Evening star., 1922-12-04

Public Library must have an increase
in its appropriations for maintenance.
The Public Library ought speedily 10
be given the resources needed for fur-
nishing the National Capital commu-
nifty popular library service.
Financial support Inadequate.
Further discussing the needs of the
library, the Commi ssioners say.
,, THE present financial support OF
the Public Library Is totally mace
quate. A business enterprise Wnlch q
book collection of 243.0o0 volumes
with a circulation OF over ar. m'ta0n avn
volumes a year represents must nave
the equipment needed to handle 1t eX.
peditiously and according to sound
business methods. Yet the librarian
in his annual report shows that the
library lacks altogether certain es-
sential equipment and that other nee.
| essary equipment is so much out OF
repair as to handicap the work serl-
ously. These lacks or shortages IN
clude such ordinary necessities as
typewriters. fling cases. desks. book
baskets. book trucks and an auto
mobile for delivery Of books to the
schools.
"Furthermore, the librarian points
out that the staff Is underpaid and
overworked. To perform the educa-
i y
was created it is necessary that the
personnel be well educated and well
trained and sufficient in numbers 10
have time to direct readers to proper
courses of information and to worth
while reading. At present the ener-
ed up in the mechanical side of the
work to the exclusion in large part OF
the International service. Seventeen
additional assistants are Immediately
required to bring the service OF the
central lbrary up to proper stand
ard.
"A larger book fund and more
money for binding are essential.
1T is wasteful to hold out Of use
5000 volumes because OF lack OF funds
to have them promptly repaired or re-
bound. as the library is now compelled
ever before. thus requiring larger
amount Of money than formerly to
buy an equivalent number Of vol
umes. But larger use means that
more books wear out More books
desired by the public than ever be-
fore are being published. The. stock
ing Of new branch libraries presents
a formidable problem to be met from
an insufficient book fund.
Extension OF the Service.
Progress made toward extending
the library service is recounted in this
paragraph of the report:
Definite progress has been made
in the direction of the branch develop
mcnt. The southeastern branch is
expected to open in December The
Carnegie Corporation allotted for the
building and its equipment $67. 1000.
with which an excellent building has
been constructed at 9Th and D streets
and South Carolina avenue southeast.
just of Pennsylvania avenue. on a
site costing $500 out Of an appro-
priation Of $4,000 provided by Con-
gress. The Carnegie Corporation has
made further allotment Of 100000
for a branch library building in the
appropriation for a site Is being asked
OF the Congress. In the new Eastern
High School building. to be opened
in February. good sized room. stu
ated at the right Of the main en-
trance. has been assigned for use as
a branch Of the Public Library. This
branch is to give a community as we'll
as a school service and Will be the
first of series of school branches to
serve suburban communities where
branch library buildings. In two
other schools about to be erected. the
Macfarland and Langley Junior High
schools branch library rooms will
be included. In these schools there
will be no separate school Libraries:
will furnish the sole library service
to teachers and pupils as well as the
communities.
Better Police Equipment.
Perhaps the most important new
step taken by the police department
during the year was the establish
ment of telephone booths In the sub
urbs. affording better protection to
those outlying sections. One police
fn~ o1vlya n h0nf
while another patrols the surround
ing territory on a motor cycle. With
this system In operation residents OF
the suburbs know they can always
find an officer at a given point.
hope that they soon will be able to
open q new police station in the vi.
cinity Of 18th street and Rhode Island
avenue northeast. Funds for the
erection Of the building are now
available and plans are being pre-
pared.
."The test Of the efficiency of any
police department" the report states.
sis in the apprehending OF criminals
: who have committed felonies. OF the
number Of arrests made during the
last fiscal year. 3.005 cases were held
after preliminary hearing for viola
tion Of the criminal law, an increase
Of 3s7 over the preceding year. which.
in a measure, controverts the state
ment that frequently IL made that the
police give too much attention to un-
important violations OF the law and
thereby neglect important criminal
cases."
City's Fire Department.
washington's fire loss during the
last fiscal year aggregated $1.179. .803.
Approximately half of this total loss
was suffered by the National and
Willard hotel fires. Tho former hos
telry was damaged to the extent OF
$13S,6s3 and the latter $400,08i.
that Congress will. in the near fu-
ture. grant. an appropriation for the
erection Of a drill tower for the fire
department. requests for which have