BACK PAGES:AT A meeting at Tullamore called by the Secretary of the Kings County Technical Instruction Committee (Mr. E. J. Delahunty) with reference to the proposal to establish a county library with the aid of the Carnegie Trust, letters were read from the Most Rev. Dr. [Michael] Fogarty , the Most Rev. Dr. [Joseph] Hoare [Bishop of Ardagh], and the Most Rev. Dr. [Laurence] Gaughran expressing strong disapproval of the project.
Father Burbage said that the scheme should not be accepted unless the books to be circulated were chosen by a local committee.
The Most. Rev. Dr. Fogarty, in the course of his letter, said:- “I will have nothing to do with a Carnegie Library. I have seen some of these institutions. They are storehouses of wretched novels and semi-pagan stuff of the same cultural level as penny illustrated papers from England, which, I am sorry to say, our people buy and smoke like opium, with the same narcotic effect on their brains and better life. We have enough of that poison without taxing the people to supply more of it.
“What advantage are the ratepayers, already overburdened, from the mountains of Kinnitty to the bogs of Edenderry, going to get from supplying out of their slender purse lounges and novels to the cigarette-smoking, idle, mooning youths of Tullamore and like towns; for no one else is going to resort to your fanciful treasure houses?
“Any money that Ireland has to spare, even to the extent of millions, should be first of all put into making secure that cardinal industry on which her life depends. When that essential structure is made perfect, then we can think of libraries.”
The Most Rev. Dr. Hoare wrote:- “I think the Organising Committee should have nothing to do with the Carnegie institution unless it allows you to select your own books.”
The Most Rev. Dr. Gaughran wrote:- “In view of what has been written in the ‘Catholic Bulletin’, I cannot see my way to give my approval of this project.”
Deputy P. J. Egan wrote expressing approval of the project. The Rev. E. O’Reilly, P.P., Kilcormac, wrote stating that the Committee would have to be very cautious to see that no book that is not clean and sound will be placed in the hands of readers. It would be well to ascertain the reason why Dr. Gilmartin, Archbishop of Tuam, and Father Finlay resigned from the Committee.
Mr. Rogers, State Solicitor, wrote stating that the offer is one that should be gladly accepted, provided a good County Committee, of which the clergy and the teachers and others interested in education locally should be represented, is appointed.
Mr. Phibbs, representing the Carnegie Trust, said that there was a local Selection Sub-Committee, whose duty it was to select the books, and it was for the Committee to exclude any book they thought objectionable.
The Rev. Father Burbage said that, to allay all fears in the matter, it would be well if the names of the Advisory Committee of the Carnegie Trust were published.
Mr. Phibbs said that he expected that would be done.
Father Burbage referred to publications of Mr. Lennox Robinson and Mr. Yeats, to which he took strong exception. They were connected with the Advisory Committee. In view of that fact and what the bishops had said, he could not have anything to do with it.
The Rev. Mr. Humphreys, B.A., said that he was against any but the right books being introduced into the library, but he thought the local committee would see to that. He thought they should accept the help the Carnegie Trust offered them, as the library would be a great benefit to the people.
It was decided to postpone consideration of the whole matter, and have a further meeting early in the new year.
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