Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-18
LUMMIS DENIES
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
LIBRARIAN STATES HIS SIDE
OF CONTROVERSY
DECLARES MISS BLANDY WRONG
ON ALL POINTS
Accounts for Every Day of His Time
During 1908 and Says Woman
Was Discharged for Good
Reason

Was Discharged for Good
Reason
While Miss Julia w. Blandy, the de-
posed principal of branch Libraries, has
been making serious charges against
Charles F. Lummis, librarian, ana tax
| ing city officials and the public into
her confidence, the librarian mas sat
back in silence and heretofore not an
| swered these charges. But now he has
| come forth with statement Wnlch
| gives his side of the case. one charge
on which Miss Blandy dwells longest Is
that the librarian does not spend
| enough of his time in the pubic library
| Mr.. Lummis says:
while 1908 is not typical year pc
cause 1t was a steady Wrestle with
sickness (perhaps from overwork, we
will take it, l was thirty-siX days IN
the east attending the annual confer
| ence of the American Library assocla-
| ton and visiting the principal pupllc
and reference Libraries of the country
to learn what might be of use to our
| own service. | took a typewriting ma
! chine along and worked on library
work = correspondence, consultations,
plans, reports, etc.-an average OF over
eight hours day for the whole ap-
| sence.
During the year l was also absent
one day in San Diego, three days In
Riverside, two days in Lompoc-all by
| formal permission of the board, all on
matters as to which this library is daily
consulted, all including not less than
eight hours day of actual library
work.
"Mumps were ten days and other
sicknesses were twenty-four more. l
had thirty days more of sick leave, put
was in the library from one to hVe
| hours on each of these days-and work.
ing on the library full day even when
in bed For every day of the year-in-
Guiding holidays, sick leaves and alb
sences, my average work on my duties
as librarian was nearer thirteen hours
| than twelve daily Sundays, holidays
Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years
are the same.
Every day that l have been in the
city l have been in close telephone
communication with the library board
and the library: using the telephone
! from five to thirty times per day. The
| board, the library and any one who
asked always knew where to find me.
Imported Miss BIandy
Miss Blandy is an importation of my
own. | fought her past the civil serv-
| ice commission, the board and the stan
as those will remember who read the
newspapers. She had never before held
an important library position. She has
had here the largest chance in her life
l have her record from herself and from
her employers. She would not have
| thought to take such stand in Wash
ington or New York. 1t is only upon
this outlandish frontier that her criti-
cisms venture to apply.
Every member of the library board
for the last three years is involved in
the charges of ineompetency, derelic-
| ton of duty and mismanagement'
brought by this stranger. Every men,
Der of the library staff is involved in
her charges of incompetency.' 1t is a
matter in which intelligent people may
we'll be left to take their choice-with
few other facts before them.
| THAT Miss Blandy was discovered
from the library staff by the abolish
ment of her position. instead of by pre-
ferment of charges before the civil
service commission, is not confession
of guilt, as she assumes, but matter
of business. 1t was fully understood
before the end of her six months pro-
baton that we need not mind this pro-
vision: SINCE unless she should mend
her procedure, there would be abundant
evidence in support of formal charges.
The abolishment-of the position is legal
and practical. There may be some who
would prefer the dragging out of tire
some scandal for six months or year
we prefer to do business.
Sends UItimatum
after long-continued demands for
special privileges, delivered in man
ner to which no employer was ever
reconciled, on Wednesday, August o.
1908, Miss Blandy sent written ulti-
matum to the library board that 'un-
less a hearing is arranged for me be-
fore Saturday, the Sth, l must appeal
the matter to the civil service commits
SION This ultimatum included ten
demands, among them absolute control
over her own department: to be given
permanent staff of her choosing, sub
| ject to change only on her recommen-
dation; that she be paid salary of
800 a month; that she be invited to any
conference of the board touching the
branches; that the control of the
schedule be changed. and so on, for
quantity.
mo head of department in this Ii
| brary has absolute CONTROL No head
of department has permanent staff
of her own choice. subject to change
only on her recommendation The
civil service commission and the regu-
lations of the library attend to these
| thingS-of course in consultation with
reasonable principals. No head of de-
partment is made a member of the Ii
|
brary fixes his own salary.
Next morning Miss Blandy was Of
| ficially informed that a special meet
| ing of the board could not be held for
her within two days, since several di-
rectors were absent from the city, but
| that there would be meeting August
| IL, at which she should be heard. Such
a meeting was held August II. Miss
Blandy was summoned to it and in
vited-to present her case. She refused,
stating that the matter is before the
| civil service commission and l don't
/ care to discuss it twice.
| 1.-THE matter was not before the civil
service commission on that date. nor
brought before it until November 10
| three months later. Meantime October
20) the board received from me without
! comment request from Miss Blandy
for raise of salary from $50 to 800 a
month. This was unanimously denied
| She testified in the civil service trial
that if this request had been granted
she would not have brought her charge
against her fellow employees. Inciden-
tally her salary of $50 month in this
| library is as much as she ever received
from any former library service.
Refuses Hearing
"That is, her employers offered her a
hearing as to alleged grievances which
| it was their province to remedy If
proved She contemptuously refused.
| Afterward she applied for a raise in
| salary of so per cent. When her en-
ployers declined this unearned incre-
ment she filed charges before the civil
service commission accusing the assist
ant librarian of INSTRUMENTATION, in
| competency, malicious interference
/ N r. hn hra oh