The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-03-24
LIBRARY SITE IS OPPOSED
SENTIMENT AGAINST BUILDING
 ON THE GREEN

Directors Show Necessity of New Build-
 ing and Limitations of Present One
 Rev. John A. Timm Presents Argu-
 ments for the PetitiOn-PrOfesso
 Henry w. Farrlam Presents Points
 Contra--Rising Vote Stood 23 to 6
 Against.
 The opposition was in a decided ma- jority at the hearing on the petition of the directors of the public library for permission to build a new library on the green whenever there may be funds available for it's erection before a spe- ctal committee of the board of alder men last evening. On a rising vote 2S expressed their sentiments as opposed to the petition, while but six were in favor.
 Rev, John A. Timm, pastor of the Trinity German Lutheran church, pre- sented the main argument h behalf of the petition. After detailing the neces- sity of new library in the near fu- ture and the difficulties and limitations of the present building, he stated that the present site would not be satisfac- tory for a new building because of the difficulty of obtaining light on account of the Exchange building on one side and the Second National, bank on the other. MT. Timm was not in favor of any building belonging to private citizen or corporation being built on the green, but thought 1t was good spot for the library.
 c. s. Hamilton asked MT. Timm if he would be willing to accept site on the green upon condition that no ex- pense attach to the city. He said per- sonally he would
 Benjamin R. English, director of the library, favored the site on the green. Sentiment or prejudice should not en- ter into the question. It Is a business proposition, The library should, more- over, be isolated as protection from fire.
 A. Maxcy Hitler, M. E. Chatfleld, Thomas Prentice and F. s. Bradley all spoke in favor of the petition. Libra rian John R, Stetson told that the li- Ibrary to-day needed exactly twice the space 1t had for effective work.
 Prof Henry w. Farnam presented the following arguments in opposition:
 I've need every inch of open space in the middle of the city that we can keep.
 2-To place a building on the upper green would serve as a precedent for other eneroachments, and thus be dan gerous.
 3--The location would not be nearly as accessible as the present one, which is near the junction point of all the principal trolley lines of the city.
 4-TAe plan of copying the old state fould would be unfortunate, because a brilding of that type is perfect in it. self, and cannot be added to without destroying it's symmetry. Moreover, beautiful as are it's outlines, 1t is not very well adapted to modern library purposes.
 5-The present side is not only ideal, but the land is ample if properly util- ized. The area covered by the pres ent building is nearly double that of the Ross addition to the university li- brary now being erected on the cam pus This building covers about 5,300 square feet, and will store 100000 books, besides furnishing a number of semin- ar room, offices, etc.
 6-Financially the plan would be pen ny wise. The city would perhaps add to the grand list property which would bring in few thousand dollars year, but it would impair one of the chief glories of New Haven. Do not let us give our children an opportunity to re- proach us with having sold our birth right,
 Others who spoke in opposition were c. s. Hamilton, D. W. Bowers, William Goodan, Anthony Carroll William Griffin, George D. Seymour, Prof. A. L. Bourne, and Mir. Deforest. It was LII Sou Illetl LllS pl lOSSiiN iON "HASh 10 " by 15S feet, was large enough to build satisfactory library building on and that the precedent of building on the green should be zealously avoided.
 The committee decided not to go into executive session after the meeting. AL derman Johnson presided. with Alder men Curtiss, Healy and Langley pres ent.