Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-01
IN
MUSS OVER
TWO WOMEN
Charges Are Filed
Against Misses
Gleason
May Be Move to Displace
Female Employees of
Department
Library Senate Practically Abolished
and No Satisfactory Reason Is
Given for Move-one
Member Gone

Will the public library of Los An
geles be purged of feminine help and
voters substituted?
Such an issue has been raised as a
result of charges filed against Misses
Celia and Pearl Gleason. two Of the
older employees of the library, with the
library board.
Misses Gleason, who are in no way
related, are to be made the victims
Of the new policy, it is stated, as a
means of silencing the inner disturb
ances that have marked the present
administration, due to the intriguery
Of petticoat politics in that institu-
tion.
1t is now proposed to install men in
all important executive offices if they
can be found.
The most sensational preliminary
move by the board is the practical
abolition of the advisory body known
as the library senate, composed of the
heads of departments.
This auxiliary was pet idea of Id
brarian Charles F. Lumnlis and the
regular meetings and recommendations
of this senate were looked to with in
terest by the entire library force.
Senate Gets Busy
With some of the powers that be,
however, the senate idea lost favor
after senate delegations appeared sew
eral times before the civil service COM
mission to lobby for or against certain
measures affecting the government of
the library.
One of the influential members of the
senate has just gone on an extended
trip to Europe. This absence is given
as reason why no meetings of the
senate have been held lately, though
members say there are other and
weightier reasons.
Recently Miss Julia Blandy, a grad
uate from the Astor and other eastern
libraries, came to Los Angeles and was
prevailed on to take an emergency
appointment here. In doing so. her
friends say, she forfeited other and
better paying chances. The board de-
cided that several rules could safely
be waived IN Miss Blandy's favor SO
that she could take several grade ex-
aminations at once and be eligible for
immediate appointment as superin-
tendent of delivery branches. The SEN
ate made q strong protest against this
action and tied the hands of the ad-
ministration through the civil service
commission.
Factions Disagree
Previously, Miss Pearl Gleason who
Is clerk to the board, and Miss Norah
Miller, said to be prQtege of the
Dockweiler faction, disagreed over an
error in duplicating bills which has
been charged to Miss Miller, and this
further intensified feeling. Miss Celia
Gleason is principal assistant Ii
brarian.
Director Giffen, an advocate Of Miss
Pearl Gleason's cause, insisted recent
ly that a suppressed report be pro-
duced from the files of President True
worthys administration, which added
fuel to the flames. This report cleared
Miss Pearl.
If the latest charges are tried, the
old fight, dating to the time when Miss
Jones was displaced as librarian by
Mr.. Lummis, candidate of the Dock
weller faction, will be renewed
Director of Study Jones, who is
fathering the charges, declines to dis
cuss them. 1t is generally believed
that he is merely representing the
faction which hopes to bring peace by
ousting both of the young women who
have been drawn into the controversy
The other side insists that If the
Misses Gleason go Miss Miller must
go. too.
At Thursday nights session of the
board the charges will be threshed out.