The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-16
PUBLIC LIBRARY
IS GREATEST NEED.
Plan for Campaign Outlined at
Meeting of Richmond Educa-
ton Association.
METcALF MADE PRESIDENT
Recites Notable Steps Made by
City Last Year in Educa-
tional Work.

"Rfchmonders will stand moro neg
lect without protest than tho neonIe
OF any other community in Amer,ca -
said Robert n. Pollard last night IN
an ADDRESS before tho annual meeting
or the Richmond Education Associa
tion In the John Marshall High School
on the subject of a public library for
this city. II wish to point out n no
Tess prominent characteristic possess
ed by them,' he added. 1T is the
promptness and completeness of tho
remedy they apply to a wrong when
CIVIC pride Is once aroused and thov
arc brought face to face with tho
unjust condition. l believe that we
should launch an aggressive publicity
campaign to inform the people of the
advantages Of a public library.
when the people are informed OF
what they arc missing by neglect.
they VIII ask the City Council for II
ana from my personal experience with
the men who compose this BODY the
Council Will respond by erecting n
public library which will be n credit
to the city"
The need for great public library
In Richmond, the advantages to be de-
rived from such an institution. and
plans FOR campaign to obtain one oe-
cupied the most prominent place in the
discussions of.the annual meeting In
'tPOltr i-fcSiutnl j. y. Mptcalt
ferred to the public library problem
as the most important issue confront
ing the association at this time In
discussing progress made toward Sc
curing public library, Dr. Metcalf
said that a committee OF the Rich
mond Public Library Association will
shortly propose that the services of
some capable and convincing manager
be obtained, regular headquarters
opened, and a systematic campaign
for propagating the need for public
library he launched.
On report of the nominating com
mittee of the executive board, the fol-
lowing officers were elected for the
coming year: DR.. ]. C. Metcalf, presi-
dent: Mrs. NJ. G. Branch, first vice
president; Mrs. Joseph NJ. Rosenbaum.
second vice president; Mrs 6. Harvey
Clarke. secretary: James c. Harwood.
assistant secretary; John 7. Wingo.
treasurer. Executive comnittee-Al-
bert II. Hill, j. II. Binford. Miss Kath-
leen Anderson and Mrs. John S. Munce.
Progress I'm Year.
Notable achievements In the Rich
mond education system were enumer-
ated as follows by President Metcalf:
The opening OF Bellevue and Sidney
Schools, thereby increasing the total
number of school buildings to thirty
four; the enrolment of 1898 pupils in
the public schools. as against lsS92
last year; attendance of 1.12S in night
schools, as against 1,40i last year; the
purchase of fifty additional school Ii
braries; the installation of $4,000 ma
chine shop in the John Marshall High
School, with a four-year manual train
ing course; medical inspection of chill
dren in the schools. and the introduce
ton of domestic science into every col
ored school.
The report of the committee manag-
ing the open-air school in connection
with Madison School, read by Mrs. NJ. c.
Branch, was heard with interest and
attention. This school, designed for
physically unpromising pupils. is sup
ported by the Richmond Educa ton AS
ISOLATION and other civic organizations.
Food and clothing for the outdoor ex-
ercise prescribed in the course are fur
nished for twenty children. The in
novation has been received with such
success that similar schools are being
opened elsewhere in the city.
1t was announced that the prize pic
ture for the cleanest back yard and
playground was awarded to the Belle
vue School. where the premises were
kept In approved order during the SEES
sion by the pupils themselves. ID. II.
Rucker spoke on the advantages of
school gardens. and represented the
need of tagging trees in tho public
parks of the city.
Miss Kathleen Anderson announced
for the membership committee that
forty-one new members were added to
the roll of the association during the
year. Resolutions on the death of Mrs.
Alice NJ. Tyler. for years member of
the executive committee of the asso-
citation and chairman of the history
committee. were adopted.