The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1912-11-17
CONGRESS SCORED
FOR ITS FAILURE
TO HELP LIBRARY
Takoma Park Branch Not
Kept Up According to
Pledges, Says Report.

Public library employees underpaid and
overworked. reslgnatIons from the work.
ing force running from 20 to IS per cen;
annually. the library maintained on II
smaller per capita expense than those
In twenty OF twenty-sIx cities Of 2cO.OOO
population and greater. a bitter denun-
citation OF the Cheese-parIng policy OF
Congress toward the public libraries OF
Washington, and the charge that Con-
gress. In failing to appropriate ad"-
Quately for the Takoma branch, has
been guilty OF a breach OF faith with
Andrew Carnegie-thcse arc some OF the
warmcst indictments in the annual re-
port OF Theodore W Noyes. president of
the library board. to the Commissioners.
made public today.
Noyes directs his bitterest denuncia-
ton against the action Of Congress last
spring In cutting the Takoma Park
branch appropriation from 1900 to 1880.
Pledges Not Kept.
III Andrew Carnegie should accuse
the library trustees. the Commissioners,
and Congress Of breach of faith In re-
spect Of the maintenance of the Takoma
Park branch, would We be able to de-
Itnt OURSELVES tue ItpoIN "oH'
"Carnegie's donation for the Takomn
branch was made on the express condi-
ton that the city OF Washington pro-
vide for its maintenance to the extent
OF 10 per cent OF It's cost The TakomA
branch cost $4,000. But instead OF
81, 900, the Takoma maintenance appro-
pration this year was $3.50. The viola
ton OF the maintenance condition 10 the
| extent of over half OF the Aeo pledged
has resulted in the closing OF the Ia
koma branch for half the week. II Is
only half maintained and only han
utilized. There would be no gfeatcl
damage t othe principle involved II not
! a cent of the 5000 pledged had been
appropriated and the branch library had
not been opened for single day or
| hour"
| Labors Increased.
REGARDING the appropriation Tor the
central library, the report continues:
within Ave years the work OF the
| library has been tremendously IT,
creased. But during that period there
has been no corresponding Increase o.
| those who do the work. We hnd IN
force today both ovcrworked and I'M
derpaid. while tho work has Increased
40 per cent In five years. the working
force has been practically at a stand
stin. As result the force has SUI
tered a continual shifting in personnel,
losing by designations 50 per cent OF
| the entire force in the year 1903. 2s
per cent in 1909. IS per cent in 1910
% 1-3 per cent in 1911, and - per cent
in 1912.
out of twenty-six cities having over
10000 population. twenty have higher
per capita expenditure for public libra
ries than Washington. 1t cost our u
brary In 1910 II cents per volume L
circulate books In the home OF readers
out OF the twenty-siX cities, two only
had "A lower cost per volume circulated
and the average cost was 1915 cents.
Librarian Praised.
The report concludes with an indorse
ment OF the work OF Librarian George
| f. Bowerman:
The library is fulfilling admirably
its function as supplement OF thu
public educational system OF the Dis
| trict. Its usefulness to the schools q!
increasing steadily and notably: like
wise it's value through its industrial
department to the clty's workers"