The Washington herald., 1909-05-01
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

It would take fifteen years to compists
the job and would cost $4,000 Some
time in the future this may be undertak-
en-, but the ever-growing list OF material
received makes such g publication al
most, If not entirely, inDractioable.
With more than 1500.00o books and other
things in proportion IN the Library. and
the list growing az the rate OF 100, 900
books a year. the available space was
all taken I'D, s1d q Macedonian cry for
more shelf room was sent Up. This sap-
peal was answered by Congress with an
appropriation Of SS2o.000 for a nsw book
stack. II Hin be completed in about a
year. and viii have ten stories OF book
shelves. with a total capacity Of about
/ I 00o 90 volumes. Heretofore II has been
necessary 10 store many OF the important
newspapers in the basement. and when
the investigator spent q few hours look
ing through some OF them he came 10
look more Ike a coal HEAVIER than a lit
erary light.
Congress does not give much considera-
ton 70 the question os education in fixing
salaries IN the government service. A
man or woman wno is an average type
wTfttst can work up 70 $3.50 In almost
any branch OF the service. Only a good
English education Is needed. n the Ii
brary successful and qualified employe
must be on rather intimate terms with
French and German. and he must be
thoroughly posted in everything pertain
ing 70 books. Yet the salaries are much
lower than IN other branches OF the gov
ernment service. as well as lower than
those Of outside libraries.
The Library IS engaged in reclassifying
the contents Of the stacks In accordance
with modern classification rules This
work is materially retarded by the inabil-
ity 10 retain a capable force. As soon
as new enploye gets the essential ex-
perience there IS a better paying Job
awaiting him elsewhere The result Is
that the Library is always losing its
most efficient employees Low pay is par
ucularly true IN the case OF the assist
ants IN the reading room These attend
ants must have the education OF a col
lege professor. yet the highest salary
paid is only s1.500. They are the people
who may always be relied on 70 pull the
reader cut Of a hole when hunting for
something he cannot find.
The usefulness Of the Library may be
Illustrated in a thousand ways For IN
stance, in the sos 2500Q head OF cattle
were driven of a Texas ranch Eyewit-
nesses swore they were driven fifty miles
10 the left OF Twin Mountain. Twin
Mountain vas not located on any map
available TO the Court OF Claims. II the
cattle were driven 70 the one side. il
was done by the friendly Apaches, and
the government would have 20 pay for
them. II 20 the other side. they we're
driven of by the hostile Comanches and
the government was under no obligation
20 reimburse the owners. 4 map Of 1851
on file in the Library OF Congress was
resuTTeCted and IL laid the OIense al the
door Of the COmanche tribe. The ven
eraole and lanented Spoford. 70 whose
memory the Library viii always be a
monument, once said that there should
never be a censor IN the republic Of books.
asserting that no man could tell wat
portion Of the trash OF to-day would Be
the treasure OF Tomorrow. The Twin
Mountain incident substantistes that
declaration A set OF the Charleston
Courier, bought for q considerable sum.
has been widely used 20 determine the
question Of loyalty OF those who made
claims for reimbursement for property
destroyed by Federal troops during the
S4NA val II Is estimated tnaI y mas
saved the government at least 100 times
lis cost
The Librarian OF Congress holds z most
peculiar relation 20 the government In
reality an official OF Congress itself. he
Is appointed by the President and makes
his report 20 the Vice President and the
Speaker Of the House Mr. Putnam has
held the place since 1893. The institu-
tons greatest era Of usefulness has bee7
developed under his administration
(CoUrizht. 1903. b. Frederic ]. Hsskin.l