Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-10-26
THE NEW CAPITOL.


/ The Merits of OOlitic Limestone-Nc
/ Funds to Garry Out the Contract for
/ Building the CapitoI-The Legislature
/ Must Adopt Other Means to Provide
/ Funds-An Experimental Farm Needed
ATLANTA, Oct. 4-Work on the new
| capitol may be said to have begun. The
old court house, or city hall, is being torn
down and carted away, and within three
or four weeks it viii no longer cumber
| the ground. This house was when new
| considered a credit to the city itself, but
/ the more pretentious and modern build
/ ings that have been erected all over the
city give it by comparison very common
place and anuquated appearance. Quite
a number of laborers are now employed
at the work of demolition, and the furni-
| ture, iron safes, ETC., are being removed.
l spent an hour this morning ex-
aiming
THE ELEVATIONS AND PLANS
of the new capitol, and am more
than ever convinced that the con-
tract made by the Commissioners is very
| advantageous to the State. The building
Will be one of which the people of Geor-
gia may we'll De proud, and they NAV have
the satisfaction of knowing that they will
get the full value of their money. The ar
rangement of the quarters Of the different
departments Of the State government are
admirable, and on sufficiently extensive
scale to provide for all demands for room
for the next hundred years II is proba-
bic that at no other time within the last
quarter Of a century could such a house
as the contract calls for have been erected
for 81, 100000, or % per cent. more than the
estimated cost Of this building.
ooLITIC LIMESTONE.
The general regret that has been felt
that the building is not to be constructed
wholly Of Georgia material is giving way
TO common sense view Of the question.
The oolitic limestone bugbear, on closer
acquaintance, IS not so frlghtful as il at
first appeared, and it is probable that me
petition 10 have the contract changed so
as 10 require the contractors to use GeOr-
gla marble for facing the walls viii not be
presented 10 the Legislature. If the own
eTs OF the marble quarries would consult
their true interests they would probably
have their agents or friends, as the case
may be, stop the agitation. People dOnOt
like to acknowledge an u1Welcome truth.
but there can be little doubt that the
material called tor By the contract. !
leaving the fact that it comes from /
another State out of the question. is far 1
preferable for the purpose than Georgia !
stone. 1t would be impossible to construct I
the building wholly out of Georgia mate /
rial. The glass and other very important /
items cannot be manufactured in this /
State, and on giving the subject careful 1
consideration it is evident that the sgnti- /
ment under discussion is only a senti- 4
ment, and t Is quite impracticable TO car
~ 1t out. If we are obliged to use some /
foreign material in the house, why not 4
use little foreign" stone il there are i
substantial reasons in favor of doing so?
As the contract stands, the founda-
ton Is to be Of Georgia granite,
and the body of the walls Of Georgia
brick, and the wood work OF Georgia ma
terial, and only Georgia labor is to be en-
plOyed. II It can be obtained, and at least
tWO-thirfts OF the cost of the building will
ind its way into the pockets Of Georgians.
THE wHEREwuHAL.
The act providing for the erection ofthe
new capitol was supposed to have apprO-
pTiated money for the purpose. The
money, however, was TO come out Of the
surplus in the Treasury, and now it is dis
covered that there viii be no surplus. 1t
may be said, then, that the ques-
ton Of building the new capitol,
the contract has been duly exc
cuted according to the act, Will come up
before the next General Assembly, which
on the first Wednesday in
November. If the work is to be prose-
cuted, not only will new appropriation
bill have to be passed, but some means of |
raising the money to meet the appropria-
ton will have to be devised. In other
words, the rate of taxation will have to
be increased. You may be assured there
viii be opposition to this, but the matter
has gone so far now that the General
Assembly viii doubtless pass the neces-
sary bills, and so the work is apt to 90 on,
2 z 1F11ar rar1 a6 hon /
the contractors viii not do much towards
the work until the funds are
provided.
THE GOVERNOR
does not spend much time at the Execu-
tive ONCE just now. He is quite busy |
his message to the General As
sembly, and he cannot do much work
where be is disturbed by callers every few
minutes. He does his writing at the man.
sion, but visits the office once day to at
tend to routine business and anything Of
special Importance that may come up.
THE 1886 BONDS.
There is no agitation about providing
for the retiring of the State bonds which
authorize the issuing of new
bonds to cover the amount, and the only
question will be that relating to the rate
Of interest.
AN EXPERIMENTAL FARM.
There viii probably be strong appeal
made to the General Assembly to provide |
for an experimental farm IN connection |
with the Department of Agriculture.
This adjunct ought to have been estab-
isAed long ago. The department is in
the hands of able officials, but its useful
ness is greatly limited by the parsimony
Of false economists and narrOw-minded
politicians.
AT THE OLD OPERA HOUSE.
Preparations are being made for the
meeting of the General Assembly, and |
candidates for places will begin the cam
paign in earnest next week. The rotunda
Of the Kimball House, however, will not
be the place for the wire-pulling this
time. WAYFARER.