The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-08
To CARNEGIE
WILL SOON BE SENT BY THE L.
BRARY COMMITTEE.
FACTS ABOUT SAVANNAH.
WILL SHOW THAT A DONATION
WOULD NOT BE BADLY PLACED.

Mayor Myers, Col. George A. Mercer
and Mr.. George j. Baldwin, the
Members of the Committee, Out
lined the Lctter-It Will Probably
BE AmpIifed Within a Few Days
by Mr.. BaIdwin-WiII Give POpu-
Iation of Savannah, Proportion of
Whites and Blacks, the Bonded
Debt and other InfOrmatiOn-COI.
Mercer Discusses the Need Exist
ing in Savannah for a Free Lii
brary.
The letter of the Library Committee
will probably be made up next week
for submission to Mr.. Andrew Carne-
gle. A meeting of the committee was
held yesterday morning, when an out
line of the matter to be contained in
the letter was agreed on. This will be
amplified within few days by Mr.
George ]. Baldwin, to whom the duty
fell.
Mayor Myers, Col. George A. Mercer
ard Mr.. Baldwin constitute the COM
nittee. They were named at the meet
| ing day before yesterday of the Com
mittee of the Whole of the City Coun-
Gil and the committee from the. Geor-
gia Historical Society. when the ques-
ton of the prospective library, for
which Mr.. Carnegie is expected to do
nate a round sum, was considered.
Mr.. Baldwin took notes upon the
ut
the Mayor. He will submit his letter.
and, after it has been gone over by
the committee, it will probably be
mailed to Mr.. Carnegie. 1t was sug-
gested that Mr.. Baldwin deliver it
personally, but he was not inclined to
undertake that, as he did not want
to place himself in the position of seek
ing to find his way to one who is re-
ported so zealously guarded from ap-
plicants for his money.
The committee agreed that it should
not adopt the attitude of suppliant,
begging the aid of Mr.. Carnegie. but
that it should set forth certain facts
that would doubtless impress him. as
suring him at the same time of Savan-
nah's appreciation of any subscription
that he might make.
Savannah's population will be shown
and Mr.. Carnegie will be advised of
the proportion of whites and blacks.
1t will be shown that there are a great
many colored people in the CITY, but
that those who pay taxes upon prop
erty are, in comparison, very few. The
burden or taxation. therefore, falls
upon the whites, and this will be re-
cited to convince him that a library
should be for the benefit of those con-
trtbuting to it's support.
The bonded debt Of the city will be
SHOWN. AS this debt is large, the way
in which it was incurred will be made
clear. The greater part grew out of
the city having to make good its in
dorsement of the securities of rail-
| ways. The construction of the wafer
works and the improvement of the
harbor also called for bond issues
This statement will be made in order
that Mr.. Carnegie may understand
that Savannah is not a city to run
heedlessly into debt.
Col. Mercer, when seen by a renre
| sentative of the Morning News said
that grave mistake is made by those
VINO declare that there is no need for
free library in Savannah. He re-
lated an incident to prove his conten-
tlon that there is urgent need for such
| an institution
1t was but a shore time since" said
| Col. Mercer, that 1 was sitting in
front or my home, when a little Girl
| approached me and asked if she might
not look up information she desired in
an encyclopedia at the Historical So
cletys library. She appeared to belong
| 10 a family of moderate circumstances.
asked her if any of her relatives were
members of the society, and she an
| sWered in the negative. I told her If
| was against the rules but that, under
the circumstances, she might get the in
| formation she wanted, / wrote a note
to Mr.. Harden, the librarian, which I
| gave her, and he told me afterwards
that she had presented it and secured
the Information she NEEDED.
That is but one instance of many I
might relate. No obstacle should be
| thrown in the way of this thirst for
| knowledge, yet those who oppose the
establishment of a free library set I'D
| such obstacles. Superintendent Ash
more of the public schools says that
there are frequent requests made by
children of the High School, who seek
| information from the library that has
| been established at Chatham Academy
| for the teachers. This shows that there
| Is need, a crying need, for a free liz
| brary.
1T would be the best investment
| this administration ever made il it
| should appropriate $1,000 annually for
| the maintenance of a free library
| Such an investment would have more
| practical results in the Improvement
of the people of the city than any equal
| expenditure that could be made"
Col, Mercer directed attention to the
| fact that Mr.. Carnegie does not always
exact that a community shall appro-
pirate annually as much as 10 per cent.
of the amount he donates for a build
ing. He recalled a statement made re-
Gently concerning the Atlanta library,
to which Mr. Carnegie gave $685. 900.
though the city appropriates but $4,000
a year.