help il to get over ITS present
troubles.
Col. Estill thought the thing to do was
to make the increase in dues, if any we're
made at all, a very small one. He sug-
gested that the dues oe increased to s6
a year. He also moved that the Board
of Managers be instructed to cut down
| the expenses of the society $500 a year.
so that they would not exceed the income.
! Subsequently, Col Estill withdrew the
! first part of his motion.
Other suggestions followed quick and
! fast. Mr.. C. S. Wood wanted the society
to establish a reading class, to whom the
privileges of the reading room should be
| extended for a fixed cash consideration.
Mr.. W. G. Charlton thought that all the
money needed to get the society out of
/ its present troubles could be raised by
voluntary subscription from its members.
and Mr.. p. H. Levy endorsed and ampli-
fed this suggestion
Capt. II. c. Cunningham moved that
the whole matter be laid on the table.
Capt. Cunningham said that whatever
plan was adopted could not be made eff
receive until next year and that it would
not relieve the present necessities of the
society. The best thing to do was to
/ postpone action on the matter until some
time in the future, and give everybody a
chance to consider it in full. Col Estill
was of opinion that the best thing to do
was to settle the matter at once
| sun the suggestions came Mr. Oils
Ashmore, rather efficiently suggested that
good plan might be to create two
classes OF members, one of which should
pay annual dues of $40, and the other of
90 the first class being entitled to some
what greater privileges. When a person
VINO palu SIO succeeded in inducing the
! membership OF another person, he was to
nave credit for the additional S. which
he had then paid, which the society
would receive from che new member.
Judge Falligant made the point of order
that I'll the alterations suggested were
not germane to the point under discus
! sion, in that they could be carried ont
without changing the constitution of tha
society, and the chair sustained the noint
Mr. Charlton then moved to amend bv
| making the annual dues So saving in
| support OF this that the sooner thosa
! members of the society who did NOT feel
sufficient interest in it's welfare to make
! the slightly additional contribution were
weeded out the better it would be.
Mr.. Charlton said that the society was
losing its identity as a body ror the
preser walton and dissemination of histori-
cal information and was rapidly degen-
Grating into a cheap circulating library
IT was tilno for it to get back to frst
| principles.
! Mr.. Arthur J. O'Hara and others in
dorsed Mr.. Charlton's suggestions and
ideas along this line. particularly in ref-
erence TO tie fact that the society bad
/ ceased to be really historical i'm its char
acter. Mr.. O'Hara said that the question
| of finance was not difficult one but n
! plain business proposition Tho remedy
was to reduce expenses to the amount
! of the income. 1t was not necessary thar
/ the society should lose sight of is nrinci-
! pal purpose and spend the money With
which II might conduct historical 80
searches and disseminate historical inror-
nation I'm the purchase OF cheap novels
1t was suggested that the expenses
might be reduced by closing the library
during the forenoon, Mr.. 4. Z. Ravenel
being an advocate of this plan. Mr. Raw
eneI said il was of no value to the NOM
bers of the society that the library should