Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-02
A Question of Good Faith.

A Question of Good Faith.
In connection with the Takoma library
provision in the District appropriation
bill as 1t passed the House, the question
whether 1t keeps faith with Andrew Car.
negie has arisen. The House provision
discharges one assistant now employed
at the Takoma branch, cuts down the
salary of others and reduces the $4,000
maintenance. viewed as necessary to keep
faith with Carnegie, by about 80 per
cent.
Carnegie's branch library donation was
entirely separate from that Of the cen
trail library building, and was expressly
conditioned on minimum municipal
maintenance of 10 per cent of the cost of
the building After years OF consideration
of his offer. handicapped by this mainte-
nance condition. Congress finally accept
ed the proposition. condition and all. so
far as a orty-thousand-dollar branch at
Takoma is concerned. That Congress
viewed the Takoma branch proposition
as burdened separately and distinctly by
the 10 per cent maintenance condition is
shown by the law authorizing the Ia
koma branch, which stipulates that this
separate maintenance shall not exceed
AS the inevitable result of this pro-
vision of the law and of the acceptance
of Carnegie's maintenance condition. the
Takoma library appropriation must be
exactly $4,000 per year. To appropriate
more is forbidden by law; to appropriate
less is forbidden by good faith.
Instead of $4,000 the House proposes
for Takoma a maintenance appropriation
aafo dc
against the imputation Of bad faith by
suggesting that it has 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 $4,000; Takoma
branch, $4,000. If the two libraries
we're merged and the 10 per cent mainte-
nance condition applied the total min
imum annual appropriation would be $41,
500. More than this amount Is annually
appropriated for the central library alone.
1t follows, If the reasoning of the
House committee is sound, that Congress
could, under the circumstances, make no
separate maintenance provision Whatever
for the Takoma branch, and still Keep
and palpably unjust, which reduces the
Takoma branch statute to a mischief
working absurdity.
In discussing the main library appro-
priations Washington lays no stress on
the technical obligation to Carnegie. The
benefits conferred on the people by the
library. and its need Of such equipment
and support as will enable it to bestow
stitute the solid foundation. supporting
and justifying liberal maintenance pro-
vision. The main library, while it now
occupies a Carnegie building. is not and
never has been Carnegie library 1t is
the Washington Public Library. created
by Congress on the municipal half-and-
half basis as a supplement of the public
educational system, at first with tenn
porary rented quarters and with statutory
provision Of permanent housing for at
least 100000 volumes in the new munic-
ipal building then about to be erected. 1t
was thus created and municipality main
tanned years before Carnegie's benehcence
supplied an established institution with a
new and attractive home.
Congress created the Public Library that
the Washington workingmen. over 10000
In number, the school children and the
government clerks might have the benefit
at the capital Of a circulating library,
such as nearly every New England village
enjoys. Its creation was also a wise
economy for the United States, since it
served as substitute for the series of
duplicating Libraries in the various de-
partments and bureaus to which the gov
eminent was in consistency committed,
and it relieved the powerful pressure for
popular circulating use from the great
reference Library Of Congress Thus,
one-half at the expense Of the District
Congress began to perform we'll an edu-
cational function which 1t had been per-
forming poorly entirely at the expense
Of the United States
The library thus wisely and econom.
ically created has wonderfully developed
in activity and public usefulness, and has
Increasingly blessed those for whose ben.
eft it was especially designed-that is, the
Washington workingmen, school children
and government employees. 1t has demon.
strated the highest educational value. I,
is the free university Of the common
people.
Differing from the washington Public
Library. that at Takoma Park is dis.
tinctively Carnegie library. having nc
existence prior to and outside of the
donation Of Mr.. Carnegie and the main
tenance condition specifically attached BY
him to this donation. The obligation
would seem to rest on Congress to OBJ
serve scrupulously this technical condi
ton in providing for maintenance Of tn,
Takoma branch. A breach Of faith in re
spect to 1t would hardly be excused b,
evidence Of excess Of good faith in main
tanning voluntarily on q higher STANDARD
than the Carnegie minimum our owl
Washington Public Library.
Detective Burns talks freely. Yet h.
drops an occasional remark which indi