Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-12-23
DANA SETS OWN
VIEWS AGAINST
THE MAJORITY'S
City Librarians Resignation
from Committee of 100 Ex-
7 plains Dissatisfaction.
SITE OF MEMORIAL
IS NOT TO HIS LIKING
Choice Hasty and Unwise. He
Says-Archibald and Rabbi
Foster on, Committee.
SITE OF MEMORIAL
is NOT TO HIS LIKING

The resignation of John Cotton
Dana as a member of the Committee
of One Hundred. was received last
night by the Common Council Mr.
Dana was Immediately accepted. He
is head of the Newark Free Public
Library and is also director of the
Newark Museum.
Former Governor Franklin Murphy,
chairman of the general committee.
said today he was pleased that the
resignation of Mr. Dana had been
promptly accepted. He felt it would
relieve an unwarranted situation due
to the city librarians efforts to i'm
pose himself on the opinion of the
majority of the building committee.
Mr.. Dana's letter of resignation gives
his reasons very pointedly for quitting
the task of assisting in the celebra-
ton of Newarlx's ESQ anniversary. He
is dissatisfied with the action OF the
building committee of the general
committee. He was a member of the
building committee and because the
majority of the members selected the
site at Broad and Camp streets for
the memorial building he decided to
curtail his usefulness in connection
with the anniversary celebration.
The city librarian, 1t is known, was
very anxious to have the new me-
mortal hall, which is 70 contain the
Newark Museum, as one of its fea-
lures, In the vicinity of the library.
He has very strong views on this
matter and therefore believes that
the other six men of the building
committee made a great mistake and
that his own judgment was much
superior to theirs in the matter OF
selecting the site.
Mr.. Dana's letter leaves no doubt
concerning his views regarding the
majority OF the building committee.
He is sure they made an error in
their Judgment. He Is confident they
acted unwisely. He explains how
they acted hastily, despite the fact
that the general arrangements for
the celebration are not any too far
advanced at The present time.
0rdsred Tilsd.
When city Clerk Alexander Archi
bald began to- read the Dana com
lnunication at the Common Council
meeting Majority Leader Mark r
Phillips inquired the nature of this
letter. He was informed that it was
the resignation of Mr.. Dana. Forth.
with the communication Was ordered
received and placed on flle while the
resignation was accepted. Mr.. Archi.
bald later gave out copies Of the Dana
resignation.
The resignation of Charles Bradley
- Del q.
a member of the building committee
also was received and accepted. Mr.
Bradleys letter did not set forth his
reasons for resigning, but simply
rendered his desire in a very forma
manner.
Mr.. Archibald and Rabbi Solomon
Foster were appointed by a resolution
unanimously passed to succeed Mr.
Dana and Mr.. Bradley as members o.
the building committee.
The other members OF the building
committee are former Governor
Franklin Murphy, Uzal Fl. McCar-
ter, Christian w. Feigenspan. Ed
ward e. Gnichtel, Forrest r. Dryden
and James R. Nugent.
Mr. Dana's resignation reads:
Newark, N. J., Dec. u, 1915.
ITO the President and Members OF
the Common Council of the City OF
Newark, New Jersey.
Gentlemen: herewith hand yor
my resignation as a member of the
The Dana Letter.
81 do this for several reasons.
''I do not approve of the manner in
which the majority of the memorial
committee has selected and voted to
l. IT, g.. IL -4ra
building. They called meeting of
this committee, the first ever held. in
haste, and at once made 1t plain that
they had decided that certain site
should be purchased The minority
said this haste was most unseemly
that public business of so great inn
portance should not be thus conduct
ed: that study should first be made
of the purposes for which the me-
mortal building should be used; that
next a study should be made of the
kind of building that would be best
fitted to these purposes; that next a
careful inquiry should be made as to
the best site on which such a build
ing should be put, and that all these
inquiries should be made openly and
with deiberation, and neither secret
ly nor In haste. Against the pro-
tests of the minority the selection OF
a site was pushed through at once.
Conclusion of Majority.
THE majority stated that they had
reached conclusion as to what is
the best site after careful examina-
ton, individually, of all available
places. l do not question their state
ment. merely say I do not approve
of the action of a public body, en-
trusted with an important duty, when
it's majority does not give its minor
ity any notice whatever of the action
(Continued on Page 4. Column ~