The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-01-12
could not hold the position he is oc-

/ am noting these facts because
you seem possessed of the idea that
our board is unworthy of your conf
dence and you seem rather to give
a friendly ear to others whose object
seems to be to thwart our efferts
We feel that we have complied with
the conditions required by Mr.. Car
negie as set forth in your previous
communications and had expected be-
fore this to have had the building
well under way to completion.
We therefore resent being made a
| laughing stock in the eyes of the
community.
We resent your listening to the
stories of outside letter-writers and
Iemmissaries rather than to the official
utterances of this board and in per-
hitting an official communication to
go unanswered for more than two
weeks can but be regarded as an af-
| front if not an almost objectionable
! indignity.
Please from now on have done with
mere quibbling and hair-splitting OBJ
| jections. We shall expect you to &C
cept the plans we have sent you, the
| site that we have selected, or else
turn down the proposition in toto.
| AS long as / am a member of the
board and have the cordial cOOpera-
ton of a majority of it's members,
think that it is due to you to be frank,
so / make the unequivocal announce
ment that the plans must be drawn
!by local arcritects, the ones already
submitted having met with very gen
eral local approval; that the building
must be constructed by local con-
tractors and mechanics and be erect
ed on the lot selected by this board
This is an ultimatum.
We do not propose to get down on
our knees as supplicants and mendi-
cants for the paltry sum that we are
to receive at your hands.
1t may be proper for me to say that
before mailing this letter it has been
discussed by all the members of the
board but one (who was out of the
city, and has met with the hearty
approval of a majority so it may be
taken as official
Very truly yours,
FRANK HARRIS Chairman.
To this letter the following reply
was received:
CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW
YORK, 576 FIFTH AVENUE
New York, May 6. 1915.
Frank Harris, Esq,
Ocala, Florida,
Dear Sir:
Yours of May 4th received, in which
you state that an official cOmmunica-
ton has gone unanswered for more
than two weeks. The last official
communication which we have re-
ceived is dated April 18th, signed by
Mr. j. NJ Meffert, Chairman, Mrs
VIM. Hooker and Mrs. Jack Camp,
committee. This official communica-
ton was answered by me within
few days of its receipt. in letter adj
dressed to Mr.. Meffert. and. so far
from neglecting your case or any part
of it, my letter covered two pages.
most painstakingly going over the
circumstances; and it has never been
acknowledged.
Very truly yours.
JAMES BERTRAM. Secretary.
Mr.. Bertram's letter brought forth
the following rejoinder;
Ocala. Fla, May 9. 1915
Mr.. James Bertram,
Secretary Carnegie Corporation,
New York City, n. Y,
My Dear Sir:
Your letter of May 6tS TO hand and
it's contents have been given careful
consideration. At the boards meet
ing on May 3, Mr. Meffert stated that
he had written you a personal COM
munication on April 18th. AS he was
a new member by virtue of being
president of the city council he had
taken the liberty of so writing be-
cause he wanted to be put wise as
possible from headquarters as to the
status of things. That on April 18th
he mailed you an official commune
cation signed by Mrs. Hooker Mrs.
Camp and himself under a resolution
passed by our board. That he had
received an answer to the private com
municatiOn but up to that date had
no acknowledgment of the official let
ter mailed to you on the 18th.
Mr. Meffert exhibited the private
letter and some of the members may
have read all or portions of it but as
it was a private letter l paid very lit
tie attention to its contents and
!
majority of the members.
Most of the board have been mem
bers for nearly a year and half and
up to this time have failed TO reach
any definite conclusions from your
end of the line The matter is grow
ing irksome. We little dreamed
that such would have been its out
come We are beginning to feel that
the time is not worth the candle. We
can little believe that Mr.. Carnegie is
so captious and contentious. Had We
known that you wanted TO appoint
the board from your end of the line,
that you wanted TO select the location
for the library; that you wanted TO
have the plans drawn by your own
architects and the building construct
ed under your own supervision. we
could have been saved year of an
noyance.
/ Neither my associates nor myself
want TO be imperious. dictatorial or
diScourteouS: on the contrary we have
the building OF the library very much
at heart and to that end we should