East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-09-14

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judge Zee stated 20 the city council
that move was now on foot 10 Sc
cure from the next legislature a bill
giving the county the right 20 take
over the city library, and he warned
the council to prepare to defend
what 1t had spent many thousands of
dollars in building up.
Following Judge Fees talk and his
suggestions as 70 methods OF pro
cedure. Mayor Best stated that per
sonauy he was willing to let the
county take over the books 1t had
purchased and to let the city take It's
own books and run its own library.
Judge Fee had previously stated that
it has always been his hope some
day to increase the SturgLs fund sui
ticiently to build home for the PEN
dleton library as monument TO
Samuel z, Sturgis
Mayor Beat caused to be introduced
an ordinance repeating the contract
entered into between the council and
the lbtary board whereby the city
pledged itself to appropriate not less
than $25o0 annually for 20 years for
the support and maintenance Of the
central county library. 1t was pass
Ell without dissenting vote All
members Of the council except L. J.
Murphy were present
Mayor Best thanked the council
for its action and 7. J. Tweedy, who
was present did likewise. stating
that he ana his wife had given zoo
volumes to the Pendleton library and
did not wish TO have the county take
them over.
The city attorney, J. A Fee. Jr,
was instructed to take whatever steps
he deems necessary 10 recover the Ii
brary from the county ana protect it..
outlines Library History.
Judge Fee prefaced his remarks
with a short history of the library Of
the city. He stated that it originated
out of a controversy in the CONNER
cial association, There was a feeling
that the Commercial association was
not fulfilling its purposes and that
it ought TO do something for the
public good The Pendleton Public
Library was thus organized, he said.
independent and distinct from the
Commercial association. A contract
was entered into between the aSso-
citation and the library whereby the
rooms of the former were to be used
to house the library in return for
k,y. 20
use of the books
Many members or the association
donated $40 each and books to start
the library. Among the number were
Fred Mellis, now of Baker. Col. E. d
Boyd, Samuel p. SturgiS, James A.
Fee, Dean Shul and others. Thi
was in 1898 or 1894. Mellis Boyd
and Fee were named as a board tC
administer this library and such d
board administered it until the ciu
took it over.
In 1895, he said, the will of Sam
uel P. Sturgis left $4,000 for the bene-
fit of the library. The will statet
that il was for the benefit of th'
Commercial association library bu
Judge Fee stated that the lawyel
who had drawn the will had made {
mistake of characterization inasmuci
as Mr.. Sturgis himself knew that th'
library had never been known thu
as he himself had given it the nam
of the Pendleton Public Library.
Judge Fee stated that he and Col
Boyd were made trustees of the fun
and that Col. Boyd had administers
it until April, 1904, when it had beeI
increased to $500. Since then h
had administered it and his repOr
last fall showed that there is nov
in the fund over $4,000 and that b
had turned over $1624.29 for the pur
chase of books. His report, he said
showed a clear gain of $9119.29 sine
he had taken over the management o
the fund and that he had accOunte'
for every cent. He challenged any
one to say that the trust had not beeI
faithfully carried out. He declares
that a law had been put through tn
legislature to compel him to accoun
to the county court, and that he ha'
done so and had compelled the oour
to accept it. He furthermore state'
that the court had notified him tina
a joint trustee would be named ant
that he had replied that he woul'
use every dollar in the fund to pre-
vent il. Judge Fee stated that h
was handling the trust for the peopl'
Of Pendleton and would make n,
contract with Carnegie or with th'
county.
He read the law enacted in 1870
permitting the organization of cit,
libraries and pointed out that it gag'
the council power to remove member
from the library board for miscOn
duct or n-performance of duty. HI
then read the ordinance of 1908 b.
which the Pendleton public librar.
was created. such ordinance, HI
pointed out, states that books ma!
be loaned TO non-residents only un
der the conditions prescribed by tn
board.
He read the act Of 1911 permitting
the county court to contract with cor
porations for library purposes ant
then read the contract made in 1911
between the county court and tn
Pendlcton public library board. SAT-
contract, he said put the control .
the library under the Pendleton Ii
brary board, OF which the members 0
the county court were to be ex-offi
clio members with voting power.
il was this contract, he said, tina
the county court last week repudiat
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