The San Francisco call., 1906-08-26
LIBRARY TRUSTEES
VOICE PROTEST.

Something must be done immedi-
ately toward getting a City Hail." said
Mayor Schmitz yesterday. II am tired
of this fooling around and putting the
matter off, 1t Is time something was
done and I am going to insist upon it."
The Mayor expressed a hope that ar
rangements could be made to use the
site already selected for a City Hall
by the Supervisors, although he does
not want the Library interests to suffer
as a result. If the old Lincoln School
site, at Fifth and Market streets, is cho-
sen for a site for the new City Hall the
building will be put In the background
and an opportunity will be given for
the school district to rent the street
frontage at a good figure. Much oppo-
sftion to this site will be made from
various sources, however, and 1t seems
rather doubtful a present that the new
City Hall will be placed there.
The proposed City Hall will be a
temporary structure, to be built as
cheaply as possible. 1t will be large
enough, however, according to the
plans suggested, to house practically
all the departments of the city govern
ment. 1t will not be used as hall of
records, as some place with better fire
protection will be necessary for the
records. The storing of the records is
causing the officials much concern. for
1t is not easy to find a safe place for
them.
Mayor Schfnitz said yesterday that
the matter of finally selecting a site for
the City Hall would come up before the
Board of Supervisors at their meeting
tomorrow. Some of the members have
already expressed a determination to
build on the site chosen for public
library and a warm controversy over
the matter is promised.
While the general consensus of opin-
ion is that the Mayor is right in his de-
mend for immediate action in securing
new City Hall, there are many who
are at variance with his views as TO the
feasibility of using the library site.
Chief among these are the Library
Trustees, who yesterday, through the
chairman, James D. Phelan, voiced the
following protest against the selection
OF the library site. The letter, which Is
addressed to the Board of Supervisors.
is as follows:
Gentlemen-The Board of Public Lii
brary Trustees has been informed
through the press that it is the present
intention of the Board of Supervisors
to- use the library lot on Van Ness
pose of a temporary City Hall. We. re-
spectfully prepresent to the Board of
Supervisors the following:
/. The library lot was acquired by a
vote of the people for library purposes.
BY bill No. 1910 of the Board of Super
visors II was ordained that the said lot
be appropriated and authorized for
library and reading-room purposes"
The Board of Supervisors has request
ed the Board of Library Trustees to
prepare an architectural programme,
and after careful study of the libraries
in the East by its librarian this work
has been done; that one million (s1,-
000,000) dollars, one hundred thousand
($100,000) dollars of which is in the
public treasury and the balance in
authorized bonds, is available for the
construction of the library; that in
case more money is necessary generous
donors have promised 100000 more as
a gift to the city. There is no question
as to the eligibility of the site for a
library.
9. Practically all the libraries of the
city have been destroyed, and there is
great demand by the peopIe for
books. The nucleus of the public IL
brary is housed in the McCreery branch
onk Sixteenth street. near Market. The
trustees are in receipt of large mum
bers of books and can speedily rehab.I-
| itate the library IL the building be
erected.
3. If the temporary City Hall is erect
ed on the library site the presumption
is that 1T will remain there until a
permanent City Hall is built and ready