The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1902-02-07

Hitchcock said that Aberdeen'S coun-
Gil levied tax of IA mills to meet
the cost of maintaining the build
ing. Taking last years assessment
Mr.. Hitchcock thought Mitchell
would require a little over mill
additional levy for the same purpose.
In making the proposition Mr.. Car
negie simply asked those terms to be
complied with, and the cities to
which he made the offer were privi-
legged to accept it or not There was
no string to the donation. He ad-
vanced $4,000 at the commencement
of the building, and an equal amount
as the building progressed AMI the
last payment comes on the compile
tion Of the building. Mr.. Hitchcock
learned at Aberdeen that it has very
frequently been the case that where
the people OF community acted with
unanimlty in accepting the PROPOSE
tion and worked in harmony toward
its erection that he would start the
library with donation of from $4,000
to $4,000 for books. 1t has been done
in a number of cases. Mr.. Hitchcock
stated that the deed of the building
was made to the city and after that
the building was entirely controlled
by the city. He believed that for sew
eral years the library could be MAIN
tanned on one half the sum asked for
and the balance put into books.
To bring the matter before the
council Alderman Scriven introduced
the following resolution, which was
seconded by Alderman Beckwith:
Whereas, Andrew Carnegie has
generously offered to donate to this
city the sum Of ten thousand dollars
for library building, provided the
city will furnish a site ana raise
not less than one thousand dollars
per annum for the maintenance of
Il library, therefore, be it.
Resolved by the city council of
the city OF Mitchell that we hereby
accept said gift from Andrew Carne-
gle and agree to furnish site and
make provision for maintaining a
library when the building is COM
pleted according to the terms pro-
posed by Nh. Carnegie. 1t is further
Resolved, That we hereby extend
to Nlr. Carnegie the grateful thanks
of the city Of Mitchell for his magni-
ticent donation.
In Offering the resolution Mr..
Scriven spoke heartily in favor of
the council accepting the PROPOSE
tion at the present meeting. He said
the matter had been before the pub
lie for nearly month and that there
was no question but what nine tenths
OF the people wanted tie proposition
accepted The matter he said had
been taken up by interviews in the
paper, the Ladies Clubs of the city
had endorsed it, the Business Mems
League urged its adoption, and he
believed that it was like cutting off
our own head not to accept the
offer.
Alderman Mclaughlin thought
the people ought to have chance
to vote on the acceptance of the
donation. that the taxes were very
high and that the peolpe were get
ting tired of paying so much, and
believed that now was a time to call
a halt before further burdening the
people with additional taxes. al
though he later declared he was in
favor of the proposition. but not
at this time.
Mayor VanAlstine stated that he
was heartily in favor of the library
and believed that nine tenths OF the
taxpayers would stand by the council.
He was not in favor of submitting
it to a vote, but did not think the
council ought to take final action
on the proposition at this time He
that petition be circula-
ted among the taxpayers Of the city
and let them endorse the plan so that
the council would have. something
to stand on, and which would be a
protection for the council in it's ac-
tion.
Alderman Stout felt as the council
was taking an obligation that it
would be good thing to see if the
people wanted the library. He fav-
ored the petition plan. He thought
that a petition of such magnitude
could be secured that would forever
silence the critics. Nh. Stout was
very much in favor of the library
and believed that the citizens needed
it.
Alderman Beckwith strongly sup
ported the acceptance of the propo-
sition and said that he believed the
people of the city expected the coun-
Gil to take action on the matter at
this meeting. He felt that the peo-
pie of the city We're with the propo-
sition and that there were few who
opposed it. He could not see that