Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-13
LIBRARY TRUSTEES
URGE HIGHER PAY
FOR WH0LEFORCE
Report Also Makes Plea for
Branch in Southeast
Washington.

The urgent needs of the Public
Library. consisting of salary in
creases for the library employees and
legislation for a branch library for
Southeast Washington. are empha-
sized in the report of the library
trustees, signed by Theodore w.
Noyes. president of the board, filed
with the District Commissioners to-
day.
In featuring salary increases as
the librarys vital need, the report
proceeds as follows:
The primary need of the library
is just and sympathetic consideration
of it's financial requirements for
maintenance and development, and
especially it's need of a better paid
force. in view of the inadequate basic
compensation of that force from
which the library suffered before the
war, and in view, also, of the reduc-
tion of the purchasing power of the
already inadequate library compen-
sation by wartime and post-bellum
high cost of living.
Ask Adoption Of Estimates.
I'VE urge upon the Commissioners
that they adopt in their entirety the
library estimates for 1922 which We
recommendations of the reclassifica-
ton commissions report and CD upon
the substitute classification affecting
the professional library staff pre-
sented by the library advisory wage
committee. and CD upon the Nolan
minimum wage bill standards.
For the reasons convincingly set
forth in the librarians report and ex-
hibits we urge upon Congress the per-
fecting of the Nolan minimum wage
Legislation, the adoption of the rec
concentrations of the reclaSSification
commi ssion and of the library adyis-
ory wage committee and the framing
of the library items of the District APP
preparation bill for 1922. in accordance
with the recommendations made and
the standards set by this legislation.
If these measures are not Legislative
ly perfected in time to be applied
fully and in detail to the District ap-
preparations bill before it becomes
law then we urge that these appro-
priations, including the library items.
be made in accordance with the gen.
eral principles of equity and in har-
mony with the spirit of the legisla-
tion referred to, at least so far as 1t
has developed into tentative agree
ments between House and Senate con-
cerning any of the issues involved in
this legislation"
The library trustees in commenting
on their annual estimates. previously
submitted to the District Commits
sioners, state that their salary rec
concentrations are. as concerns the
library'S Secretarial force. building
force messengers and pages in each
case the minimum salary carried in
the reclaSSif1cation commissions re-
port. In the case of the professional
library staff the trustees explain the
basis to be as follows:
Since the salary schedules recon-
mended in the reclaSsification report
proved unacceptable to librarians in
the federal and District libraries. the
library advisory wage committee pre-
pared a new classification and salary
schedule which are strictly co-ordi-
mated with the other scientific. tech
nical and professional services in the
matters of education, training and
other qualifications and also in SAL
aries, and has presented this subSti-
tute classification to the reclassifica
ton commission. The library trustees
adopted for each position in the pro-
fessonal library staff the minimum
salary as it fell into this substitute
classification.
The library trustees also recon-
mend a considerable increase in the
salary of the librarian over his pres
ent salary of $4,000. The trustees sup
port their commentator for such
increases by furnishing a list of sal
aries now being paid to the public
librarians of certain other progress
sive American cities. including sew
eral that are smaller than Washing
ton. These figures are as follows:
New York. $4,000; Brooklyn. SO. 200:
Chicago. $1,000; Philadelphia, $4,000:
Detroit. $4,000; Cleveland, $1,000; St.
Louis, $4,000; Boston. $4,000; Pitts
e
Buffalo. $4,000: Newark, $3.50: Min
neapolis, $1,000: Kansas City, S6.0l0:
Seattle, $4,000: indianapolis. $1,000;
Milwaukee, $4,000; Springfield, MASS,
$1,000.
Branch Library LegisIntion.
The library trustees recount the ef-
forts that have been made to secure
legislation to authorize the establish
ment of a branch library in southeast
Washington. In 1919 Chairman Mapes
of the House District committee. at the
request of the library trustees. intro
duced a bill Oh: r. 966s) authorizing
the acceptance of a free site and of not
less than $4,000 from the Carnegie Cor
poration for the erection of a branch !
library building in that section. The !
search for site brought to light the |
fact that the old Naval Hospital. at |
9th street and fennsylvahla avenue
southeast, had for several years been |
disused.
vigorous effort has been made by !,
the Commissioners, with the co-opera-
tion of the library trustees and en- |
couraged by the sympathetic attitude |
of the Secretary of the Navy. to secure |
for this southeastern branch library this |
old Naval Hospital site and building i
The library trustees urge the speedy |
enactment of the Mapes bill now pend |
ing before the House District commit t
toe and continuance of the efforts to I
secure the authorization by Congress of !
the use of all or part of the old Naval |