Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-04-05

| I0p most conspicuous nRureS IN 1Ork, 1tS
leading druggist, clean, clever politician
and at various times member of commissions
| appointed by the Governors Of Pennsylvania.
DR.. Dale was a politician not for what
there was In II, because he was beyond that
sort Of thing. but for the fun and excitement
Of it.
For n number Of years he was the most
potential figure in Republican circles in
| York county.
He had very strong independent lesninss.
and was more often against Quay during his
| life than he was for him. And yet each man
respected the other and acknowledged the
| fact.
curious incident impressed this upon me.
| DURING one Of Qusy's fights called on
Dhim in Washington. On such occasions
tho senator was the interviewer and his ca Her
| the interviewed
He was NOT at all optimistic about the sit
| uation in York had just come from there
and my. own information only added to bis
uncertainty.
IF I only had Doc Dale with us We
| could carry York county, He's been fighting
me and | don't believe he'd go along this
| time he said.
why don't you see him and find out. :"
I suggested. Get him on the telephone
now and talk 10 him.
Quay was under the weather physically
| that day and asked me to conduct the con
| versetion. got DR.. Dale on the wire. told
him that the senator was very anxious TO
| see him and asked II he would take the first
| train to Washington.
was at the house when Dale arrived
few hours afterward. The greeting was
cordial and the conversation for about five
minutes straight. unvarnished and to the
| point.
DR.. James A. Dale told Senator Matthew
stanley Quay just what he thought Of certain
of his political doinEs, while Quay RECALLED
the doctor with n fine recital Of certain al
legged political shortcomings of which tn.
York citizen had been the principal. Then
Quay said:
You're the only man that can do it. will
you do it, and how much will It cost?''
The doctor frankly told the senator that
IT would cost quite sum for workers, and
to get the voters to the pollsgunder the cir
cumstances. There was a lot Of preliminary
work TO be done. meetings held, with all the
usual overhead expenses. He named a sum
up in four figures and added:
Il want YOU distinctly to understand.
senator. that | want not penny for myself
and a Il the money will go for legitimate
campaign expenses
"All right. doctor. | know that. Spend
whatever you think necessary and send me
the bill.
That closed the talk The bill fell hun.
dreds Of dollars short of the estimate. Dale
carried the county and as far as / know, he
and Quay were friends to the lstters death.
James A. Dale was one Of the finest types
VI pVIl'ICul nave ever huOWn.
THE Mercantile Library Co. Of Philadel.
l. pha will celebrate it's centennial next
year.
In spite of its respectable age it is a child
compared with the Philadelphia library.
The Philadelphia Library Co. was founded
ninety one years before the Mercantile lii
Isl, 'N
In the quaint descriptive Of the writer
Of those far distant days. "a number of
gentlemen having raised the sum of f100.
with the intention Of disseminating knowl-
edge by the aid of books taken from the
library room
All libraries have had rough shedding the
last few years. The wonder is they have
conquered the crisis instead of the crisis
conquering them.
The expenses for maintenance of the Mer.
camille Library were just about doubled
during the, war period. 10 some things 1t
was trebled.
In 1914 the printing in round numbers re
quired by the library cost $500; in 1920 it
was $1,000 Fuel in the former year cost
$1,000 and in 1920 S2700.
The library spent for hooks $1,000 the
first year OF the war. compared with
$4,000 in last year.
JOHN FREDERICK LEWIS. president of
y the library company, offers very in
teresting explanation for last years increase
in the number of subscribers aud stockholders
over the preceding years.
The increase is due no doubt to the in
crease and increasing high cost of books
which has led book lovers and readers to
avail themselves of the facilities of the IL
brary instead of purchasing books direct y
he says.
Mr.. Lewis also pays deserved compli-
ment to the efficiency of 7. Wilson Hedley,
librarian Of the Mercantile company. The
Ill, Al. k...G.. IL
librarian in advertising the library and thus
inducing members to unite in its enjoyment
THE Mercantile Library is fair example
i of the far reaching influence of libraries
as class. Its membership is scattered over
tiuctvely local institution, the Free Library
Of Philadelphia. confined in the distribution
Of is benefits to the city alone.
Forty-fve hundred packages of books
were sent by mail last year 10 subscribers in
adjacent states.
Every year both the Philadelphia and Mer-
camille Libraries purchase what to wealthy
book lover would be small library, for the
use Of their stockholders
Last year the Mercantile purchased and
placed on its shelves 3700 books
This is exclusive of government documents
and presentation volumes which numbered
several hundred more.
The largest circulation the library has
| had for the last thirty years was that of
last year. when 172 900 volumes were passed
| across its desk
TARL DE SCHWEINITZ informs me
~ that the Society for Organizing Charity
| Is standing as unit behind Governor
Sprouts Department Of Welfare bill.
Mr.. De Schwclnitz, who is genera secre-
| tary Of the society, its executive officer. In
fact. knows just what he is talking about.
His declaration will unQuestionably carry
weight at Harrisburg. for the organization
which he represents and speaks for is the
largest in the state and one Of the most In
| fuential in the United States.
I'VE believe in the concentration of cf-
fort. particularly where so many interests
are involved and where such vast sums Of
money are TO be expended for charity" said
Secretary De Schweinta,
with one responsible head and a dis
tiuct department to handle appropriations.
thousands of dollars will be saved through
Systcmatized effort, 1t is doing for the state
what has been done for the city by our
| society.