The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-27

Mayor Ward received this letter from MT Carnegies secretary last Saturday, but only decided yesterday to make 1t public. AS 1t Is seen. the letter is in an- swer to a tentative proposition submitted by the Mayor. and the latter said that he was greatly gratified at MT Carnegies cordial treatment of the matter
 Mayor Ward in discussing the library situation last night, had this to say: "Everybody is agreed as to the import ance of the library movement. This city needs a public library and we are going to have one. The educational campaign in behalf of the library cause which has been in progress for some time is sure to have practical results, and the question or location, as well as scope and design and raising the necessary funds, should now be considered.
 ''The county courthouse would make an ideal library building, so far as mag nitude and architectural beauty go, and the location too, is ideal. As the court house is no longer adequate for court purposes, 1t is only question of snort time when a new courthouse will have to be built. Public sentiment seems to favor a skyscraper home for the courts with A fall on top. It seems to me that the skyscraper project is by far the best solution of the problem Now' II the county decides to erect IF or 10 story steel frame structure, there should pc no trouble in bringing about transfer or +be nresent courthouse to public H.
 S2DO. UDD. The courthouse is regarded by architects ana neople of taste in general as an excep- tionally fine specimen of architecture' u ia certainly imposing and It could no' well be improved upon. A visitlns aroi'- +ect said to me recently that ne hao not seen any public building in thls country ouita so well proportioned Moreover IL ,s strongly and honestly pulit'
 "While the courthouse cost over So0O'. ooo the county could afford, In we" VI circumstances, to sell 1t to the Liprars association for $2O0,00O. The sKyscraper courthouse would probably be erected ph the present jail site. In that event the law library now in the courthouse couio remain where 1t Is, thus forming var rable feature of the public library.
 "A library for public use should De cen trauv situated. This is a point or the utmost importance. and to bring out all the stronger the reason for acquiring the courthouse. If possible, Is that very ques- t,on of location. In looking over the ci'y I find no site in the central distrlct that oou,d he purchased for a library site at a nrice other than prohibitive. It goes without saying that the library should not be situated in any outlying section or the c7fv: it should not be on the North Hlgh- lands or on the South Highlands; 1t should not be is1 the East End or the West End, hut in the center. The courthouse, there- fore, is the place above all others.
 Coming to the question of funds. cost of maintenance, etc., 1t IS sound prin- ciple in finance that fixed charges should he kent as low as possibly consistent with effecient service
 birmingham should not be satisfied with a public library building that was not designed on a large scale-a magnifi- cent scale. The people of Birmingham can raise and will raise s10O.O0O for such an edifce; but at least s20O0o0 will be needed. I therefore sounded MT. Car negie on the subject and the letter I have received explains itself. MT. Car ngie would be glad to give $2oo0oo or more. but he exacts from the City Coun- ell an agreement to provide annually for maintenance, a sum equal to 10 per cent of the original donation. In my opinion