The weekly Alaska citizen., 1919-03-31
FREE LIBRARY FOR ALASKANS
 TO BE SECURED
Steward Gateway.)

A movement Is on foot for the es tablishment of circulating library ir Alaska for the benefit, primarily. ot the men in the hills and the people living in the remote parts of the ter ritory. The plan comprehends the , naming of some town within a cen tral location as headquarters for the library and with branch headquarters in each of the divisions of Alaska A draft of bill that will be intro duced at the coming session of the Alaska legislative assembly Is here with reproduced. to give an idea of the plan in view. Of course, this bill is only tentative one and it is expected that revisions and amend. ments may be made by the members of the legislature, when the matter comes up for consideration.
 The bill follows:
 Be 1t enacted. that the sum of $25.- 900 is hereby appropriated for the establishment and maintenance of a circulating library in the territory of Alaska.
 The territory shall be divided into four library districts whose boundar- ies shall be approximately the same as the boundaries of the four judi cial districts of the territory.
 One territorial and three district libraries shall be maintained, The territorial library shall be located at Seward and the district libraries shall be located at Juneau, Nome, and Fairbanks. respectively. Provid- ed that the territorial library shall serve as district library in the third district.
 The control of the library shall be vested in territorial library board of five members. Four of the mem- bers shall be appointed by the gov ernor, one from each library dis trict. The commissioner of education shall be the fifth member of the board and he shall be ex-officio it's treasurer. The members of the board shall receive no compensation for their services.
 The library board shall be empow- cred to employ a territorial librarian who shall be the purchasing agent of the board, and to employ such other helpers as the work may demand; to determine the regulations under which the district and branch libraries shall be conducted, to provide quarters for the territorial and district libraries and to perform such other acts as the work may demand.
 Any city, town or community shall be eligible to secure a branch H. brary when 1t shall have elected or appointed library committee of one or more members and shall have ar ranged in the manner prescribed by the library board for the custody and distribution of the books.
 The use of the library shall be free to all residents of the territory-pro- vided that the usual penalties to in- sure promptness and good care may be imposed; provided further, that nothing in this act shall be so constru- ed as to prevent the library board at its discretion from requiring of each adult borrower deposit not to ex- ceed the sum of two dollars. said de- posit to be refunded at borrowers request when all claims for loss, or damage. other than ordinary wear, shall have been met. All unrefunded deposits shall become a part of the territorial library fund.
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 KEEP HOME FIRES BURNING.
 Isaac had been drafted and sent to France.
 Jacob. his partner, distracted had begged Isaac to cable when he got over.
 Three weeks elapsed. No cable.
 Jacob cables Isaac: Isaac! Woe is us! Our factory burned down ten days ago. Settled with insurance company for $6o.oOO. Why don't you cable?"
 Three weeks more. No reply. Jacob cables again: ''Isaac! Woe is us! Our storage warehouse burn- ed down last week. Total loss. Set tied for Sz5,00O. am crazy with grief. Why don't you cable? Are you dead?"
 Three weeks more. No reply. Jacob cables again: Isaac! Woe is us! Our main office burned last week. Settled Insurance for $9O, ,OOO. I will die if you don't cable. Haven't heard from you at all. Where are you? Are you alive?"
 Isaac's letter finally arrived: Jacob, stop that nonsense-spend. ing all our money for cables! I'm all right. You just keep the home rirea h,,rniuuiD-Ev