Western Kansas world., 1886-02-27
TIE STATE HOUSE.
Report of the Legislative committee.

Those OF our readers who have care
fully read the Legislative proceeding
will remember that early in the session
the committee of state affairs, of the TIVE
houses were instructed to examine int
alleged irregularities in the repairs t<
the old senate chamber. The committee
reported yesterday, accompanying this
report, the evidence taken in the
examination. The evidence was moi
read but ordered printed, with the re-
port itself. As the whole will make a
pamphlet of a hundred pages or over it
will not be printed till some time to-day.
We are enabled however to lay the report
before our readers this morning.
It is as follows:
REPORT.
Mr.. SPEAKER-Your committee on
state affairs, to whom was referred house
concurrent resolution No. 16, to invesh-
gate the remodeling of the east wing OF
the capitol, ETC., have had the same un-
der consideration, and instruct me to
make the ollowing report to the house,
with the recommendation that it be
adopted. A. W. SMITH,
Chairman.
To the legislature of the State of Kansas:
Your committee on state affairs, auth
orized under house concurrent resolu-
ton No. 16, to investigate the question
as to the amount expended in remodel
ing the senate chamber, and whether the
board of state house commissioners had
exceeded the $4,000 appropriated there
for, submit the following report:
Early during the last session of the
legislature a resolution was adopted, re-
questing the hoard of state house COM
missioners to cause to be prepared plans
for remodeling the senate chamber, and
an estimate of the cost thereof, and report
the same to the chairman of the commit
tee of ways and means to enable that
committee to report an appropriation to
carry the same into effect. At this time
the board was composed of j. b. Ander-
son, John Hammond and - Hood, and
e. L. Carr was state architect General
Anderson, who had been member of the
board since the organization. in 1878. re-
signed in May, 1885, his place being
filed by Mr.. Carr, who resigned the po-
sition Of architect, at $125 per month, to
accept that of commissioner at $50 per
month. Thomas Butler was appointed
commissioner in March 1885, to succeed
Mr.. Hood, whose term had expired, and
the board then and since, during the
entire progress of the work has been,
and now is composed of Mr.. Carr. Mr..
Hammond and Mr.. Butler. Messrs.
Haskell G. Wood having prior to
the resignation of Mr.. Carr, per-
formed the assistant supervisory and
architectural services, at a salary
of $3.50 per month, were, upon
his resignation, appointed as a
firm to the office of state archi-
tect; but finding some difficulties
in drawing the necessary amount
of salary, the firm resigned, and Mr..
Haskell was appointed state architect, at
as alary of $125 per month, by law, and
his partner, Mr.. Wood, was appointed to
do the assistant architectural and
supervisory services, at a salary of $3.50
per month, fixed by the board, since
which time the state has been, and is
now, paying 1875 per month for archi-
tectural and supervisory services, be-
sides paying $135 per month to a
superintendent during the time the work
was actually in progress.
These facts are adverted to mainly for
the purpose of showing the personnel of
the board and the architects, from the time
when the estimates were first called by
the senate resolution before referred to,
down to the present time; their connec-
tions with the matters under investiga-
ton, and their opportunities for know
ing, and full knowledge of the legisla-
ture's intention in making the appropri-
alton, are more fully hereinafter shown.
We now go back to the senate resolu-
ton of 1885, asking for estimates of the
cost of remodeling the senate chamber,
etc. This resolution was spread upon
the records of the board, and in pursu-
ance thereof, the then state architect, Mr.
Carr, was requested to and did prepare
and submit to the board floor plans and
sketches, 1.-THE sa1ne exhibited in the SEN
ate chamber during the latter part of the
last session, and an estimate in which
he placed the cost of the work to be done
at $4,000. Mr.. Anderson, then one of
the board, at the same time estimated the
cost of the work to be done at $4,000,
based upon the cost of similar work done
upon the west wing; and thereupon the
board approved the estimate of $4,000,
which action was also made matter of
record by the board, and the following
communication sent to the committee of
ways and means:
FEBRUARY 5, 1885.
Hon. W. J. Buchan, Chairman Committee
on Ways and Means:
SIR:--The state house commissioners,
In an answer to the resolution OF the SEN
ate calling for an estimate of costs and
plans for remodeling the senate chamber,
beg leaveto report that the cost of chang
ing and removing the roof. building
stone and balustrade to correspond with
the west wing, to build new galleries and
committee rooms, to plaster and fresco
the walls and ceiling, to make necessary
changes and additions to the gas, steam
heating, ventilating apparatus, will re-
quire $4,000. E. T. Carr, the architect
OF the state house, is instructed to pre-
pare and submit the plans on which the
o1lovo 40 &c hoen1