The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-09
NEEDS NO LIBRARY
HUT THE CITY NEEDS SCHOOLS,
SAYS MIR. j. r. WILLIAMS.
AGAINST CARNEGIE LIBRARY.
WOULD MEAN CLASS LEGISLATION
AND POOR INVESTMENT.

Would BE Better, Mr.. williams
Holds, to FIOnt ) Per Cent. Bonds
and Build school Houses-Appro-
PriatiOn Could Then Pay Interest
and Salaries of Teachers-Presen
Library Facilities Are More Ade-
quate to Needs Than Present
school Facilities, Mr.. williams
Thinks-MayOr Says City Could
Scarcely Afford to Appropriate
More Than $1,000 AnnuaIIy-senti-
ment of People should BE known.
Mr.. ]. p. Williams is among those
SaVannahians who are not enthusiastic
over the Carnegie free library plan.
Mr.. Williams, who has just returned
from a trip to Southwest Georgia on
business connected with the Georgia,
Florida and Alabama Railroad. of
which he is president, was seen yester-
day by a representative of the Morn
ing News, to whom he talked about
the library proposition
On two principal grounds Mr.. Will
npon the library plan. These are that
1t would mean class legislation and
that it would represent a poor invest
ment. He also holds that the city
should consider every phase of the
question carefully before determining
to perpetuate the memory of any man,
and that the perpetuation of that of
Mr.. Carnegie should not be made the
reason for the acceptance of his
money.
1t is an easy matter, Mr. Williams
said, to float per cent. bond. and
the city might borrow 100000 to be ex-
pended in the erection of school build
ings. The interest would be $4,000 a
year, and an appropriation of $4,000
year, instead of being expended for the
maintenance of a Carnegie library,
could meet the interest on the bonds
and leave $4,000 to be expended for the
salaries of teachers and other expenses
incident to the conduct of schools,
which, Mr.. Williams holds, are needed
more than library.
School facilities, for both white and
colored children, Mr.. Williams thinks,
are now inadequate, while there is no
such need for a library as there is for
additional schools. The Georgia His
torical Society, the school libraries the
libraries of the Sunday-schools and
those of the social clubs already reach
a great majority of the people who
would care in the least to avail them
selves of the privileges of public Ii
brary, even If there were one estab-
lished
The question of admission or ex-
clusion of negroes, Mr.. Williams says,
offers difficulties. To make the insti-
tuition free to but one of the races
would be class legislation. Left to the
management of the City Council. he
believes that the institution would be
threatened by politics, for candidates,
to catch the colored vote, might make
promises to open the library to ne
groes.
Mayor Myers was asked yesterday
when the Library Committee OF the
City Council would meet to consider
the last letter received from Mr.. Car
negie's secretary-that in which the
city is given to understand that it can
be considered upon no other than the
ten per cent basis. He answered that
he did not know just when there would
be meeting, but that he saw no need
for haste
1T is important" said the Mayor,
that the sentiment of the people be
ascertained, but that is a difficult mat
ter in Savannah. There is an apathy
shown by Savannahians, as a rule,
upon all public questions or matters of
public interest unless it be petty poll
tics. 1t is difficult to overcome this. 1
consider that the people repose conf
dence and trust in their City Council
and are ready to let that body look
after their interests. Council should,
therefore, he all the more careful.
II do not believe that the city could
well stand an annual appropriation or
more than $500 for the maintenance
of a library. Some expression from
the people should be had before any
appropriation is made. Such an appro-
priation would mean $4,000 from Mr.
Carnegie. AS the city has an available
lot. $4,000 might be expended upon a
building, leaving $4,000 for fixtures
n nd foF~ e{1 -