The Washington herald., 1914-05-26

With an attendance announced by fts
officers as surprising all records for an
annual meselng Of the organization. the
American Library Association opened its
thirty-sixth annual conference In this
city last night. The sessions viii con-
tinue throughout the week, with stimuli
taneous meetings every morning and aft
station and Of ahiliated organisations,
and general sessions this evening. tomor-
row evening, and Friday afternoon
At the opening session last night greet
ings OF the librarians Of Warrington 70
the visiting delegates were expreeDed IN
an address by Dr.. Herbert Putnam.
Librarian OF Congress, and Continental
Memorial Hall was crowded TO the eAl-
lerfes by visiting members and by local
Librarians and their friends, all bent upon
participating from start to finish In the
exchange Of ideas and upon imbibing
fresh inspiration to enable them to make
their individual libraries more useful to
the communities which they serve.
Edwin H. Anderson. director Of the
New York Library and president of the
association, made the Response to DR..
Putnam's welcome, and Immediately aft
erward launched upon his annual address.
in which he inyeighed strongly against
the system which has resulted IN ex-
GLIDING from America by the tarfR wall
much Of the best of the literary produc-
ton of the rest of the world. Mr.. An
depson spoke to the topic, The Tax on
Ideas" in the course Of which he said:
One of Few to Inpose Duty.
Russia and the United States are the
only powers of the first class which I'm
pose a duty on books published beyond
their borders. Great Britain, France.
Germany, Austria, Holland. Belgium,
Japan, the South African Union. Argen-
tina, Australia, and New Zealand i'm
pose no such duties. But Spain, Por-
tugal, Italy, Brazil. and some minor
countries of the two hemispheres. with
less enlightened policy.
Before the civil war the duty on for
eign books was 1v per cent ad valorem.
During the war it was increased to Is
per cent. where 1t remained, rs far as
books in the English language are con-
cerned. till the act Of 1913. 1t Is not q
tariff for revenue. since the income to
the government from this source il in
considerable. II II Is a protective tariff,
who is protected, and why?
For instance, the American Bible
manufacturers contended that II the duty
on Bibles. printed and bound by the un-
OeIpdlu ldUUT OI Gu8Aouus So8 ASu1SCos
the Bible-making industry In this coun-
try would be entirely destroyed. The
price of Bibles to q oeo people is
to be maintained in the interest Of q
few hundred people engaged In their
manufacture! What Is best for the 10o-
0o0. 900 does not count. The case ID typical
in Its absurdity.
THE humber Of books published an
nuaily in the United States Is only about
6 per cert Of the total annual produc-
ton of the world.
while we tail the procession In book
production. we import annually from the
other countries Of the world only a
paltrys cents worth for each OF ua In
the face of these facts we cannot claim
high rank as readers Of books.
"Our tariff on English books bears
heaviest ON those who are least able to
pay flour scholars, our teachers, our
scientific Investigators. Elsewhere the
most enlightened governments do every
thing in their power to encourage such
men as national assets. Here our policy
actually discourages them Instead Of
being taxed books should be privileged.
not for the encouragement Of an indus
try but for the education Of the people"
DR.. A. E. -Bostwick. chairman Of the
committee on library administrstion. pre-
sented q detailed report on the exhibition
Of library labor. saving devices. which
has been installed az the Washington
Public Library. As an adjunct to the
library association convention. he said.
this exhibition, which was opened yes
terday. already ID attrsctinS much at
tention. both from the visiting librarians
and bureau chiefs Of the different .eoy-
ernment Departments. .S
The concludii8 feature Of the evening
was an address by H. H B. Meyer. chief
Of the division Of bibliography Of the
Of Congress. on The Libraries
,f, Warrington" the talk being accom-
panied by lantern slides Of the public
government. institutional. and special
libraries In the District Of Columbta.
Following o meeting of the commit
tee on nominations yesterday after
noon the following nomination. wers
Tor oflcsrs q he asoeiAt