The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-12-28
CARNEGIE NOTE
AND CONCLUSIONS
Another Trustee Who Sees
Clouds Gathering on the
Library Horizon.

nucn Interest Iue uTtlCle III lilS hioIu- |
ing's Advertiser concerning the pro.
posed Carnegie library building and the
land deal between the Honolulu Library |
Association and the Y. M. @. A. Per
haps l may be able to shed little
light ON the subject.
1t should be understood at the outset |
that Mr.. Carnegie neither gives, Pounds,
nor endows libraries. He gives library
buildings. To these gifts he fixes as
q condition precedent that the local
community, either through its govern
ment or otherwise, shall make adequate
provision for the permanent upkeep of
the institution.
In our case such provision has not
been made, and no one knows whether
it ever will be. The last legislature
| appropriated $4,000 for the support of
a library-not $4,000 a year as has
been stated in the public prints, but
that amount for the biennial period.
The Governor, as / understand the mat.
ter, holds that as it will be at least
a year before the Carnegie building
can be ready for occupancy the appro-
priation of $4,000 is virtually for one
year-the second year of the biennial
period. Just what the Governor wrote
| Mr.. Carnegie, and what documents anu
| data he submitted to that gentleman,
are matters unknown in Honolulu. The
| following is copy of Mr.. Carnegie's
letter to the Governor, which is all
| we have in black and white at present:
November %, 1909.
My Dear Governor:-I have to-
| day read your letter and accom-
panying documents, and congratu-
| late you upon your success.
You do not refer to the furnish.
ing of site, which must be done
without touching the $4,000
year provided for maintaining
library. Whenever we hear YOU
have a site and see satisfactory
plans for building to be com
pleted, ready for occupancy, with
| in the hundred thousand dollars
| promised, | will arrange with my
cashier, Mr.. j. A. Franks, Home
Trust Company, Hoboken. New Jer-
| sey, to honor the calls of the proper
authorities for the same as needed,
to the extent of one hundred thou
sand dollars.
Very truly yours,
(Sgd.) ANDREW CARNEGIE.
Gov. w. +. Frear
Honolulu, Hawaii.
1t will be noticed from the above
that the cost of a site is not to come
out of the money provided for the
upkeep of the library, and l think it
is pretty evident that it is not to come
out of Mr.. Carnegie's hundred thousand.
just how this difficulty is going to be
| solved is not at present known. There
are certainly grave objections to the
proposed location in the capitol grounds,
and the whole question presents some
| very pretty problems.
1t should be remembered that the
action of the last legislature in APP
proprating money for the support of
"A library affords no guarantee of what
may be done by future legislative
bodies. The very next legislature may
refuse to appropriate anything, or may
appropriate an amount entirely made
quate; and then where are we9
There has been considerable said in
the newspa pers about the proposition
of the Y. NJ, c. A. for an exchange
of real estate with the library associa-
ton, and the action of the latter body
upon said offer. The proposal of the
Y. NJ. G.. A. has never been published,
and ] have reason TO believe that it is
not generally understood, The follow
ing is a copy of the communication on
which the library trustees acted:
Honolulu, Dec. ., 1909.
Honolulu Library and Reading
Room Association, Honolulu.
conference.-the Young Men Is
Christian Association of Honolulu,
in furtherance of the proposition
for exchange of properties, would
hereby offer to transfer to you the
lot and building on the corner of
Alakea and Hotel streets in ex-
change for the property owned and
occupied by you on the opposite
corner of said streets and including
the lot in the rear of building.
1t is understood by the Y. NJ. c.
A. that your property as mention
ed is valued at $4,000. The Y NJ.
C.. A. is paying taxes on valua-
tion of $27, 800. To offset this diff
ference of $500 the Y. NJ. C. A.
would ask for possession of your
property on February l next, and
the free use of its present prop
erty until the new building now
projected is completed, which would
probably be one year from the
time of commencing building oper
ations.
This subject has had the con.
sideraton of the directors and
trustees of the Y. NJ. G. A. and an
even exchange with the difference
in the time of delivery, seems TO
them to be an equitable PROPOSE
ton for both associations and il is