Connecticut western news., 1910-05-05
TOWN MEETING
 NEXT SATURDAY
TO DECIDE ABOUT LIBRARY OFFER
At a Meeting Held Last Saturday Night, After Hearing Reports From the Committee, It Was Voted to Submit Question to the Electors.

Submit Question to the Electors.
 The meeting at Judge Poraback's of flee Saturday evening to consider the library question was quite largely at- tended, there being about fifty present. Dr. 0. W. Camp, on behalf of the com mittee, reported that he had succeeded in obtaining $750 on the subscription paper which he had circulated, for the purpose of defraying the expenses in- volved in the exchange of the library property on Railroad street for the build ing formerly occupied by the New Eng land Lime Company. .
 It was brought out at the meeting that the town, by accepting of this most generous offer of MT. Manvel, and by the receipt of the money so pledged by public-spirited citizens, would receive a benefit of about $3500, without the ex- penditure of single cent. It was re ported that an offer had been made to the town of about $25OO for the present. library building and land adjoining. It was also reported that about $625 had been devised to the town by the will of Miss Kate Lawrence ito be applied toward purchasing site for an addi- tional building for library" The Yarj- ous objections which have been raised in the columns of THE NEWS and by those present wore talked about at great length.
 The consensus of opinion seemed to be that the objection which had been raised about the location was so groundless that it was hardly worthy of notice. It was said that at the present time in this village there are about twice as many families upon the westerly side of the Berkshire division railroad tracks as there are on the easterly side of the same. and then, too, 1t would not be necessary for these people or people com ing to the stores to cross two railroad tracks to get to the library. It was also claimed that the location of the Lime Comp my property would be as central as any library in any adjoining town.
 Someone made the query whether this proposed change might not block a future more expensive library. It was brought out in answer to this possible objection that the acceptance by tue town of this proposed change would not bar any person from giving 8 $50, 900 library to the town, because the town could, even one year from date. convert the new property into at least four thousand dollars. In other words, the town would not be binding itself to keep the property forever for library pur- poses.
 Another objection raised by the letters in THE NEWS, viz.. the increase of taxes, was talked about, and opinions were ex- pressed on this phase of the matter, showing that it would be possible for the town to maintain a library in the new quarters as economically as in the old. If the town wishes to keep open the library only two afternoons a week that it could as readily and cheaply do so in the new quarters as it has Ill the old. If the town wishes to make further use of this new property for reading rooms and the like it could do so by the expenditure of small sum- But this, it was said, would not be necessary. It could run thls new library in just the same mauner as it has the old, without increasing the cost of maintenance one cent. If it should SO happen that some day this town would feel more flush than it now does, then it would be nice to have some of these additional luxu- ries but for the present there seems to be no reason why these new quarters need cost the town bit more than the old library.
 It was voted to ask the selectmen to call 8 special town meeting to consider this exchange of properties for Saturday May ', at 2p. m.