Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-12-16
THE QUESTION OF A NEW PAVILION.

annual expositions OF the products and in.
dustries of the State and coast. Bids have,
in the past, been frequently made by other
localities for the removal of the annual
fairs to such places. This is what always
happens to State fair, and always will
happen. Although the law, by making the
Agricultural Society State Institution,
has delocalized it, and its expositions, there
remain those who will continue to urge its
removal, forgetiul of or Indifferent to the
fact that wherever located It must be of
some local benefit, and therefore constant
subject tor the claims of those who desire
such benefits TO inure to their own locality
Bat the obligation imposed upon . city by
local benefit such as stated may be dis.
charged. In the past Sacramento has done
her full duty in this respect. Through her
liberality the Society has had free use
for more than twenty years Of pavilion
for the annual fairs. Through her agency
and the !iberality of her citizens the Soci
ETY., for the State, has acquired ample and
unexcel,ed stock and parade grounds. On
more than one occasion the people of this
place have come to the financial aid of the
Association. The Society, in its late
rapid growth, has now need OF filter and
more spacious pavilion recommendations
new pavilion, indeed, is an admitted ne.
cessity. Thus new obligation arises. and
| Sacramento is in duty bound to discharge
it fully, and suffer no reproach by its neg
lect. That she will balance the account
promptly we have no doubt. Her duty in
this respect is to be measured by large
proportion of the cost of new structure.
There remains, therefore, to be considered,
only the character of building needed, and
the best method OF raising the required
sum OF money that shall be found to be
Sacramento's just share of the burden.
The great depot buildings erected by
railway companies would appear to lie
among the best models for pavilion.
| They combine great areas, with strength
aud ightness of structure. They afford
the advantages that are incident to a single.
span roof and the absence of internal pill,
lars. They are graceful in architecture
and economic in cost. Such buildings ad-
NIT Of increase of floor area By the intro
duction of galleries. Their hight gives
them very nearly perfect ventilat-
ing facilities, while they may be more
easily lighted than almost any other class
of buildings. If this character of building
Ghould be agreed upon, it would be wise
to make it cruciform, that the trsnsepts
may be occupied by distinct divisions and
departments of the expositions, leaving the
center to be lighted from above, and the
chief promenade and the focal point of the
building. Whatever form or style of build.
ing is resolved upon, it must be, archi.
tecturally and in all other respects, in keep
ing with the character of tie uses to which
it is to be applied and the dignity of the
State.
As to the method to be employed to
raise the amount of money this people
should contribute toward the proposed
structure, it should be speedy one, and
should as equally as possible distribute the
burden among all citizens. It cannot be
expected that the State will aid in the
work until Sacramento has shown, not only
its willingness, but it's determination, to
respond with contribution proportioned
to the anticipated local benefit. When
she shall have her money in hand, che will
be in a position to ask the State to do
equally as well for its society.
The benefits to this place to flow from
the enlargement Of the work of the State
Society consequent upon the increase of its
accommodations for exhibitors, whether
they be large or small, will be common to
all property owners in the city. Each
should therefore bear his due proportion of
the expense to be visited upon us, and the
nonresident owner must be made to feel
that it is as much duty on his part as it
is on the part Of the resident In the past,
as is well known, the nonresident owner
has generally escaped from all such bur.
dens. To appeal to the generosity of
few, and to ask them to contribute in
greater proportion than others, is IN
just, and while their acquiescerce
might be deemed a fine example
of hberality it would still be fact that
truest liberality is found in exact justice.
That method by which all may contribute
in proportion to their interest and the COM
mon benefit is the best method. Let the
Board of Trade, for instance, ascertain the
cost of the desired building, and subtract
therefrom the value of the.present pavilion
owned by the county of Sacramento, and
which is ready to contribute that value TO
the fund for new pavilion TO be owned by
the State. Let the Board then take up the
city assessment roll as basis for the as.
certainment OF the amount that each prop
erty owner should contribute toward the
remainder OF the sum to be raised. The
desired result will be arrived at BY deter
mining the per cent upon the total amount
of the assessed values in the city necessary
to produce the sum that Sacramento
should contribute. This having been as
certained latter due allowance for lib
eral margiD). the contributions should be
at once called for. We believe that the
responses would be certainly
the justice and equitable character of the
scheme would appeal with force to every
intelligence. 1t is simply proposition to
measure the burden by the benefit, and
distribute the former fairly and Justly
among all who enjoy the latter. 1t may
be replied that there will be refusals,
and they are entirely probable, but