Evening star., 1932-05-14

There Is plenty of room for econ
omy," the Senator declared. but added
that cutting should not take place
where 1t relates to the education of
children or the betterment of mankind
in general Our schools must not suffer
and programs like this library building
of yours, which contributes to the well
being of man. must not suffer"
The $4,000 which the House has
stricken from the budget is the first of
two identical sums which would COM
plete the structure. Work would be
begun and a contract for Sl50,000
building under the sum which 1t is
hored the Senate will restore in the
1883 budget. The completing appro-
priation would be made next year
AT present the site for the George
town Branch is little more than "a hole
in the ground" The old reservoir
which crowned the hill at Wisconsin
avenue and Reservoir street is gone and
tne NIL Is leVeled and partly excavated.
Danger Pointed Out.
Unless construction is begun at once,
the excavation probably will partially
MI, leaving menacing pools of standing
water for the breeding of mosquitoes
and eventually necessitating the re-ex-
cavation Of the site. The work has
oeen done out of the initial appropria-
tlon OF $4,000 for this purpose.
Blow to Personnel.
Nor is its construction program the
only cause of the Public Librarians
concern in the face of the appropria-
ton bill as it now stands The blanket
legislative provision which prohibits the
nlIlng OF vacancies threatens the func-
ton OF the library in much the same
critical manner as 1t does the public
Schools since the library, like the school,
oeals directly with people and not
merely with so much clerical work. The
proposed inability to fill vacant posi-
tlons, IN fact, would be even more crit
lcal, II that be possible, than in the
schools by virtue of the higher rate of
turnover in the library personnel.
Last year, about IS per cent Of the
Public Library's staff left the service.
Much of this is due, the librarian ex-
plains, to the fact that young women
comprise the bulk of the personnel and
many of them marry during the year.
II anything like rs per cent of the Ii
brary staff were to leave their positions
In 1882, the library would be confronted
with the necessity Of closing branches,
depending upon the distribution of the
separations from service
While the hbrary's circulation in
creased 16 per cent for two consecutive
years, the personnel has been increased
only 2 per cent This illustrates. DR..
Bowerman has said, how closely stated
the main library and its branches are.
Hence, the resignation of even two or
three library employees might easily
force the closing of the affected branch;
the personnel elsewhere is so limited
that no requirements could be shifted
to the vacated branch.
Vacancies Would Remain.
Likewise, in the janitorial staff, not
only are many of the branches provided
with only single janitor, but some
have only a half" janitor, because
one man may serve two buildings.
With that kind of economical" stating,
the resignation or retirement of a man
would, in all probability, deprive one
or more buildings of heat and neces-
sary cleaning.
The libraries would be affected also
through the inability of its authorities
to re-engage members of it's staff now
away at library schools on leave of ab-
sence. Members of the professional
staff frequently seek higher training
through professional pride for such in
crease in eligibility does not mean for
them immediate promotion to higher
salary scales as it does in the cases of
teachers in the public schools. The
public library staff has attained meri-
toriously high professional standard,
and the maintenance of this standard,
and with it improved service to Wash
ington's readers, is threatened by the
pending legislation.
The alternative to closing branches
in the face of designations and retire
ments and the thwarting of ambition
for higher training would be, under the
provisions of the pending legislation,
the securing of written authority from
the President of the United States to
fill individual vacancies as they occur
But in the opinion of many District
officials. to appeal to the White House
for an Executive order to hire jani-
tor would be "llnsDeakable