Evening star., 1914-10-11

chairman Of the House subcommittee
on the District Of Columbia appropria-
ton BILL. declared that our library was
then the most inteiligently active for
Of within the entire country DR..
Bowerman's standing as q chief IL
brar1an has also recently been recog-
nized by his appointment to the chair
administration Of the American Library
Association.
No Change Since 1909.
There has been no change in the IL
brarian's salary since July I, 1903.
when 1t was increased from $3.50 to
$500. The library trustees have been
on record since 1908 as recommending
that the salary be made $4,000.
Until it is SO increased it cannot be
regarded as commensurate with the high
quality OF the service rendered by DR..
Bowerman. and not till then will 1t be
put on par with salaries paid to chief
librarians Of other municipal Libraries of
equal rank This is evident from the fol-
lfSraran IEMnf comPasays or par tive sSres The chief
receives 10000 per year: that Of the
Brooklyn Public Library. 5000: Chicago.
Sa:soo: st Louis. $1,000; Boston, $1,000;
fsIors1 sufalo Chief $780, Detrodt 5000
Milwaukee. $4,000; Cincinnati, $1,000:
Newark. $4,000: Seattle. $4,000: Kansas
lily. lily. 1850; :,a Rochester "a very new
Springfield. Mass, $1,000.
Last year the committee on appropria-
tions recommended to the House Of Repre-
sen.atives sem at an increase in the librarians
lost through the raising of a point Of
order on the floor. That the responsible
conmttee or the House dealing with ap-
preparations should thus have recorded
It's conviction that the salary should be
advanced Is a hopeful sign. This wear
we earnestly recommend that the long
overdue increase in the librarians salary
oe made and that a full rather than
hin, ''a, ana measure .a sur of OF justice, be done to
salary to the figures urged by the library
t[ustees Tor so many years. We cannot
aHord to lose DIR. Bowermar,. Such an
ever event Is not at all unlikely unless we are
"''eN' u pay MIN a more adequate salary.
Force Is overworked.
"As result of the extraordinary in.
crease in the library's work. and Of
the failure to increase correspondingly
'ne number and compensation of those
VINO are to do this work, the force to-
uaS Is oVerworked as well as under
paid AS a consequence of these con-
ditions of overwork and underpay the
nnrary force has suffered a constant
snlItlng in personnel. losing by resiE-
nations So per cent of its entire force
IN the fiscal year 1907, Is per cent in
1903. 23 per cent in 1909. 2e per cent in
1910, 80 1-3 per cent in 1911, 20 per
oent csnt In 1g12 ~ s5 per cent 1913 and 81
In the ten years from 1904. the first
full year the present central building
was occupied, the congressional appro-
priations for the library have in
creased rs per cent and the total
library expenditures 40 per cent; but
in the corresponding period the book
stock has increased in volume 161 per
cent and the home circulation has in
creased in volume 156 per cent The
work done has increased much more
than twice as fast as the means pro-
vided for doing 1t, and in very recent
years, until the 1918 appropriation,
there has been almost no increase Of
maintenance and development pro-
vision at ALL
Fiction Percentage Decreases.
During these ten years there has
been not only this wonderful increase
in the quantity, Of library work, but
as notable an Improvement in its quail
ity. The fiction percentage Of the books
circulated has been decreased by 2s|
per cent. This vast increase in general
circulation and this heavy decrease in
percentage of fiction circulated sug-
gest in combination the scope Of the
library's helpful activities. the wide
sweep of its school work. Of its indus
of practical instruction and mental
and un1fff The wide acono