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Show THE NEEDS OF THE LIBRARY. When the Smoot organ gets through lying and the Tribune gets to understand the facts, the people peo-ple may Anally get a full understanding of the facts regarding the money which tho Public Library Li-brary did not get, and which it needs. Tnere has never been the slightest misunderstanding between be-tween the Council and the President and Secretary Secre-tary of the Library Board. The Council was informed a year ago of the pressing need of the. Library for more funds. The Council rer. aded promptly and linanimously voted the Library ?2,000. This the Auditor refused re-fused to endorse, there being no fund to draw upon for the money, and when the matter was submitted to the City Attorney, he declared the application Was without authority of law. It was ! as much a disappointment to the Council as to the Library Board. The Board, like every other department de-partment of the city and county, was forced to draw against the money which would belong to the Library when the taxes for 1907 should be paid. But it needs that money, and the only legal way suggested is, when the apportionment is made for this year, a half-mill more be allotted to the Library. This is what the Library Is struggling to have done, and we believe that the Mayor, Council and all the Anancial ofllcers of the city approve of it. For the Smoot organ to say that the Council has spent money that belonged to the library is infamous; for the Tribune to "say that there is anything in tho report of the Library Board that reflects upon the City Council, is an entirely unwarranted un-warranted construction. In the whole busienss tho Council has done its best to supply the imperative im-perative needs of tho Library, and this was the feeling of every member of tho Library Board when tho report was prepared. But the money is sorely needed, and if any ono thinks that the I most rigid economy deos not govern in the hand- 1 ling of Library funds, such an one had better call 1 and examine the Library accounts. 1 |