Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-11-18

, posed amendments To the traffic law
/ which Director Eldridge wants Con-
| greSS to make at the coming session,
/ the Citizens Advisory Council de-
| cfded, meeting in the District Build
| Ing last night, to invite Mr.. EldridSe
! to confer with the council before the
| amendments are passed upon.
! The meeting last night was the
| first of several sessions the council
| will hold within the next week or ten
! days to act upon the various pieces
! of new legislation which the Com
| missioners plan TO lay before Congress
! next month.
The council decided to divide the
pending measures into two general
sroups-preferential and secondary
according to their Importance. Thi;
Is in line with the theory of the Com
| missioner2s that the District will get
more legislation enacted by concen-
trating its forces on ii few of the
! more important bills than by placing
all OF them on the same plane.
Library Bill Urged.
The council voted unanimously TO
approve and place in the preferred
group the bill to clarity and bring up
Public Library. This action was taken
after Harry n. Stull had submitted
| the following report. explaining the
purposes of and need for this legisla-
ton:
I'D To make the fact of branch
libraries explicit and to provide that
they shall be sufficiently numerous
and so distributed as to furnish books
and information service to all in
habitants of the District.
't2) To empower the Commissioners
n ihra Nd
corporations and individuals for the
erection or for aiding in the erection
of library buildings, so as TO obviate
the necessity of securing from Con-
greSs such powers in each instance.
"t0 To make explicit the power
now exercised under an Interpretation
of the present law by which it Is
possible 10 establish branches of the
Public Library in school buildings and
to empower the library board to rent
suitable quarters for branches and
distributing stations.
NONRESIDENT Rules.
20. To make explicit the power
of The library board now exercised to
consider as temporary residents for
the purpose of borrowing books from
the library residents Of nearby States
mostly Government employes-who
have regular business or employment
in the District; to empower the board
TO lend books to other non-residents
on payment OF fees. and to expend
such fees for the support of the library.
'(5) To make unmista kahle in the
law the power of the library board
TO collect fines for retention Of books
beyond the period fixed by regula-
tons, and to expend for the support
of the library the fines and penalties
now so collected. although this au-
thority has been sustained by de-
Cision of the controller of the Treas
ury. the enactment of this amend
ment to the law would make certain
the power now exercised)
''(6) To make explicit the author.
ity of the Commissioners to include
in their estimates the sums requested
by the library trustees for main
tenance. for purchase of building
sites and for the erection of enlarge
ment of library buildings.
Want Acts Authorized.
1t Is not deemed necessary to call
the councils attention TO the low
standing of the District in the mat.
ter of library facilities, but 1t will
suffice to say that 1t Is pretty gen
orally conceded that such facilities
are Inadequate and are not compar-
able to other cities of equal size. 1t
is believed that the enactment of
these proposed amendments will, in
a measure, tend to authorize certain
acts which are now being performed
because of the lack of anything In
the law to prevent. \ much better
method is affirmatively to enact leg
isla ton in which there will be no
q hi n ne nd
nected with library affairs-those
upon whose shoulders fall the re-
sponsibility In such matters-may
act with certainty.
THE proposed law has met with
no opposition. On the other hand, 1t
has been Endorsed by the Federation
of Citizens Associations, the FEEDER
alton Of Women's Clubs, the Public
School Associa ton, the Central Labor
Union and many other civic organi-
cations.
School Needs Stressed.
1.-THE extension of library facilities
10 the public schools has met a long
felt wa mt. and 1t is hoped that even
tually our schools, in addition to
teaching children to read, may be in
position to bring TO the pupils the
proper literature. Public school Of
ficials have co-operated in this eff
fort, and the plans Of the libraria n
contemplate the opening each year
of additional branch school libraries.
This cooperation on the part of
school officials in this most progress
sive step has made possible the con-
summation of the plans of our most
competent and energetic librarian.
The confidence of the people gener-
ally in his administration of Public
Library affairs is entirely justified.
These proposed amendments will ma
terially assist him in furthering his
projects for better library facilities
for the people of the District of Co
lumbia."
The question which caused post
ponement of action on the changes
in the traffic law was: Should the
director of traffic be empowered by
Congress to revoke permits Of driv-
ers arrested for serious offenses pend
! ing trial?"
Councilmen George c. Havenner
| and George r. Wales argued 1t was
| a dangerous proposal to authorize an
administrative officer to suspend per
| mits before cases have been tried in
| court. Councilmen Harry N. Stull
! and William s. Torbert contended
with equal force that the director
| should have the power to withdraw
| mans permit between the time of
his arrest and trial for such offenses