Evening star., 1923-01-06
Mount Pleasant Branch Library.

Mount Pleasant Branch Library.
The appropriation to purchase site
for the Mount Pleasant Public Library
branch is temporarily out of the Dis
trict bill on a point Of order raised on
the floor of the House.
Washington is confident, however,
that it will be restored in the Senate
and approved on its merits by both
houses in conference.
The item has been approved in due
course by the Commissioners, the
budget bureau, the District bill sub
committee Of the House appropria-
tions committee, and by the full House
appropriations committee. 1t is spe-
officially commended by Representative
Cramton in reporting the District bill
to the House. 1t is sound, wholesome
legislation, meeting a community need
in development of the city's public IL
brary system, which Congress has de-
clared by law to he "a supplement Of
the public educational system of said
District" Observation by our legisla-
tors of the wonderfully extensive com.
munity use, surprising all expecta-
tion, of the Southeast Public Library
branch, recently opened, will convince
them or confirm them in their pre-
existing belief in the community de-
mand and need of a branch library
system for the capital. such as other
progressive American cities Of Wash
ington's class all enjoy.
This appropriation not only meets a
real community need and confers a
genuine community benefit, but is un-
der the conditions a sound business
investment, involving minimum of
public expenditure. Since public IL
braries are like public schools parts
of the public educational system, the
purchase of site for library and its
erection are in the same relation to
the taXpaying community as the pur-
chase of site for and the erection Of
q public school. In the case of a school
the capital taxpayers, local and ma
tional. would bear the expense of site
and building and equipment. In the
case of this branch library the cost of
the equipped building ($100,000) is to
be met by the Carnegie Corporation,
and the site is, in part, contributed
by the public-spirited citizen who sells
It at a price much below the market
rate, and is, in part, paid for by the
appropriation of $4,000; or, on the
60-40 ratio, $4,000 by local taxpayers
exclusively and $4,000 by national
taxpayers, among whom are numbered
also the people of the District, who
contribute to national taxes more in
the aggregate and per capita than
very many Of the states. Thus for
S25,000 paid by local and national tax
payers the capital community secures
a public structure, approximately
S150,0oO in value, which meets an
obvious community need of the high.
est importance and architecturally Is
an adornment of the new Washington.
It is a pity that the technical point
of order against new legislation should
be raised against this item of whole
some and useful public library devel-
opment, especially as the substantive
legislation creating the library seems
to afford reasonable ground for avoid
ing the technical objection. The Public
Library item includes an appropria-
tion to purchase ground in main
tenance and development of the pub
lie library and to accept a gift of $780,.
900 for library purposes.
The organic act of the Public Lii
hrary. approved June 8. 1896. declares:
"A free public library and reading
room is hereby established and shall
be maintained in, the District of Co
lumbia, which shall be the property
of the said District and supplement
of the public educational system of
said District It further declares:
1.-THE Commissioners of the District
are authorized to accept and
take title to all gifts, bequests, de.
vises" for library purposes.
The authority to the Commissioners
to accept the Carnegie Corporation
gift was not new legislation, since the
Commissioners are authorized by ex-
listing law to accept all such gifts.
The appropriation for a branch library
site was In pursuance of the direction
of the law that the library shall be
maintained" proposed in the Commits.
sioners' estimates on the same foot.
ing as the proposed purchase Of a
school site, and met the approval of
the budget bureau and the House
committee on appropriations.
Perhaps the point Of order is not
really applicable. At any rate, Con.
gress will surely not permit this tech
nicality Of dubious application to pre-
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