Evening star., 1923-01-06
BRANCH LIBRARY
]. EMEL|M|NATED
House Strikes Out SEE, 900
for Building Site in Mount
Pleasant Section.
BLANTON MAKES MOTION
Texas Member Objects to People
Back Home" Paying for
a Project in District.
RLANT0N MAKES MOTION

Striking from the District appro-
rriation bill an item of $4,000 for pur-
chase of a site for a branch public
library in the Mount Pleasant-Colum-
bia Heights section, which carried with
it authorizatio for the District Com
missioners to accept from the Carnegie
Corporation of New York not less than
100000 for erection of a suitable
branch library building. was the most
important change effected during an
all-day session of the House yester-
day.
This was the net result achieved by
Representative Thomas L. Blanton of
Texas, democrat, who is a member of
the House District committee, and who
made dozen or more speeches mimi
cal to the National Capital and the
proper support of the city of Washing
ton. IT was on a point of order by
Representative Blanton that the branch
library item was eliminated. the point
being sustained by the presiding officer
May BE ReinSerted.
There is every likelihood that this
item will be reinserted by the Senate,
and that it probably will be agreed to
in conference between the two houses.
For the purchase of a site for a
branch of the free Public Library in
the Mount Pleasant Columbia Heights
section of the District of Columbia.
$4,000, or so much thereof as may
be necessary, and authority is hereby
conferred upon the Commissioners of
the District of Columbia to accept
from the Carnegie Corporation of New
York not less than 100000 for the
purpose of erecting a suitable branch
library building on such site, sub
ject to the approval of said Commits :
sioners and the board of libary
trustees.
Representative Louis c. Cramton of
Michigan, acting chairman of the
subcommittee in charge of the bill,
tried hard to have the item retained.
He said:
Site Offered mt Bargain.
THE item provides for the purchase
of a site for d third branch of the
Public Library in the city. There is
one at TAX oma Park, and there is one
in the Southeast, and this item pro-
VldeS for one in the Northwest in a
section that is built up now. quite
distant, some three miles from the
central library, that it will serve a
great public need to have a library
In that section of the city.
THE site proposed, ! am reliably
informed, is worth at least $4,000.
/ say ! am reliably advised. and I
believe it to be. a: fact that the value
OF the site proposed is at least $4,000
II is offered to the District for
$25,O00"
When Representative Blanton COM
planned that while he lived in Mount
Pleasant he thought the people of
other parts of the country. including
Representative .Cramton's. home dis
trict. ought not to be taxed to pay
for the branch library or site, in Mount
Pleasant. Representative Cramton re-
sponded as follows:
Cost to Nation, $4,000.
I'm our, case the late Mr.. Carnegie
was not quite as generous as he was
with respect to the city of Washing
ton. We are getting less than one
third of the building and site from the
Carnegie Corporations in this
case the owner of this land offers it
at not over half the real price. Then
1t a 100000 building, IThe building
will be entirely at the expense of the
Carnegie Corporation, so that the
$l5O,OO0 site and buildingPwill cost the
people of the District only $4,000, of
which, under this bill. only $4,000
viii be the part of the United States
AS long as our present policy Is to
share this expense, / do not object to
the government sharing in a branch
library to the extent of $40 900 where
the whole cost will be Sl5O,O00.
1T will not benefit me much. In
the Southeast branch and in the Ia
koma Park. branch this policy was
followed and it is simply TO follow
concede that the point of order is
good, and if the gentleman from
Texas insists upon his point the item
will have to go out of the bill. But I
am going to say to the gentleman
this: That in view of the fact that
this $4,000 will make possible a con
tribution of $4,000 from the owner of
the land and a contribution of 800 900
from the Carnegie Corporation, hope
the gentleman will not insist"