MISSOURI STATE LIBRARY, Jefferson City, Mo., April 3, 1952. AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION WASHINGTON OFFICE, DEAR DIRECTOR: In view of the notice that H. R. 5195 will be heard by a subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee, I wish to file this statement with you as to its potential benefits for the State of Missouri. H. R. 5195 and S. 1452 would provide the means, allowing Missouri the opportunity to demonstrate to its local libraries which are existing on substandard incomes the ways and means by which they could become more effective and at the same time show 985,317 citizens now without service how they can provide themselves with a quality service that meets all recommended standards. The citizens of the State of Missouri have so very much to gain from the favorable passage of this legislation that it is unthinkable that they would deny it, had they an opportunity to directly express themselves. Very sincerely yours, PAXTON P. PRICE, State Librarian. COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, Miss JULIA D. BENNETT, American Library Association Washington Office, DEAR MISS BENNETT: The Massachusetts Board of Free Public Library Commissioners and the Massachusetts Division of Public Libraries wish to go on record as endorsing the library services bill. Though Massachusetts has a high library income per capita, and one or more public libraries in 347 of its 351 cities and towns, many of these libraries will never receive from local funds an appropriation adequate enough to permit them to offer good library service in the modern sense of the term. We look to this very important piece of library legislation as a way to finance pilot and demonstration projects which will exemplify how through federation and cooperative and contractual agreements these small libraries may, without sacrificing local autonomy, improve their over-all library service. Sincerely yours, AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, Hotel Congressional, Washington, D. C. The free library commission strongly supports the library services legislation in the name of 750,000 rural residents without any libraries in our State. business, and our farmers have already registered their approval and support. Hon. GRAHAM A. BARDEN, WALTER S. BOTSFORD, Labor, Secretary, Wisconsin Free Library Commission. INDIANAPOLIS CHAMBER OF Commerce, House Office Building, Washington, D. C. Indianapolis, Ind., April 2, 1952. DEAR MR. BARDEN: The Indianapolis Star this morning reports that Mr. Harold F. Brigham, Indiana State librarian, yesterday appeared before the House Committee on Education and Labor in support of the library services bill, calling for Federal grants-in-aid of $7,500,000 annually for 5 years to extend on a "matching basis" public library facilities primarily to rural areas. This letter is to indicate to you that Mr. Brigham's views in this matter vigorously are not shared by nor are they representative of a large group of individuals and organizations in this State. The position of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce on matters of Federal aid, in its many forms, and big Government paternalism is clearly stated and is well known. Because we judge unwise the policy of our Federal Government to destroy continuously the resources of its people through excessive taxation and a constantly enlarged domestic spending program, we have made it an assignment of first priority not only to request Congress to withdraw from the area of Federal grants and subsidies but also to alert ourselves against further extension of Federal controls and fiscal responsibility for State or local public services. The library services bill, now before your committee, is a case in point. Recently the Indiana Library Association circulated a letter in this State urging support of this measure. In part, this communication stated: "Ask local groups to pass resolutions and ask civic leaders in your community to write their Senators and Congressmen. Every letter counts. These letters may be the deciding factor. The L. S. B. has already gained the support of organizations like the National Education Association, Farmers Union, National Congress of Parents and Teachers, AMVETS, American Association of University Women, the Cooperative League, CIO, American Home Economics Association, Association for Childhood Education, and many others. "Congressmen and Senators are impressed by persistence, and they are sensitive to their mail. The brush-off is an old political maneuver. If a Member of Congress from your State needs convincing, keep writing no matter how your first letters are answered. You may change his mind. If you keep after him, he will know you mean business. If you relax your efforts, he presumes correctly that your interest is only temporary. Success demands that your efforts be persistent and sustained." Undoubtedly, the Library Association was successful in getting some response to their letter. One that we know about especially is that of the Fortville (Ind.). Lion's Club, which acted immediately to support the measure, but after more complete examination of the issues involved, promptly and formally withdrew their initial support and expressed their official opposition of the measure to our Indiana Senators and Representatives. You may also consider this as an offsetting letter to the request for support of the library services bill. The prospects of a Federal spending program in the neighborhood of $85 billions in the next fiscal year, occasioning the highest peacetime tax rates in our Nation's history and the foreboding effects of substantial deficit financing and continued inflation are too enormous in their economic and fiscal implications to permit us to saddle the Federal structure with another grant-in-aid program, however small its initial commitment may now appear to be or meritorious its appeal to some, Unless it is believed that $85 billions is not too much for the Federal Government to be spending next fiscal year, there is no room for additional domestic spending programs. On the other hand, if there is to be a genuine effort made to reduce the present level of Federal expenditures, this bill under consideration is in no way conducive to an achievement of that goal. We make this statement unequivocally: There is no area in Indiana that does not have sufficient resources to provide for itself all the library services it desires. If there are any obstacles they are legal in nature and can be removed by State legislation, if the people really desire the services. To propose Federal aid for such services is to evade the basic responsibility. We regard it as only another evidence of the mad rush of our times to get on a Federal gravy train, which already has gone beyond the bounds of national sanity and endangers national solvency. When national leaders like Senator O'Mahoney and Senator George warn that tax rates cannot be raised again-and new Federal deficits become a reality, it is time to call a halt to every new idea for spending Federal funds, particularly one so groundless as this one. Sincerely yours, WILLIAM H. Book. STATEMENT OF RUFUS H. WILSON, ACTING LEGISLATIve Director OF AMVETS AMVETS are appreciative of the opportunity to submit our comments on H. R. 5195 now under consideration by this committee. We support this bill as a result of a mandate from our last national convention held August 30 through September 2, in Boston, Mass. This is a time when all thoughtful citizens must be concerned above all else with the defense of our Nation. To meet the threat of Communist aggression, the United States has necessarily taken certain steps to provide military and economic defenses. We are building up our military forces and we are assisting our allies in their self-defense efforts. We are helping friendly nations to solve their economic problems and we are sharing our scientific and technical knowledge with them. All these are necessary programs required to meet the problems faced by our Nation. However, we believe there is another problem: that of an informed citizenship. The best assurance we can have of preserving our democratic heritage comes not alone from physical strength but also from moral and intellectual strength. Our citizens need to notice the history of the struggle of freedom in order to appreciate its worth. They need further to notice the nature of the forces which threaten freedom in order to combat them with intelligence. For these reasons, a great responsibility for the future of democracy is vested in our public schools and libraries. The successful functioning of the democratic society requires that every citizen have access to educational opportunity. The most important means of education is through the public schools, while the public library system serves as a valuable supplement, especially for adults. Through the libraries the ordinary citizen can get books and newspapers and other sources of knowledge about the fast-moving world that he lives in. Through libraries continuous education can be brought within the reach of all. In our opinion the library service throughout the Nation, at the present time, is not equal to the burden placed upon it. Statistics compiled by the American Library Association reveal that 30 million people in the United States are without library service. Nearly 1 out of 5 of our counties have no public library. In addition, the geographical distribution of libraries is such that a large percentage of the farm population throughout the entire Nation is without this vital public service. The leaders of the library profession believe that there are ways to be found that can change this picture. The first step is to show the people, not now served by libraries, how their needs for information and inspiration through books can be met. There are very successful library services operating today in sparsely settled sections of the country. Service is provided through centralized book depositories, bookmobiles, and small part-time stations. Various plans can be worked out to fit different needs, but trained personnel must first be made available to access local needs and to work out demonstration programs. This is the goal of the library service bill. Under the proposal, limited funds will be granted to those States which had sufficient interest and enthusiasm for the program to put funds of their own and draft plans for wise expenditure in terms of local needs. AMVETS are vitally concerned with the security of our country, and we therefore earnestly recommend a favorable consideration of the library service bill. We believe that the state of tension in the world will exist for a considerable period of years, and therefore an enlightened citizenry will be ever needed. That enlightened citizenry can partially be provided through the bill pending before this committee. We believe that every proposed Federal expenditure should be carefully weighed and analyzed to determine whether it is essential at this time for the national security. Many worthy proposals should be deferred in the face of the required military expenditures. However, those pressing needs should not blind us to the basic requirements for a strong America, which necessarily includes educational facilities for all. We believe that a good public library service is a fundamental need, and that the library service bill will aid in its achievement. We, therefore, earnestly request that this committee favorably report H. R. 5195 STATEMENT OF GEORGE T. GUERNSEY, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR IN CHARGE OF EDUCATION, CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS At its thirteenth annual convention in New York City, November 1951, the Congress of Industrial Organizations endorsed the principles of an experimental library service financed by Federal funds, to the States, along the lines of H. R. 5195. The Congress of Industrial Organizations believes that our democracy cannot survive unless all of the people have access to information, much of which is provided through a public library. It is extremely important that the 30 million people, mainly in rural areas, who do not have access to library services be given the same chance to become informed on social, political, and economic problems as the two-thirds of our citizens who do have library service. The Congress of Industrial Organizations is happy to endorse the general principles of H. R. 5195 and hopes that the House of Representatives will not allow this bill to be defeated by the narrow margin of three votes as it was in the Eighty-first Congress. The Congress of Industral Organizations also hopes that the Members of the House of Representatives who come from communities where large numbers of citizens have no access to library services will conduct a vigorous campaign for the passage of this bill. Mr. TACKETT. We will stand adjourned, and we will give notice of when we will have our executive sessions on this bill. (Whereupon, at 11 a. m., the committee adjourned.) |