Evening star., 1953-09-30
Library PuruIIeI

The article in a recent edition of
The Star dealing with the difficulties
in obtaining sufficient funds for the
opening of additional components of
Cleveland Park branch of the Public
Library is a graphic example of how
little difference the passage of years
may make in the awkward fiscal ar
rangements for the financing of the
operations of the D. c. government and
the Public Library system in particular.
Twenty-Seven years ago, it was the
standard procedure for the D. C. gov
ernment to go to Congress with hat
in hand and beg for funds for OPP
Grafton of libraries, and today, sad to
relate, the situation is quite unchanged,
with the possible exception that to-
day you have even less chance of get
ting the money.
In 1926, the District Library was
able to point with considerable pride
to a relatively new concept in library
operations. children'S room for the
then new Mount Pleasant branch. It
was even stocked with suitable books
for children: but with a single stroke
of the pen, the item for salaries of
the assistant librarians for the chill
dren's room was removed from the
appropriation in the 1926 equivalent of
the reduction of non essentials frills,
etc. Children in the nelghborhood had
been eagerly anticipating the opening of
their room, and the news when inter-
preted by their parents was quite
blow to small-fry morale. At that point
my father suggested that a deputation
of children approach a Senator and
intercede for the restoration of the
funds for salaries Accordingly in Feb
ruary. 1925, three boys, aged 7, 10 and
II. respectively, including myself, called
on the late Senator Borah to present
plea for restoration of the funds,
which mirable dictu were restored.
The same parallel would appear to
exist today; shiny new branch Ii
brary, which incidentally was financed
in part by private fund raising, and no
funds to complete the other portions
OF it to make it fully usable. I would
suggest to the various citizens asSocia-
tions in the Cleveland Park area that
they screen their membership for those
members with children that are for
tunate enough to have a Senator or
Representative and organize expedi-
tions to the House and Senate. Con-
gressn1en find it relatively easy to say
no to adults, but it sometimes Is awk-
ward if the word gets back home that
they are refusing pleas of children for
such a cause as a library. It cannot
do any harm, and might do a lot of
good.
The question may be raised as to why
I, now registered as voter in Virginia,
should have more than an academic
interest in the Clevland Park branch
library. The answer is quite simple
My family moved to Cleveland Park
in 1929 where / attended school and
church, and contributed funds to the
drive to erect the library. The branch
itself is intended to serve in part as a
memorial TO the Cleveland Park men
and women who served in World War
II. I entered the military service from
Cleveland Park in 1910 and my official
home of record was in Cleveland Park
until 1851.
will do my own small part for this
cause by telling my small daughter
that she has carte blanche to wear a
path the two blocks between our home
and the home of Hon. Joel T. Broyhill,
the Representative of the 10th District
of Virginia, until such time as favorable
action can be taken to provide the
funds. Philip Wharton Evans.