THE AMERICAN. SCENE

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21247, 20 August 1934, Page 18

THE AMERICAN. SCENE

—♦ — LIFE IN LARGER CITIES ADDRESS BY MR E. J. BEIX During his travels in the United States last year, the city librarian, Mr E. J. Bell, was more especially concerned with books and their housing, for it will be remembered that he received a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York to enable him to inspect libraries abroad. But Mr Bell interested himself besides in conditions generally obtaining in the United States, and his illustrated lecture, "Phases of American Life," which was delivered at the Workers* Educational Association rooms in the Trades' Hall on Saturday evening, aimed at interpreting life in the larger ■cities. Mr Bell spoke of the admirable provision made for general readers and for students. The public libraries, architecturally an example to the rest of the world, were well equipped and in some of the greater centres of , population could command a staff of well over 1000 assistants. Branches were often necessary. Mr Bell instanced the Astor-Lennox-Tilden Library of New York, with 80 branches, including a special section in Harlem, the negro quarter. In addition the language difficulty had often to be considered, and at Gary books in 31 languages were on the shelves. Of the city rates it was estimated that about one dollar a person was appropriated for library purposes. Public Benefactors, however, had been the mainstay of the universities, of which the library is the nucleus. As compared with the 25 universities in the British Isles, there were more than 160 foundations of university standing in the United States, one of these endowed to the extent of 83,000,000 dollars. The Edmonds International Houses, founded in 1908 for the convenience of foreign students, were cited by the lecturer as further manifestations of far-seeing social spirit. Turning to the cities, Mr Bell mentioned the changes in the New York skyline and described the Rockefeller (centre, the Chrysler Building, and, largest of all, the new Empire State Building, 1255 feet in height, with 102 storeys. In contrast with these enterprises, tmemployment presented a difficult problem. In St. Louis alone 25,000 destitute persons were fed on Christinas Day by the municipal authorities. The National Recovery Administration had accomplished a great deal, but smaller employers of labour who had gone through the depression without actually paying off hands were liable to be boycotted unless they increased their staff in favour of large firms which had at first paid off 300 men, but were prepared to take back 200. This act of reinstatement entitled a company to display the familiar blue sticker, which naturally secured preference for their goods. Extreme efforts were being made to alleviate the position of unemployed women, and m conclusion Mr Bell mentioned the employment of an increased staff of typists in New York to complete the great public library catalogue. The standard wage given for such work was 15 dollars a week for a six-hour day.