The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-03-24
|COUNCI[ VOTES TO
ACCEPT CARNEGIE
LIBRARY GIFT
Only Four Aldermen Opposed To
Taking $750,oOO of Ironmaster's
Money-Heineman Scores 0ppo-
nents of Plan.
Municipal Ownership Initiative Petit
tion Presented and Must Be Sub
mitted After 80 Days, Hally Says.

Decisively, by vote Of 80 to 4. the
common council of Detroit. Tuesday
evening. accepted the offer OF Andrew
Carnegie to give the city s750.000 for
4 new central library and branch IL
braries. The opposing aldermen on
the final vote were Tossy. Ostrowski.
Rutter and Goeschel. An argument
that had much weight with the alder
men In making acceptance Immediate
was the pressing need OF branch librar-
les. The cost OF these buildings can
now be cut from the budget.
10 only remains tor the board of es-
Inmates TO appropriate money for
suitable site to insure the building oil
the new library This proposition has
been before the city for nine years and
has been three times submitted TO the
people. carrying once and being de-
feated by only few votes the last
time
Aid. Heineman spoke for half hour
In favor OF the acceptance OF the gilt
The opposition he characterized as n
few who make noise as though they
were q great many" San Francisco
Is the only other American city 20
refuse the Carnegie gift. he said, and
he asked il Detroit wishes TO be
classed with that city. Detroit, he as
serted, may participate In the Car
negie educational fund, which is Tor
the purpose OF educating children
whose parents cannot send them 10
school beyond the lower grades, In
case OF acceptance Of the library of1er.
Il believe the council is courageous
enough not TO listen to the voice OF
q few fanatics who may have votes
and TO heed the demand OF the great
mass OF the people for acceptance OF
this gift at once" said HeinemaE.
Votes are things that coward poll
ticians dream OF nights. but, the thing
for this body to do is to settle this
matter right, regardless of votes. and
do IL now"
Aid. Rutter wanted the matter sub
mitted TO popular vote again, while
Aid. Tossy maze long speech In op-
position. The sentiment OF the coun-
ell was overwhelming, however, and
all obstructive motions were voted
down.
There was some embarrassment
when the petition circulated by the
citizens committee on municipal own
Of 521 shee's containing 1888 names.
the leading signers being Charles ID.
Williams. w. II. Beamer, VIM. T. Dust,
d. ID. Thorp and W. w. Chaplin. As
this Is the first initiative petition ever
received by the council. the aldermen
did not know what to do with IL.
Corporation Counsel Hally stated
that the petition must remain with
City Cle-k Nichols for 80 days and that
the council must then call an election.
at which the amendment must be sub
mitted in the exact form presented.
The matter was. therefore. referred TO
committee and the committee Will In
vestigate the signatures.
1t is the desire of the aldermen TO
delay action on this amendment suffi-
ciently to submit 1t with the amend
ments prepared by the council at a
special election next summer.
Aid. link was beaten by vote OF
Fl to IL in his attempt to revive
the proposed amendment turning the
control of the police, public works and
park departments over TO boards In
stead of single commissioners. The
amendments previously proposed by
the charter and city legislation COM
mittec were then adopted.
There was another contest over the
civil service amendment, Aid. link
and Tossy wishing this TO be amend
ed so as to exempt ward foremen and
common laborers from the terms OF
the amendment. The matter went over
for one week.
Aid Tossy introduced a resolution
giving the franchises committee au-
fhority TO hire an unbiased expert TO
assist the committee In the consider
alton of the traction problem. This
went to the committee for consider
alton Tossy explained that in the
tangle Of conflicting statements re-
garding values the committee might
md 1t necessary to hire its own ex-
pert
Public Works Commissioner Haarer
turned down the request of the streets
committee that he give a contract for
500 tons of asphalt TO the Globe Oil
Co, manufacturing the Obispo brand.
He informed the council in a short