The San Francisco call., 1905-03-12
TRUSTEES HOLD
YEARLY MEETING
Mechanics Institute Board
InStallS Officers and Hears
the Reports for Past Year
NEW MEMBERS ELECTED
officials Choose Men to
Guide Useful 0rganiza-
ton for Ensuing Term


brary held their nftieth annual meet
ing last night in the general assembly
room at 81 Post street Ohicers for the
ensuing year were installed Besides the
Installation the meeting considered and
voted upon three amendments to the
constitution. all of which were defeat
ed. and listened to the reports Of the
librarian, secretary and president
The librarian and tneasurer's reports
showed that the finances and condition
Of the library at the present time Is
very prosperous The total receipts for
the year were $46,417 5s and the ex-
penditures $46.15o os. While the figures
only show a slight advantage in favor
Of receipts. $500 Of the disbursements
was used for permanent improvements
The total membership is S475, the gain
for the year being ZIG. The number Of
volumes in the library is ss.sA-
The following trustees were installed
byJ e Gilmore and Dr.. A W. Scott:
TREY L. Ford, Alpheus Bull, Byron
MauZy, Robert W. Neal. James G.
SpauIding, Otto Won Geldern, Luther
Of trustees comprises: Rudolph ].
Taussig, George Beanston, E. P. Heald,
James e Lyons, L R. Mead, James
Spiers, George H Wallis.
President Rudolph J. Taussig made
his report for the year. It is in part
as follows:
stitute-
Do@.-. v-o..oSg-- ,,-5%y, ~Nn oc1UoI
statement Of the condition OF the
affairs Of the Mechanics Institute it
seems especially appropriate to make
prominent mention Of the fact that the
institute has now completed the hftieth
year Of its existence and Of its useful
ness
We are planning to make our cele-
bratlon coincident with the post-con-
ference meeting Of the American Lii
brary Association, which is expected to
take place in San Francisco during the
coming summer The American Ii
brary Association meets in Portland
this year for its annual conference and
according to its usual custom cf hold
ing conference meetings in places
Of interest, TO which excursions are
made.
The San Francisco Chapter of the
American Institute Of Bank Clerks has
recently affiliated with US adding one
hundred and fifty new names to our
membership AS they are especially
interested in the study of finance and
az we are endeaYoring TO develop that
branch Of our library devoted TO COM
merce, this afiiiation viii undoubtedly
be mutually advantageous
In connection with this il is our in
tention TO inaugurate a course Of lee
lures upon economics, and Professor H.
Morse Stephens, who has kindly taken
charge Of our lectures, is making the
necessary arrangements.
There is no reason why the Me-
chanics Institute should not, with its
splendid endowrant, eventually estab-
hsh what might be called a popular
university. That would give such of
our members who may have neither
the time nor the opportunity of attend
ing a regular university the benefit of
university lectures.
Considerable Improvement has. been
made in our library building, which it
is hoped viii add to the comfort of the
members, and earnest endeavors are
also being made to improve the efici-
ency Of the library service A number
OF assistants have been employed for
more than year to catalogue the en-
tire library and the work is now near
ing completion. The fiction catalogue
was Installed some time ago.
The total receipts for the fiscal wear
just ended were about $46 400, while the
bills incurred amounted to about s47
oehcit OF $500, which, however. is not
q correct. We should deduct from the
amount of bills incurred during the
year al least one-half and probably
one-thiro Of the amount spent for limo
leum, catalogue cases and furniture.
The net income from the Pavilion
block during the past year has been
about Sls5oo, slight increase over the
preceding year. We deem the Pavilion
block an endowment for the institute
which ought TO be held as an invest
ment, as It would be difficult to find a
safer or better one.
President Taussig spoke of the pro-
posed erection Of building at HAYES
and Polk streets as good investment
and urged the members to actively
work for the bringing of exhibits to
the pavilion from Portland at the close
Of the Lewis and Clark Exposition in
1906. -
AT the conclusion Of the regular
meeting the board of trustees met and
elected the following officers for the
ensuing fiscal year; President, Rudolpa
j. Taussig; vice president, George n.
Wallis; corresponding secretary. James
Il. Lyons; recording secretary, James
9. Spaulding. Joseph NJ. Cumming re-
mains in his position as secretary.
The Office Of treasurer was hotly con-
tested for by the Central Trust Com
pany and the Bank Of California. with
The result as yet undetermined.