Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-12-11
NEW RESOLUTION
FOR THEL|BRARY.
One Passed by Aldermen Not
Explicit Vetoed by Mayor

Mayor Dorsey attended the meet
ing of the public library trustees last
night, accompanied by City Attorney
Goldberger, in order to get more in
formation as to the needs of the Ii
brary and to s~traighten out the mat
ter of the resolution that was passed
by the Board of Aldermen at a re-
cent meeting transferring $1,000
from the police account to the library
appropriation.
The mayor has found it necessary
to veto the resolution as it cameto
him from the aldermen because it
did not conform with the law per-
Whiting such q transfer of funds. The
mayor made it plain that he was not
opposed to the ~ransfer of the money
and was ready to cooperate in every
way possible with the library board,
of which he is n member, but in
order to make the action legal the
resolution ought to be passed in pro-
per form.
The law permitting the transfer of
funds from one appropriation to an
other during the last two months of
the year is a new one and provides
that the purpose for which the
money thus transferred must be
stated in the resolution. The resolu-
ton passed by the Board of Alder
Iueu merely dulilOIIECu INC LIdllSlSI.
1t was to inform the library board
of the reason for his veto n to
ascertain the facts as to the use of
the money thus desired so that a
proper resolution might be drawn up
n introduced at the next meeting
of the aldermen that the mayor at
tended the meeting of the library
trustees last night. No further hitch
is anticipated in the matter. the
,,a,rCr haino narfanfIu OyininU N aipn
the resolution as soon as it comes to
him in proper form.
The reasons for the shortage of
funds at tho library as explained to
the mayor were mainly the increase
in salaries and the raise in the price
of books. The salary increases were
necessary during the year in order
to hold the staff together and main
tain competent ~janitor service, the
janitor at the library averaging sew
enty hours a week, more hours than
any other janitor in the city. He
now receives 800 a month n the
girls on the staff average $40 a
month even after the increase.
AS for the books, not only have
the latest fiction advanced from $1.25
per volume to $3.50 and $500, but
the price of t~eehnical0and reference
books, for which there is a growing
demand, have increased enormously,
it being almost impossible to get n
of the standard works for less than
SIS or $40 a volume. The fact that
the price of these books have ad-
vanced so enormously has made it
prohibitive for individuals who used
to buy their own books to continue
to do so and they are depending
more and more upon the public Ii
brary to supply them with the vol
umes they desire. Ii the library is
to continue to be useful to the COM
munity his demand has got to be
met.
But in spite of the increase in ex-
pense on these two matters alone,
not to mention the increase in h
cost of fuel and light, and the a
incidentals hat are required in the
20 running Of such an institution, 1t was
shown that the library board has
actually saved money during the
year.
Last year, during the explosion and
influenza endemic the library build
ng was used as q dormitory for the
out of town motor corps and consider
able expense was incurred not only in
installing proper conveniences, but in
the increase in light and made
necessary by the twenty-four hour use
of the building at that time. The re-
suit was the library board began the
present year with a. deficit of $1,000.
In spite of the increased costs of
everything this deficit nae been re-
duced to about $1,100. But depleted
book shelves particularly in the chill
dren's department, shows where the
sacrifice has been made. Besides all
this the demands Of the branch library
in Brace avenue has increased enor-
mously.
Mayor Dorsey was greatly impressed
with the magnitude of the Importance
of the work of the library and was
satisfied that the money asked for is
actually needed to carry on the
work.
The librarian submitted her report
for November showing q total circula- |
tfon of books for the month of 9,S14.I
This Is an increase over the same
month last year of 1867 in the main |
library and an increase OF 772 at the
branch in Brace avenue. The report
in part, follows:
Main Library.
Circulation S,766, an increase of
1857; largest daily circulation 485 a |
decrease of SO: smallest daily circula- |
ton 253, an increase of 46; adult cir !
culation 4,685. an increase of 1877; |
adult fiction, 1869, an increase Of l.
4S3; adult non-fiction 1915, an in
crease of 376; adult foreign 101, an in
crease OF IS; Juvenile circulation 4,0S1 |
an Increase of 1880; juvenile fiction
2,284, an increase of 1853; juvenile |
non-fiction 1,797, AN increase OF 932.
Branch.
Numbe of days Open, 20; circula-
tioh 1,04S; an increase of 772; largest I
daily circulation 90, an increase of SO; |
smallest daily circulation II, a de- |
crease of IL; adult circulation 146. an
increase of SS; adult fiction 113, an in