Evening star., 1912-11-17
that the city of Washington provide for
the maintenance Of the branch libraries
to the extent of 10 per cent of their

the maintenance Of the branch libraries
to the extent of 10 per cent of their
cost"
After years of consideration Of his offer,
with this maintenance condition attached,
Congress finally accepted the proposal.
condition and all, so far as a branch at
Takoma is concerned. That Congress
viewed this branch library provision as
separately coupled with this condition is
shown by the wording of the law itself
t26 Stat, p. 800. 1t provides that the
(Takoma) library shall not be opened for
public use until Congress shall hereafter
provide for the necessary expenses OF
maintaining said branch library. There
is an indirect recognition even OF the
exact amount of the Carnegie mainte-
nance condition in the further provision
that ''thc appropriation for such ex-
penses shall not exceed in any one year
the sum of 10 per cent of the total cost
of such building AS the inevitable
result of this provision OF the law and of
the acceptance of Carnegie's maintenance
condition the Takoma library appropria-
ton must, it would seem. be exactly
$1,000 per year. To appropriate more is
forbidden by law; to appropriate less is
forbidden by the condition.
Instead of $1,000 the Takoma main
tenance appropriation was $3.50. and
this cut was defended by the suggestion
that Congress had appropriated more
than 10 per cent of the cost of the main
building for the annual maintenance of
the central library and that the two
libraries may be fairly consolidated in
applying the maintenance condition. The
central library cost S375,OO0 Takoma
branch, $4,000. If the two libraries We're
merged and the 10 per cent maintenance
condition applied the total minimum
annual appropriation would be S41, 800
Considerably more than this amount has
been and is annually appropriated for the
central library alone. il follows, how
ever, that if this reasoning is sound
Congress could under the circumstances
make no separate provision whatever for
the Takoma branch, with the result of
closing its doors to the public, and we
would still keep faith with Carnegie, Il
and ridiculous. The violation of the
branch library maintenance condition to
the extent of more than one-half of the
81, ,000 pledged has resulted in the closing
of the Takoma branch for half the week.
it is only half maintained and only half
utilized There would be no greater dam
age to the principle involved and no
more distinct disregard of the condition
imposed il not cent of the $4,000 pledged
had been appropriated and the branch
library had not been opened to the public
for u single day or hour
If Andrew Carnegie should accuse the
library trustees, the Commissioners and
Congress of breach of faith in respect to
the maintenance of the Takoma branch
would we be able to defend ourselves?
An Absolute, Imperative Need.
But, irrespective of any obligation to
Carnegie. the $4,000 appropriation for the
Takoma branch is demanded in full by
the branch library's absolute imperativ
need. The main library's needs have
been such as not to be fully met by the
main library appropriation and no drain
upon ii for branches can be endured
Congress accepted $37J,Oo0 from Car
negie to erect q, public library building or
the pledge of suitable maintenance" no
specific percentage being named In meet
ing the obligation of Suitable mainte.
nance for the main library Congress has
appropriated for many years more than
10 per cent of the cost OF the building
in fact, more than 10 per cent of the cost
of the main building and the Takoma
branch combined. Can this fact have the
slightest tendency to relieve Congress
! from the obligation to supply separate
| 10 per cent maintenance for the Takoma
| branch? Because Congress has met In
| good faith the pledge Of suitable man
tenanco for the main library and has
/ spent more than. the I'D per cent minimum
| in fulfilling this pledge, may Congress dis
/ regard the separate pledge of 10 per cent
| minimum maintenance for the Jakoma
branch, and, by draining the main Ii
| brary appropriation for the benefit of the
! Takoma branch. render the main library
| appropriation itself inadequate and un
| suitable?
| A table compiled from letters received
by our librarian from the librarians o.
the leading American public libraries