New Britain herald., 1916-03-08

the city physician $500. However,
 MT. k1bbe's salary is charged to the
 town home and does not come out of
 the regular salary payroll.
 Commissioner Schaeffer wanted to know who fixed the salaries of the
 department officials. He couldn't un-
 derstand what they were talking
 about. He supposed it was up to the l council to raise salaries. Mayor Quigley explained that here it is a department matter and MT. Hart add
 ed that the board has the power to 1 fix all salaries except the superinten- | dents and does that except that the 1 council must approve it's action.
 | Mr. Chamberlain expressed a desire
 10 know something more definite re-
 garding the detail costs of the pro-
 posed dairy barn and Superintendent
 Hart promised to get some figures and
 report to the board this evening.
 New Britain Institute.
 Judge J. H. Kirkham and Miss Anna G. Rockwell, the head librarian. ! represented the New Britain Institute, which came next for a hearing MT. Cham berlain asked what had become | Of Marcus White. He said the board . enjoyed his presence and missed him very much. c. F. Smith, who was also present on the institute matter, said MT. White was unable to attend, hav- ing another meeting on.
 It was explained that the Institute will require s13,OoO this year, s2,o00 more than was granted last year.
 Miss Rockwell said they had prel
 sented no budget last year, but on re-
 quest had now furnished one. For
 new books $500 is asked, 8 little
 more than last year. Mr. Cham ber-
 lain said he thought they had over-
 estimated their income as relates to
 the Erwin fund. This fund furnishes
 each year $4,500, being the interest at five per cent. on $90,000. The in-
 come had been placed at s5,OOO by the Institute officials. The Woodruff fund nets this year about s460. Miss Rockwell explained that the in- come last year was larger than had been estimated, as more money came in later ...
 The estimate for salaries is slight ly greater. Speaking of. this, Miss Rockwell said they had planned to pay boy at the East street school a dollar 8 week for his work He has been working there at the branch library since last April for nothing. This statement caused a laugh. It was explained that the salary in crease is about $1.OOO and is wanted so that the are rooms may be kept | open more At present they have l nobody at the Institute to look after l his department and the librarians 1 cannot be spared for the work. Judge 1 1affney asked about the branch li- orary. Miss Rockwell said a room lad been fitted up at the East street l chool by the Parents and Teachers | association, which has taken great in l crest in the matter. At other schools | books are lent but only to the Chil- l 5ren. She hoped to see the branch l libraries extended to other schools. l Replying to MT. Gaffney, she said the l work is under the supervision of Su l perintendent Holmes and the school | teachers.
 Favor Museum
 C. F. Smith said in regard to open l ng the museum a. the Institute that l some money should be allowed for l the purpose. If this department l could be aided it would be possible to | add to the collections there now. ] The trustees hope in time to get a 1 having to do with the early 1 h ;story of New Britain and with the 1 early history of New Britain factories ! so that the younger generation may | come to understand something of | these things. In time it might grow into a museum.
 Referring again to the salary ques- ton, Miss Rockwell said in many the salaries represent more than half the expense, but here it Is considerably less than half. MT. Smith said the librarians get con- less for their time than is paid for office work in the local factories The circulation amounts to 210,000 books a year Fiction is extensively drawn. Miss Rockwell said in city like New Britain where most people have to work for a living this condition is generally true. If it were a residence town, where there were lots of club women non-fiction would be more popular. Judge Kirk ham said the art gallery could have heen kept open two days week and they could have bought more books if they had the money. Miss Rock we'll speaking of the number of books in the library, said if the dead stock were weeded out it would be about 30,000. The New Britain In stitute is an old library and like most old libraries it possesses many works on theology and kindred subjects
 These are not popular with the pres