East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-10-12

fund and this is ample to ran the city
library for one or two years il it is
maintained separately. the report
states. II some suitable arrangement
IS made with the county for the joint
occupation of the new building, the
board states that it can only estimate
the amount of money which the city
ould have to contribute. The esti-
mate is placed at s4240 q year, in
cluding $500 for maintenance of
building, librarian hire $14+0 and
books and incidentaIs $1,000. To
raise this amount would require q
7-1O of a mill tax.
Convertible Tax Proposed.
In preparing for any eventuality,
the board submitted for the consid-
Grafton of the council a proposition
to levy a convertible or contingent IL
brary tax, If the city charter permits,
high enough to maintain the library
in the new building If an adjustment
with the county is made. Otherwise
the money so raised would revert to
some other city fund. 80 far as this
board is concerned" the report
reads, I'VE could not ask you to hu'
initiate the city by soliciting aims
from the county OF even to accept
county aid without protest"
From selfish standpoint, the
board goes on to say it would appear
to Pendleton's interest to support the
county library system as now at
tempted inasmuch as the county
would have to pay all the bills while
the people of Pendleton would derive
the chief benefits However, it is
pointed out, the people of the county
might object when they learn oil
such situation
Supporting their view that the
present county plan will fail, the
members of the board enumerate sew
eral reasons, as follows:
1.-Such a plan will ultimately
grow into big expense The board
predicts that all of the other incor.
tricts may demand buildings and ser
vice such as is given in Pendleton, in
which case the county will have to
provide the money If the money Is
all derived from a county tax rather
than local tax the board thinks that
more will be demanded
2.-The board questions whether
present laws give any authority for
library system such as the county
is now trying to conduct. Such a
plan, it IS pointed out, deprives Pen
dleton entirely of local control while
according the privilege to other com.
munities.
3 1t will be no easy task to Sc
cure the adoption of a law sanction
ing such a system.
4.-The board declares there is ~
attempt being madeto transfer tn,
SturgLs eund to the county librar,
which II successful may block dora
tions made to Milton and Hermistol
because these donations were mad
under the assumption that there wa
no other endowment fund. In othe
words the board th:nxs that the ac
ceptance of another endowment fun
might annul the contract with Carne
gle for, it is pointed out. the Carregi
corporation refused 10 make any do
nation to the city Of Pendleton be
cause of the Sturgis fund. Moreover
the board says it understands there
. already a hitch between the count
ana the Carnegie corpora ions due t
breach Of contract and that this
holding up the Milton anl Herlnisto
appropriations.
Ia conclusion the BOARD suggest
tfat it might be consoling to II
council to know that troubles simfla
] to the local ones have arisen cIst
: where. Hood River city ana count
8 had a library disruption, 1t is said, u