Morning journal and courier., 1888-01-27
MANY VIEWS GIVEN.
The State House Commission Hearing
 -The Majority Heard Favor DevOt-

The State House Commission Hearing
 The Majority Heard Favor DevOt-
 ing Floor to the Public Library.
 The State House commission held another meeting last evening and for two hours lis- tened to prominent citizens give their views relative to the possible use of the State House. It was pretty plainly brought out that there are plenty of practical uses to which the State House can be put when 1t is properly repaired.
 Judge Rufus s. Pickett said: 'I think the first floor is available for library. It seems to me the people have right to demand economy and fail to see the policy of paying out fabulous sums for new library when we have building of the capabilities of the present State House. I believe that If an area way was made for light a mechanical
 school for boys could be made. There is, it seems to me, ample room for benches and light machinery. The top floor ought to be dedicated to the G. A. R. It does strike me that the city is obliged to stand by the vote of the people to dedicate that section of the building to the G. A. R."
 Superintendent DuttoR said: "We have @ High school now, but it is not half large enough. Some portions of this building should be devoted to school purposes. \ think that there is no more pressing demand for the building than that made by schools. /" In conclusion the speaker said that the schools were of infinitely greater importance than the Historical society.
 Prot Robinson of the Yale Law school ad- vocated that the upper floor of the building | be devoted to Q hall where town meetings, fairs, etc., could be held. His only objection to locating the library in the building would \ I,a op aocouOt 0f the daunnnosg.
 Maier Zunder was convinced that the | building could be used for no school purposes other than manual training.
 Ruel P. Cowles thought the building was eminently fitted for public library. He took ! execution to the way some people e1assed the Grand Army with social organizations which were organized for fun. The 78O members of Admiral Foote post he thought could be properly accommodated with an upper room | in the State House. At present they cant | get a room large enough. don't think the | library needs all the room. He believed the basement could be fitted up properly for { | manual training school, which he strongly | favored.
 | Hon. Caleb B. Bowers thought the public ! sentiment favored a public library. The ap' | prehensions about dampness are think un ! founded He said he believed in giving tht I library the supremacy in preference to al | others giving it extended opportunity as fal | and as fast as required. He did not believe | in complicating the question of repairs and \ fitting up the building. He favored devot' \ ing room sufficiently large in which towr meetings could be held.
 | William A. Wright said that there was 6 practically unanimous sentiment that tht building should be devoted to the public Ii brary He thought that the building would II be of no use to the board of education out side of manual training.
 Superintendent Dutton next suggested
 that half of the building be used for manua ' training for boys and that @ cookery schoo
 for girls also be located in the building. Tht remainder of the building would be wei adapted for the teaching of science. H'
 said room was wanted for teaching fo
 chemistry and another for physics.
 MT. Henry Sargent favored the establish ing of manual training and also cooking
 school in the building. He thought th' l committee should draw the line between public and semi private uses.
 ! Ex-Mayor Lewis protested against the us
 of the building for public educational pur
 poses on the ground that the building wa | not adapted to it and that the beautiful
 Green would be torn and ragged from tn | playing of the youths. He was also utterl
 opposed to locating the library there as tn ' location in his mind was utterly unsuited fo I library, which should be more easy of ac ! cess:
 Felix Ohillingworth was of the opinio
 that manual training school could not b I established in the basement owing to tn
 dampness. He thought the public interest
 could be best served by free public library He would like to see the Grand Army estab lished on the upper floor of the building. ! Burton Mansfield favored establishing tn ! library in tha hui1dinp