The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-11-20

prOpaply merits Ctle UOaSC V in the world"
 On its shelves are more than five million books and pamphlets, several million manuscripts, more than Q million maps, 0 million pieces of music and more than half Q million prints.
 Through it's somher marble walls every day pass hundreds of tour- ists. They gaze ct the great gilded dome, stand in reverence before the guarded glass case holding the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
 But what they do not see Is the tyranny, the inefficiency and medieval disciplinary system which marks this, the worlds greatest library.
 From this library B00OO books have been stolen, and In It's musty stack.r00ms tolls Q sort of chain gang of young men, punished for discomfort by be. Ing exiled to the task of stack ing books at bare subsistence wages. And all through the readlng-ro0m and alcovcs exists subrosa rebellion against the tyrant of the Library.
 The gentlem in question is Her. bert Putnam, librarian of Con. gress for 38 years, who must be given credit for having built the Library, in his earlier years, into 0 great institution. But now, at the age of 70, he has passed his usefulness.
 All Powerful
 Tho secret of Putnam's power is his ability to hire and fire, raise or lower wages of his 800 employees entirely at his own dis- cretion. No private citizen, no member of Congress, no union delegate, no Civil Service Commis- sion can stop him. He is omni- potent. No other person in the government has such power.
 Reason for this is the pralse- worthy aim of keeping the u. brary from being Q political football. It is subject neither to patronage nor civil service. Putt nam alone rules.
 As e result, those who govern the Library are all Republicans, while below them Is Q small army of highly educated college men of no political faith. After several years of work they are still draw ing their starting salaries of $l,. 2e0.
 However, those who bask In Putnam's favor enjoy special privilege. For instance, LeiceS- ter Holland draws $5,000 as Chief of the Division of Fine Arts, ls permitted to work for the Carnegie Foundations; also travels once Q week to Phila- delphla to lecture for the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania. Re. puted extra salary: $5,000.
 Also, David 0. Mearns, chief as- sistant In Reading Room, has c brother as an assistant whose wife Is assistant chief of the Classl- fications Division. Then there IS Edward Rogers, Personnel Of- ficer, whose sister Is in the Mu- sic Division; Robert 0ooch, Cus- todian of the Reading Room, whose brother is on assistant; Cherles Ray, Chief Engineer, whose son is his assistant; Mar tin A. Roberts, Superintendent of Reading Room, whose brother is in the Fine Arts Division; and George W. Morgan, chief in charge of binding, whose wife js in the executive assistants office and so on,
 Queer Mixture
 The man who rules this strange kingdom is on odd combination of simplicity and ostentation. Until recently, Putnam would strap on roller-skates and go for c frisk on the paVements with his grand- children. Tn holiday time he of- ten goes boating with them off the coast of Maine.
 He is an early riser, leaving his Georgetown home at 6:30 Q. ill., and making the long trip to the Library by trolley. Though the cab fare is only 30 cents, he patronizes the trolley cars-six tokens for 50 cents.
 He reaches "the Hilw ct O. clock, carries his own breakfast tray at the Capitol Hill Cafeteria, then strolls across the corner Lo the Library.
 One day while waiting for . trolley, he got into converse ton with Q young man, became interested in him, found he was looking for Q job, and gave him Q position in the Library.
 But his friendliness is dropped like a cloak when he enters the doors of his kingdom. There he is cold and severe. He keeps