The Alaska daily empire., 1915-10-07

 FATE HANGS
 IN BALANCE

-1
 Unless the city of Juneau. either through It's citizens or through its gov ernment comes to the rescue within @ very short time. the Juneau Public Library win be @ thing of the past. At @ meeting of the Library Board held last night. it was announced by the finance committee that the Li- brary cannot exist much longer on its present basis andi that some defi- nite and permanent source of funds must be secured. During the two years of its organization the expens- es of the Library have been deirayed solely by the untiring efforts of the members Of the Board, who have de- vised an sorts of money-maSing schemes.
 But we do not feel that we should keep up this sort of thing any longer as the only means of supporting a public institution which has become of such importance as has the library said Mrs H. c. Devighne this morn ing. "and we are now endeavoring to devise some means whereby the mon ey can be secured regularly and not in spasmodic Jumps"
 Library ls Boon"-8. M. Behrends
 Speaking in regard to the closing of the library this afternoon B. RI. Behrends said 'I think that to let the library close It's doors would be one of the greatest mistakes that could be made. and think that every effort should be made Go prevent it
 "The women who have worked SO faithfully to establish and maintain the library certainly deserve all of the credit that be extended to them. and if any means can be found whereby the library can be regularly provided for ! should certainly endorse it.
 Asked ii he thought that tho city should assume the expenses of the. public library by voting through the City Council an appropriation Go cover the monthly expenses Of the institu- ton. MT. Behrends replied, "Well. think that the City should maintain the library. but at the same time l think that the city is not just now in a position to assume any extra ex- penses. The council has been work ing very hard to pay off the munich pal indebtedness and it would not seem to me advisable that they should shoulder any extra expense at this time
 Tt seems to me that the business men would be more than willing to contribute enough to carry the costs of the library untn such time as an appropriation can be made by the city council for that purpose"
 maltby Says "Keep the Library
 ''In my opinion the library is one oi the most important public insti- tutions in any city," said A. E. Malt by. "Of course the best way to d- nance it would be by means of an appropriation by the city council. but T believe that if that arrangement is found impossible for the present, there are plenty of people in town who will contribute Co the maintenance of the library. and that it would be possible to raise the running expenses by pop uiar subscription"
 Popular subscription seems to me tho best way to meet the situation at the present time" said E. P Pond. believe that the business men of tho city would be willing to contri- bute enough to keep the library go- Ing until tho city nay be able to stand the expense"
 Britt Endoroes Appropriation
 Speaking of the possibility of get ting a municipal appropriation for the library. W. P. Britt said few days ago that he believed that the city should take over the expense of the institution but leave It's management in the hands of the Library Assocla- ton as az tho present time. "The schools are of the first importance in the city" said MT. Britt. ~and I think that the public library comes next. Juneau cannot afford to let the doors be closed now. and am sure that some way of meeting the situation win be found"
 Citizens Should Help
 Superintendent l.. D. Henderson ol the Public Schools believes that the citizens of Juneau should look the question squarely in the face and make every possible effort not only to keep the library open. but to enlarge it as soon as possible "Only a glance at the reading-room is necessary to see what the library is coming to mean in the city" said Mir. Tender son. Hard ii the city council cannot
 f~o,ffruod on para s)