New-York Tribune from New York, New York • 1

OL LX 10.844. Hi- ROYAL TOUR REGIXS. DEPARTURE OF THE DUKE AND DIJCIIEFS OF CORNWALL FROM LONDON. CARRYING OUT AN IMPERIAL FUNCTION PLANNKH BY THE LATE LORD IrCevyrUrbt: FU TrlhunO IBT 'ABIT. TO THE TRIIUXKI London.

March I'i. 1 a. m. Imperialism en in a season of national mourning. The departure of the Duke of Cornwall for Australia and Canada has been conducted with dipr.i'V and stateltneps commensurate with thf importance of the event and the honor of th? commonwealths.

The King and (jiii have accompanied Duke and PBxhcr of Cornwall to Portsmouth in semietltff. si 'he royal yacht will escort the nphlr opt of 'he harbor to-day. In the place of a gun nTTinc with a of royal mourners ted truck and reverent multitudes, there I fishing glimpse of three royal landaus, irith outriders and pnatiiiona and an escort of Household rivalry, and crowds of joyous cheering heartily the King and Queen and heir to the throne. Tho first halting place from Jlarlrtnmtsgh House was Victoria Station, where the ma. 1 funeral march through weeks ago.

But the black, purple and trappincs of mourning had disappeared, and th- platform was carpeted with crimson and the fpecfal train was gaytjr decorated with bunting, and the royal saloon was fragrant with rows TrY passage of the train to Portsmouth was witched -v groups at the stations, who cheered lortJly. whereas heads were bared and there was fUent homage when the last progress of Victoria occurred. The Solent, instead of being BptteeUed by a fleet of battleships iiring gun. was (gleam with color. Every ship in the dockyard and harbor was dressed in rainbow hues.

The ships were manned, and the bands vrre playing as the train trundled by the harbor station about 5 o'clock, and there awe guards of marines and bluejackets and massed binds at the south jetty. A royal salute came from the fleet as soon as the King's standard was hoisted en the Victoria and Albert, and ihf flags were. fluttering and bands playing until If the contrast between this gayety and and the last voyage of Victoria across Solent was a striking one. Imperialism had its dues, and the heir to the throne, embarking on the Ophir. v.

as honored as the King's chosen to hip worldwide empire. When the Ophir weighs anchor to-day for her long voyage the Alberta will pilot her down the harbor. the King and Queen. Princess Victoria and Princess Charles on deck, and with a fleet of boat destroyers astern, and when the rsnJ yacht finally turns within sight of Osborne the sine swarm of Mack wasps which headed funeral flotilla across the Solent to the merit of booming guns and the requiems cJ naval bands will escort the King to Portsfmgti. The joyous Imperial function will be a the majestic tribute of sea I' rower to Queen Victoria.

These, details have been deliberately planned. for Uie-Qphir. and two royal yachts, with the King's family, last night near the anchorage where the Queen's bier remained under guard of a mighty fleet. The mission of the Puke of Cornwall to the colonies wat; one of Queen Victoria's last imperial projects, and the royal family were uniting in carrying it nut. Windsor naval guard, which saved the situation the horses attached to the gun carriage became unmanageable, will be at Portsnjonth to-day at Queen Alexandra's request to receive Victorian decorations for their last service to' the beloved Queen.

While the work of empire building goes on Victoria Is not forgotten. In of the efforts to discredit nouncement that Mr. YV-rke has secured control of the Metropolitan and District Railways. Express" this morning not only maintains that the report was quite correct, but tsrthtT information with regard to the. alleged The combination plans are said to he a duplication of those adopted when Yerkes obtained control of the Chicago street railways, namely, the reorganization of the companies on a basis of making the old shareholders preferential at a fixed rate of dividend, the raising by bonds of a fund to equip the lines electrically to extensions and the formation of a traction company to do the work.

Mr. Perks, who is said to have had a large share in the operations, is rerfceara solicitor and Use largest shareholder in the District Railway. The price of District Ordinary yesterday rose per cent on the report of American control. Bssfla Metropolitan Ordinary fell 1 per cent. As nominal capital of the two companies amounts to £24,000.000.

if only f2.onn.O<»(> has expended to secure control, the deal should profitable one. Lord reply to Lord Lansdowne was model of courtesy, but did not materially Mfeagtben his case, although he dealt in detail with the charges levelled against him. It did sot justify what his friends bad been saying for namely, that the Cabinet had to follow his advice, and then had held him responsible for military failures. He did not mobilization until a few weeks before the opened, when It would clearly have been provocative. Lord l.ansd-.wne made an Incisive but was more courteous than on the previous occasion.

debate was not exciting, and the moral remained as before that not Lord nor Lord Lansdowne alone, but the British Government was ambuscaded by the p. TO PUNISH "THE TIMES." London. March 1n the House of Commons Jo-da the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Plr Michael Hicks-Beach, presented report of Reject Committee on the Civil List, with ref- to the publication in "The of "OnfMential statements on the subject, and the Speaker to take steps, either by 'tie exclusion from the House of the representative of "The Time or otherwise, as he saw fit, pi nt a recurrence of such an offence. The speaker promised to render an early decision in tae natter.

ETCCK ON' A TORTO RICAM BAR-43OVERNOR UUM ON nOArtD. Juan. Porto. Rico. March A dispatch Pajardo, of Huraacao.

announces the United States special service vessel Mayflower, Commander D. Kennedy, with Allen on board, Is aground on a Eand bar, that It Is believed has suffered no Th government tug Uncas, Chief .1 M- Laughlin. has gone to her asf CONVENIENT TRAVELLING FACILITIES. T'jiX'i. a lon of the Pennsylvania cat.

or car-Ad-'c OCR ed ai reached by. GUEST TABLE AT THE ANNUAE DINNER OF THE XXVIITH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT REPUBLICAN CLUB. NO NEED FOR MI'LLERSTTR RICHMOND ALBEADT HAS ONE. AND MONEY FOR BCHOOL. CITIZEXB To MEET AND PROTEBT AGAINST (TASTE OF MONEY ON UNSUITABLE PROPERTT.

A public meeting of the citizens of the Borough of Richmond is likely to be in near future, to put a check If possible to the carrying out of the plans to build a public high school on the undesirable site at Jay and Wall St. George. Ptaten Island. Public indignation over the purchase of this property, which is owned by Nicholas Muller. Democratic boss of Richmond County, la spreading.

and citizens are asking who was responsible for the selection of such a site, and why a large sum should be taken from the appropriation for the borough public schools to buy the site, when many public spirited citizens of the borough voted to raise funds for a public high school and succeeded in getting $125,000 for the purpose some years ago. With part of the money a parcel of land on the Island was bought for a site, and there remained a surplus of $90,000. This was turned over to Controller Coier to hold as trustee. The money wail obtained and sit" chosen for the new school before Richmond. became part of city.

The most surprising thing about purchase of the Till-y property apart from the fact that It is one of the most unsuitable plots of ground on Staten Island for a school, as The Tribune clearly showed yesterday, is wanton waste or public moneys. From time to time it has been announced that the public school system was badly handicapped on account of Insufficient funds, and under such conditions many children Buffered for want of thorough training. These facts are known in every school district in the Borough of Richmond, and especially to those whoM duty it is to see that every dollar for the public school system is spent In the best The site that one of the school districts of the borough bought for the proposed high school was almost on the highest point on Richmond Heights. I' is out of the way of the trolley cars and the railroad trains that continually pass at Jay and Wall St George. It is considered by persons whose opinion Is worth having to be an ideal Bite.

It did not cost the city one cent. The deed for this property is now in possession of Controller Coler, besides the 190.000 for the erection of a building on It. The property owned by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, near the Tilley site, is to undergo a- great change in a short time. The changes will make the Tilley property a worse site than now for a public high school There will then be a steep embankment between the railroad tracks and one of the streets leading to the school. And there will be more tracks the school, more trains will each day.

and the noises will be Increased almost a hundredfold. The place Is also declared to be an unsanitary one. Almost daily complaints about the odors from the factories on the Jersey side are made by persons living near by. Rpnn Barnes, who has an office at No. 11 Pine-st.

and has been a resident of Staten Island for nearly thirty years, said yesterday that the site offered by the Tammany boas of Richmond Borough and selected for the new high school building at St. George, Staten Island, was unsuitable because of Its remoteness from the centre of population. Its Juxtaposition to a freight yard, a set of coal pockets and a railroad and ferry terminal, with all the smoke, dust and gases incident to territory so occupied. "In addition," said he, "there Is another reason for its unsuitability. This Is the and gas from th" copper and zinc plants and the works of the Standard Oil Company, which are on the opposite side of tRe Kill yon Kull.

This nuisance Is detrimental not only to the property hut to the health of the people of New- Brighton and St. George, and so well known that the general government at Washington has been petitioned to aid in Its abatement." After Richmond County was Incorporated In the city limits Mr. Barnes was delegated to turn over to Controller Coler in trust for high school purposes the deed to the site purchased and the balance collected for the erection of the school Controller Coler took the money and the deed, and gave Mr. Barnes a receipt for it. Tne money has never been used as intended, and Mr.

Coler, Mr. Barnes says, has made an effort to use it for other purposes. The question of his right to do this has been In the courts some time, decisions up to present time being favorable to the people of Richmond, who want the money used for the purpose for nich It was intrusted to Controller Coler. Not many residents of Ptaten Island would talk yesterday about the choice Of the site. Mrs.

George William Curtis, president of the Staten Island Branch of the Public Education Society, paid: This question has not been discussed by our society, and I do not know what the other members LUXURIOUS DAILY TRAIN TO CALIFORNIA. Every day In the year the Overland Limited leaves Chicago 6:30 p. via the shortest route. Chicago and Northwestern. Union and Southern Pacific Railways, and arrives San Francisco 6:45 p.

third day. Double drawing room, sleeping cars, buffet, library car (with barber) and dining cars. Full Information at Northwestern Line Office, Ml B'way. NEW- YORK. SATURDAY.

MARCH 16. 1901. -FOURTEEN PAGES would say about It. I have not thought enough concerning the matter to discuss it. It Is a noisy place, and I should think that would be a disadvantage.

All the trolley roads and the Fteam railroads centre there, making it very accessible, and I suppose that Is the reason a site at St George was chosen. Daniel T. Cornell, former Assemblyman and reaJ estate dealer, was one of the experts cnllert by the commission which fixed th" price paid by the city for the site. "I do not believe." he said, "there is another piece of property at St. George that could have been purchased for school purposes, and I do not think the pricallowed by the commissioners appointed by the court to condemn the property is excessive." Captain William Cole, president of the Richmond Borough School Board, said that while he was not president of the hoard when the at St.

George had been recommended lie had always been in favor of It, for the reason that a centrally situated high school building was necessary if children from all parts of the island were to be required to attend one high school. Captain Cole declared that he had not until now heard any criticism of the selection of a site at St. George, but that, on the contrary, citizens had generally commanded the selection. )' COST A MILUOX. ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE SITE FOR THE NEW ARMORY OF THE SIXTY NINTH REGIMENT.

The proposed new Regiment Armory will be one of the costliest structures for housing militiamen ever built. Supreme Court commissioners yesterday finished taking testimony of owners of property at Twenty-fifth add Twenty-sixth sts. and the new- armory hi to be. The owners swear that property is worth i 000, and they demand that the city pay that amount for it. As It is Intended to spend about (650,000 for the armory building after the necessary land has been secured, It is plain that the armory is likely to be a record breaker, so far as expense is concerned.

The city Is having the greatest difficulty in getting fair values on the property. Assistant Corporation Counsel Olendorf will next Friday put expert witnessed on the stand to show that the estimates furnished by the property own. are excessive, and will doubtless be able to convince the commissioners that these estimate! should be cut down. Some of the values placed upon houses and lots by the owners have fairly staggered the commissioners. It was learned yesterday that one of the parcel!) be condemned la owned by Major-General Roe.

his father having lived at No. Lexlngton-ave. When General Roe heard the testimony of some Of the owners lie refused to go on the stand. He frankly told the commissioners afterward that he proposed to leave the ap- i praisal of the property entirely to them, as he could not In good conscience place as stiff a figure upon his property as some of his neighbora had done with theirs. The Goodrldge and Adrlance estates are large holders of the pro- posed new armory site.

i 1 in L'KTMX PL ICE. PREDICTED IN THK CORPORATION COUNSEL'S OFFICE THAT PRESIDENT WILL BERVx3 OUT HIS TERM. J. Coogan, borough president. Is to be kc-pt In office until his term expires on January next, if the Corporation Counsel's office can do it Mr.

Cootran became a resident voter In Southampton two years ago. and voted there again Uist fall. Controller Coler held up his salary, and asked Corporation Counsel for an opinion on validity of his title to office. Mr. Coogan naade an appeal for help to Richard Croker, and the result can be forecast with reasonable degree of certainty.

When Corporation Counsel Whalen was asked for an opinion with reference to Mr. Coogan's status the matter was pigeonholed, and last week when c.eorge P. TI. McVey wrote the Bonrd of Public Improvements protesting against the presence of Coogan In ihe board, the protest was turned over to Assistant Corporation Counsel John P. Dunn, who had charge of the Bureau of Street Openings, wjth an office at West Broadway and Cbambers-st.

Mr. Dunn Is now "InvestisratlnK" the case, and will take his time to report to Mr. Whalen. In the Corporation Counsel's office it is predicted that Coogan will hold his place, it was said yesterday that if Mr. Whalen grave any opinion at all.

it would be to the effect that Conjcan is the legal president of the horouch until he iF removed by action of the courts. It is said that Mr Whalen will contend that all Mr. Coogan'i acts as borough president are aa lepal as are those of an Assemblyman or Senator whose seat is successfully contested. FIRE ALARM FOR WHITE HOUSE. A BLAZE IN THE INAUGURAL REVIEWING STAND CAUSES MUCH EXCITEMENT.

bit LITTLE DAMAGE. Washington, March 15. alarm of fire turned in from the White House about 7 o'clock to-ntght for flames discovered in the Inaugural reviewing stand at the northwest corner of the grounds surrounding the mansion caused considerable excitement in that section of the city. The White House, Pennsylvania-aye. and the State.

War and Navy Department Building were brilliantly illuminated for a brief time before the fire was extinguished. The damage, was nominal. For muscle workers, brain workers, any one fagged or wea y. BALLANTINE'S INDIA PALE, BROWN STOUT or OLD Advt. $25,000,000 PLAN FAVORED.

THE GOVERNOR ADVISES COMPLETION OF CANAL IMPROVEMENT ALREADY BEGUN. Albany. March IS As was anticipated. Governor Ode.l] in message which he submitted to the legislature to-day regarding the various plans for Improving the canals of the State favors completion of the Seymour plan, sometimes known as "the plan." and opposes the adopt! of the plan for a barge canal. A canal for canal boats la thus favored, and not one for big barges.

The Seymour plan provided for a deepening of the Erie and the Osweco canals to an average depth of nine feet, and of the Champlaln canal to an average depth of seven feet. Governor Odel) in the last month has studied thoroughly the reports which have been made in the last few years by various commissions upon canal Improvements, as well as th. statistics of trade, and decided as a business man in favor of the more modest proposal to complete the- work authorized by the people al the polls" in 1865 an. begun in lSGfiwith $0,000,000. Thai was exhausted before the work was completed, and there are large portions of the Erie, the Oswego and the Champlain In an unimproved condition.

Practically the entire 10,0110.000 would be thrown away unless the work is for. parts of each one of the Janata mentioned have the required depth of water and others have not. so that canal boats have no greater depth of water for the navigation of the canals as a whole than they had before the work of improvement was btgt)n. in is: Governor odell points out in his message that the cost of completing the Seymour plan of improvement would be $25,148,241, which, in obedience to the command of the constitution, would be paid In eighteen years at a rate of $1 396.84rl a year. This yearly tax of $1,306,840 would be compared with that which would be Imposed yearly if the barge canal plan should be adopted One of these plans, for the construction of barge canal along the route of the present Erie Canal, with the.

improvement of the Oswego and Champlaln canals also involved, would bring upon the State a total expenditure of 42, a total yearly charge of $5,309,780. Even though the length of the proposed barge canal should be decreased by having it shortened by the use of Lake Ontario part of the way between the Hudson River and Lake Erie, through the construction of a barge canal merely from Buffalo to Lake Ontario, and then from Lake Ontario to the Hudson River, the total cost of such an enterprise would be $09,479,514. which would require yearly expenditure by the taxpayers for eighteen years of $3,859,975. The Governor clearly Indicates his belief that the canals can carry freight at a less rate than the railroads, but he points out that the barge canal proposed, large as it would be. would not be as large as the canals of Canada, and therefore "the question of competition with the Canadian canals would still bo unsolved." He therefore was brought to the conclusion that "In the proposed Improvement for one thousand ton barges the advantages to be derived are not commensurate with the expense Involved." The Governor also points out that New- York City is suffering from terminal charges, and gives the opinion that the canal problem Is more local than International; that the State of New- York is more concerned to prevent discriminations against its citizens on freight rates than to enter into competition with a foreign power for international freight.

He then ends his message by saying that the question, however, Is one that should bo submitted to the people, and where so Inrge. a proportion of the citizens of the Staff desire affirmative action there would seem to be no reason why the legislature should delay submitting the matter for approval or disapproval. He adds: I therefore recommend that the question of improving the canals along the line of the act of 1805 be submitted to the people. at the coming election, in the belief that it will meet with greater approval, that the expenditures can be more easily met and that it will serve all the purposes for which the canal was originally designed. It looked to-day as though the legislature would adopt the- Governor's recommendation and submit to the people, at the polls this fall the proposition for canal improvement suggested by him.

BOiiOLll POFF hi THK INFLICTED MY KARPOVirn RBBULTS KATAI.I.V St. Petersburg. March M. Minister of Public Instruction, who, while holding a reception on January 21, wasshoi by Pete Karpovlch. formerly a student at the University of Moscow, died to-day of his wound.

MOSCOW IX A FERMENT. STUDENTS THREATEN BARRICADES AND STREET London. March 16. "The Students' agitation in this city." says the Moscow correspondent of "The Dally. Mail," has become extremely serious.

Bloodshed lias occurred, and the. students threaten barricades and street, lighting. It Is not safe for Individuals to streets in the daytime. The schools are closed and the city is virtually in a state of siege." The best Cough remedy of the century Is JAYNE'3 CARNEGIE OFFERS CITY BIG GIFT OVER FIVE MILLIOXS FnR BRAXCH LIBRARIES OX CERTAIX i-oxnrnnys. OFFICIALS GIFTS MADE TO OTHER CITIES.

The announcement was made yesterday that Andrew Carnegie had offered to give to this city $5,200,000 for the erection of sixty-five branch library buildings provided the city furnished the sites and a fund for the maintenance of the libraries. Officials who were seen last night said that they thought the conditions of this offer could be complied with. Word was received from Pittsburgh that Mr. Carnegie might give at least $25,000,000 for the erection of the buildings and for the endowment of the proposed technical school there. Another dispatch received here yesterday said that Mr.

Carnegie had offered to give $1,000,000 to St. Louis for a library if the city would furnish the site and guarantee a fund of £150.000 yearly for the maintenance of the institution. The site has already been selected. Till: TERMS OF 1111. CARNEGIE TO THIS HTV.

Andrew Carnegie give to this city for erectlox. -if sixty-five buildings for branch libraries for the special benefit of the masses of the people, provided certain conditions which he lias named are carried out by th' city. These are that the sites and a fund for the maintenance ef the libraries shall be furnished by the city in a manner satisfactory to him. offer was made in a letter from Mr. Carnegie to Dr.

John S. Billings, director of the New- York Public Library (Astor, Lenox and Tilden written on March 12. Mr. Carnegie's offer was yesterday officially made known to Mayor Van Wyck. for the trustees of the New- York Public Library, by George L.

Rives, the secretary of the board. Mr. Rives embodied in his letter the communication received from Dr. RlUings. by the trustees at same time that Mr Carnegie's proposal was laid before them by the director of the library SIXTY-FIVE NEEDED.

Dr. Billings says that he has had several talk? with Mr. Carnegie en the subject ami at these conferences he mvle suggestim? which related mainly to a free public library system for the Boroughs of Manhattan and Bronx. says that he told Mr. Carnegie that such a system should Include the great central reference library at Forty-second-st.

and about forty branch libraries for circulation, small distributing centres in those public school buildings which are adapted to such purposes, and a large travelling library system operated from thcentral building. Dr. Billings also gave his views as to the prrper size for the reading rooms for adults of the libraries, the number of volumes of dictionaries, atlases, each library should have, the average cost of the sites and equipments of the libraries, an estimated cost of the maintenance of the system and other data. He further" say.) that he told Mr that about twenty-five libraries would be required for the other boroughs. He furnished Mr.

Carnegie with data regarding the libraries of Boston. Chicago, Buffalo, greater New- York and' the contract made by the city of Buffalo with the Buffalo Public Library. Dr. Billings thought the contract would probably throw some- light on the question of how best to provide for the maintenance of a free public library system for this city. Dr.

Billings, moreover, told Mr. -Carnegie that he estimated the cost of site and equipment for each building at from to $125,000. and the cost of maintaining the system in the boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx at $300,000 a year. MR. CARNEGIE'S LETTER.

Mr. Carnegie's letter follows: New-York. 12th March. 1901. Dr.

John S. Billings, Director. New-Tort Pub- Mc Library. Dear Dr. Billings- Our conferences upon the needs of greater New- York for branch libraries to reach the of the people in every district have convinced me of the wisdom of your plans.

Sixty-five branches strike one at iirsi as a very large order, but as other cities have found one necessary for every sixty thousand or seventy thousand of population, the number is not excessive You estimate the average cost of these libraries at, say. $80,000 each, being $5,200,000 for all. If New-Tort will furnish sites for these branches for the special benefit of the masses of the people, as it has done for the central library, and also agree in satisfactory form to provide for their maintenance as built, I should esteem it a rare privilege to be permitted to furnish the money as needed for buildings. say. Sixty-five libraries at one stroke probably breaks the record, but this is the day of big operations, and New-York is soon to be the biggest of cities.

Very truly yours, ANDREW CARNEGIE. Following is the letter from George 1.. Rives, laying before Mayor Van Wyck the terms of Mr. Carnegie's offer: New-York. March 1001.

The Hon. Robert A. Van Wyck. Mayor, etc. Dear Sir: By direction of the Board of Trustees of the New -York Public Library.

Astor. Lenox and Tilden Foundations. I have the honor to band you herewith a copy of a letter which we received through our director. Dr. John S.

Billings, from Mr. Andrew Carnegie, the day of his sailing for Europe. You will observe that Mr Carnegie offers to bear the expense of building a large number of branch libraries, at an estimated total cost of mi, provided the city will furnish the necessary land, and provided satisfactory arrangements can be made for the maintenance of these branches. There are no other conditions. I am Instructed to say that, if the city authorities look with favor upon the general plan our Board of Trustees will hold Itself in readiness to co-operate in every way possible in furthering the beneficent purposes which are the object of Mr.

Carnegie's munificent offer. It Is understood 'hat Mr. Carnegie's offer hi Intended to apply to the entire city. The methods and agencies of administering branches in boroughs other than Manhattan and The Bronx may well be left to be settled hereafter. DR.

BILLINGS'S ESTIMATE. I am further Instructed to say that in communicating Mr. Carnegie's proposal to our hoard Dr. Billings accompanied it with the following statement: In the conferences referred to by Mr. Carnegie the suggestions which have made have related mainly to 8 free public library system for the boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx.

1 have stated that such a system should In. -hide great central reference library in Forty-second-st. and about forty branch libraries for circulation, small distributing centres In those public school buildings which are adapted to such purpose, mid a large travelling library system operated from the central building. Each of the branch libraries should contain reading rooms for from 5S to 100 adults and for from "3 to 125 children, and in these rending rooms should be about ft) volumes of encyclopaedias, dictionaries, atlases and large and Important reference books. There should, be.

ample telephone and delivery arrangements between the branches and the central library. To establish this system would require at least five years. The average cost of the. branch libraries I EARLY IN THE MORNING new fast mall train of the New York Central with day coaches and Pullman sleeping cars to Chicago. leaves Grand Central Station at 3:15 a.

m. every day in the year. Sleeping car open at 1" p. m. excess Advt.

PKICE THRKE CENTS. estimated at from to including Btoni and equipment. The cf maintaining the tern when completed I estimated at year. The circulation of hook- for home use alone in boroughs should amount to more than 3.OW,«iW volumes a year, and therr be at least volumes in the circulation department, with additions of new books and to replace worn out of at least BMM it year. With regard to "the other boroughs of greater New-York I have no sped plans or estimates, bur have said thai abotit twenty-five libraries would be required for them The following arc some of the data which I furnished Mr.

Carnegie. The population figures those of the last census. IN OTHER CITIES. Boston. people, has fifteen branch libraries and reading rooms, and fourteen delivery and appropriates for library being at the rate of over cents per head, of population, 2nd of abort hundredths of one per cent on the asaessH value of property.

Chicago has people. six branch libraries and sixty stations, besides stations in public schools, and appropriates for library purposes, heine it the of cents per head of population, and of one pet cent of the assossPd value- of property. people, and appropriates for library purposes, bring ii the rate of -tt cents per head of population, and of one per -nt on the assessed value of property. New-York City Borough of Manhattan and 2. OTA ft population, and appropriates 883.935 for library purposes, being at the rate of cents per head population and one hundredths of one per cent on the assessed value of property.

Greater New-York has 3.437.3)2 population, and for library purposes, being at. the. rate of cents per head of population and. of one per cent on the assessed. value of property.

The contract made by th. city of with the Rnffalo Public I.ihrnry, tinder the of Chapter of the Laws of of the State ft New-York, is worth careful examination in connection with the question of how best to provide for maintenance of a free public; library system for New-Tori I am, very respectfully yours. RIVES, secretary. Tha Buffalo arrsngernrnt referred to by Dr. Rlllinss is provided for by Chapter 1 T.sws of ISO 7.

Stable of New-York. Th- City of Buffalo, is antfiorTzefl by its Mayor to enter into a con-1 tract with the Buffalo Library for the proper maintenance, 01 the public library and "eadtng rooms, and to make all necessary appropriations for the and the Common Council of the city of Buffalo authorized raise annually, a sum not less Ihn three onehundreflths of 1 rent and not more than -hundre ir of per rent of the total taxable assessed valuation of the property of city. GREATEST IX THE WORf PR. BILLINGS ON THE SYSTEM PRO. POSED P.Y MR.

VIEWS OF TRUSTEES. Dr. John S. Billings said last i Igl regarding Mr. 'Carnegie's offer: Mr.

offer to provide library for Greater New-York it a cost of over 15.0 m.AM is made wit I) his usual that the cttv shaM furnish the sites and make a satisfactory agreement as to their maintenance. If accepted, it will result in the greai I free public library sys, tern in the world. We may fairly infer that Mr. Carnegie's idea is thai whole system should i under one management, thai of the trustees of New-York Public Library, but this not made ont i of his conditions. As to the question of i' is not.

Improbable that a considerable number could obtained with! out cost to the municipality through gifts by publts j-plrtted citizens. it is of the greatest importance thit the system of public schools in the city should be supple- I mentrd by such a system of free libraries i as is proposed, and the sooner that work can commenced upon it the better it wilt be for people and for the municipality as a whole. My estimate that It will take five hi pro-. vi.i*> and the bulldmgs accessary Is I ably a reason one. but if the matter is taken I up promptly by thr municipal authorities.

Ir would 1 seem aa if this time could be shortened. No doubt there are some rather difficult questions as to dd tails be settled. there are a number of competent persons settle them, and the interest, of the great mass of the people. in every part of the city Is so great in seeing thai full advantage is taken of the opportunity now presented tn free hooks almost to th" door of every citizen thaC. we feel assured that prompt action will be taken.

TRTSTEKS WILL HELP. George 1.. Rives said: Mr. Carnegie's proposal, I tans it. looks ft tit agreement betwen threw parries namely Mr.

Carnegie himself, the New-Tort Public Library and the nt of the city of New- York. Mr. Carnegie bos saW in his letter what he would do i The trustees of New-York Public Library will give their aid to the plan, so far as they can. although If it is carried out through their agency it will involve very great additional labor and responsibility on their part. In particular it woulrt he very difficult for them to manage libraries in Brooklyn or Queens, it; I as there are already cellent library organizations in those I should think it would prove better to arrange to have them administer any branch libraries that I may be established there.

The same Is true of Richmond. The New -York Public Library under its present organization can. if desired, attend new branches that may be established in Man- I Rattan and The Bronx. As la the city, we have seen the Mayor, and authorises us to say he Is most heartily in favor of the plan, and will do all in his power to carry out- Mr. views.

There are. however. troublesome questions as to 'he city's power to make iCTft'ltK'nl proposed. I'nder present charter th" Municipal Assembly has very general powers ior acquiring sites for "public buildings." Whether the marts would hold that this extended to procuring sites for libraries seems to very uncertain. The same powers are coni tinned, under the proposed revision of the charter In 'he Board of Aldermen.

If th" power to acquire sites is doubtful I think it Is, then, of course, it would be necessary If I plan is to be carried out. to procure legislation. Another point Is that under the present charter or the proposed revision of it. the city, far as I remember, has no authority to bind Itself irrevocably by a contract to maintain the pr.po'se.i hraneaas. THE FINANCIAL QUESTION.

In addition to the legal difficulties, than is also the in question as to whether the city with its present debt and its present necesitfes In othe- I directions, ought to undertake the financial obltgaj to be Incurred in carrying out this That is largely a question of expediency. and must be decided by public opinion. The city is to pay for everything we should all like to- i in the way of schools. docks, new pavements. 1 rapid transit railroads and other things that urgently desired, and also for a number of libraries.

Some of these things perhaps must bo given up If any very considerable sum of money is to be "spent on procuring for new libraries. Which, of all the various things the rltv in desir- PENNSYLVANIA RAILROADS TRIPLE TERMINALS Foot of "West S3d Pesbrosses St. and St. Convenient to all sections of the Advt. blns Houses in this Advt..