Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-25
Board of Trade Committee
Against Recommendation of
the Commissioners.
SAY TRUSTEES SHOULD
NAME THE LIBRARIAN
Declare Citizens Would Lose Inter
est in Institution if House
Passes the Bill.


trustee of the library and the librarian
respectively. as at present, is dis
approved in a special report adopted
by the committee on Public Library of
the Washington Board of Trade at a
meeting held yesterday afternoon. The
executive committee of the Board of
Trade yesterday authorized the presen-
tation of this report to the full board
al its meeting scheduled for tomorrow
night at the New Willard Hotel.
The report contains a recommends
ton that the Board of Trade go on rec
ord as disappearing a bill introduced
fu the House January ;. which pro-
vides that Hereafter all appointments
TO and removals from annual and
appropriations for the free Public
Library shall be made by the Commits
sioners of the District of Columbia.
Think Citizens More Interested.
In the report attention is called to the
fact that the Public Library was estab-
Ished through the efforts of unofficial
citizens and not by the District gov
eminent and .that the committee be-
lieyes lit is more important that the
citizens of the District of Columbia
shall be interested in the affairs of the
library chan that the employed ofhcers
of the District government only should
feel concerned in the conduct of such
an important institution" 1t further
states that "the removal of all power
from the trustees. making them mere
" an advisory board, would, without
doubt. result in the loss OF interest Dy
citizens who have the greatest ability
10 serve the District in library work
and their refusal to sacrifice their time
and energy, now so freely given by the
botrd of trustees.
THE report, which was prepared by
Niles NJ. Shand, chairman of the COM
nlittee. follows:
THE Public Library of the District of
Columbia was created by an act OF con-
.ress approved June 3, 1895. This law
provides that the board of trustees shall
be composed of nine members, appointed
BY the Commissioners of the District OF
Columbia that each of the trustees snail
he n taxpayer in the District of Column
bia and shall serve without compensa-
ton 1t is also provided in the creative
act that the trustees shall appoint a IL
brarian to have the care and superintend-
ence of the library and that the said
librarian shall appoint such assistants
as the board shall deem necessary to the
proper conduct of the library.
Bill Providing for Change.
January 5. 1916. a bill was introduced
In the House of Representatives by re-
quest of the Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia, entitled H. r 1892, "a
bill 10 provide for the appointment and
removal of employees of the free Public
Library by the Commissioners of the Dis
arict of Columbia
- BE it enacted in the Senate and
House of Representatives of the Unit
ed states of America in Congress as
sembled that hereafter all appoint
ments to and removals from annual
and other positions authorized by law
and appropriations for the free public
library shall be made by the Commits
sioners of the District of Columbia
Your committee desires to express
Its keen appreciation of the fact that
during the twenty years of its exist
erce the Commissioners have invari-
ably given their hearty support to
measures affecting the maintenance
present board of Commissioners being
particularly sympathetic in co-operat-
in.; with the library trustees in mat
tiers relating TO the librarys interests.
Praise Library Trustees.
i II is even more pleasant to give ex-
preston to the feeling of gratitude
which all thoughtful citizens of the
District of Columbia feel toward the
library trustees for their whole heart
ed service to the community as they
have unselfshly and without reward
save as the faithful performance of a
civic duty brings its own reward-giv-
en- their thought and time and labor
unstintedly. to the making Of the IL
brary a real and vital factor in the
great educational system which the Dis
Irict of Columbia maintains for the
benefit of the people.
IL is more important that the citizen.
of the District OF Columbia shall be in
terested in the affairs of this library
than that the employed officers of the
District government only should feel con.
cerned in the conduct Of such an Inn
portant institution It Is well to recall
that the library was established, not by
the District government, but by unofficial
citizens, and that Congress recognized the
need of the continued interests of cit
liens in the library when it provided
that the trustees should be invested with
powers and responsibilities in the actual
conduct thereof. Had II not been for the
powers and duties imposed upon the
trustees by the law It is extremely doubt
ful IL such conspicuously able and infiu-
entail men would have served as trus-
tess during the past twenty years. or that
some Of the iibrary's best achievement.
would have been recorded
Citizens Would Lose Interest.
THE removal Of all power from the
trustees. making them merely an advisory
hoard, would, without doubt. result in tn.
loss OF interest by citizens who have tn,
greatest ability to serve the District IN
library work. and their refusal to sacrific,
their time and energy. now SO freel!
given by the board OF trustees.
Under the present law the work ant
efficiency OF the library has progressed
without friction or hostile criticism, an,
the record of the librarian and the lbrar,
force has won great praise, not only a
home, but abroad. The librarian OF Con
gress has stated that the Public Librar,
Of Washington is the most intelligent
ly active for its size and constituent,
that / know of within the entire coun
Try and the District Commissioner
have recently repeated their belief tina
the library is efficiently and economical
ly administered" and commended its fin
record OF service to the community.
Disapproves the Change.
Your committee believes that the cur
tailment of the powers and response
blity vested in the trustees of the ii
brary by the law of 1896, which
sought by the radical changes propose
in House bill 1882. would not be in tn
best interests of the library, but tina
on the other hand it is the part of wis
dom to continue the control of the Ii
brary as now, in the hands of repre-
sentatives of the community whose la