Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-15
THE STATE CAPITAL.
Hearing Before the Special
Committee Of the Legislature.
The Portland Committee Present the Case
Of The Forest City.
Some Vigorous Reasons Against Action
At the Present Time, from Ban
gor Citizens.

at the Present Time, from Ban
gor Citizens.
The Representatives Hall Vas crowded
its utmos, capacity last evening to listen I
the discussion Of the expe liency of construct
ing new State House. In addition TO tn
large committee from Portland there were
large number Of representatives and man
residents of the city. quite q number of tn
latter being ladies'. Lawyer verrill of Port
land opened the case for his city. He DIRE,
most disparaxing picture of the presen
building shich be considered most delapi
dated structure one where the inmate
bres,hed in poison and contracted rheuma
tism- He thought that now when the bur
dens imposed upon the people by the late Wal
were crossing lighter, the Tax payers woulC
be willing to stand the expense of a new
state House. He considered that there wa,
= very strong feeling among the people il
that direction. II new State House were
TO be built he considered III II Portland would
be just the place for it. He described the
growth of Portland since the location of the
capital in Augusta boh in wealth
and population. He described the great AL
va tage the Represent .tises of the pc p e
~ouli have in Portland n being able To at
tend private business there, and thought many
of them would have il to do. He pic
tured the wonderful beauties of the Duii,iin1
site which had been selected by Porta Il
people and which had been exhibited 10 The
committee of the leg stature OIL their visit to
Portland. lie spoke of the prices of rail
way tickets, and showed that there were
number of places IN the Safe from which
the fare to Portla ID was cheaper than il was
to Augusta. He said that Portland proposed
To give the site to the State. He though
that a fine new Safe House, in every wa,
worthy of the State, could be erected for
half mlllon of dollars, and he wasn't quite
sure but what such structure could be
erected for S4O0, 900. OF this sum Portland
would give as much as Sl0O.01U. his plan
would be to select the site the next two years
and expend $4,000 on the erection of a
building. The State could then
appropriate $4,000 per year until
the structure should be compl=tei.
He then named the places which, IN his
opinion. would be better convenienceI by a
State House at Portland, AMI showed that the
yalu ,t.on of those places was half the entire
of the State. He spoke of the un-
Fortunate clerks who were obliged TO endan
ger their health and wear out their lives tJii
log in the damp basement of the present
building. This was a piece of news that
created some surprise esp cially TO the clerks
thus designated and, WHO considering the
pestileniial atmosphere in which-accorling
TO Mr.. Vernll-they are Obliged TO labor.
appear to be looking wonderfully we'll
Mr.. Verrill further thought that the outside
d cure at which a new State House could be
erected would be 5000 900.
In answer to Mr.. Haynes, Mr.. Verrill
statt Il that the offer of Portlal1 was bona
ida one.
la answer to a question by Representative
he slated that the population of
he places which he had named AS being 10
lis opinion best convenienced by Portland,
less than one half of the popula
iJn of the State but that they contained ~
representatives and l6 senators.
Mr.. Stevens, Portland architect was
al ed aud exhibited plan of State house
y hi h in his opinion would be about The pro
Der thing in case the State should conclude
o build. He thought it would cost about
300 900 to properly enlarge the present
building.
MIR. Fassett, another Portland architect,
vas called and exhibited what he termed "a
uggestion of plan OF a new capitol. This
,lan was accompanied by drawing of the
lew building showing how it would Look
' hen completed. He thought that s300.UOO
IL
ndicated in his . ans. lie did not include
he furnishings (asIde from the desks shown
n his PLAN in bis estimates, but simply the
.ost of the building. lie had made a plan
or the enlargement of the pre-
ent building some years ago
on exhibition in the Secretary of State
'ffice) to relieve the pressure for space. He
lad, he thought, recommended that plan to
he legislative committee as adequate for the |
purpose. HIS estimate OF the cost of that
ddlton to the present building had been
umt thing over sSO, 900.
Hon. Lewis Barker of Bangor, then asked
he witness it he proposed in his estimate
hat the building be made of granite.
Yes sir" was the reply.
Maine granite?"
Yes sir?''
L
Yes sir"
"WouId that building cost any more if
erected in Bangorf'
IL think not" answered Mr.. Fassett
,mid a burst of Laughter from the audIel ce
Mr.. Stevens was then recalled by Mr..
Barker and asked the same questions rs
we're asked of Mr. Fassett aud with sub
.tantially the same answers.
Ay Jnhn y naytar callaJ an1 yaaI q
pledge by Portland citizens to raise sl0U, 900
IN case Capital building should be located
in that city. Portland is" he said, "the
largest city in the State; it is the railroad
aud commercial center of the State. 1t i,
the financial center OF the State and it shoul1
be the political center"
Hon. Nathan CIeaves, of Portland, then al
dressed the onlmittee. He had iuvrsu
caI al from Augusta to Portland and found
the reason to be a geographical one. 1h,t
condition of affairs he declared dl not exist
today. He spoke of the great advantages
W hich the city of Portland had. He reau
letter written by Zsba Smith soon after the
capital was established in Angus a. in winch
that gentleman complained tnat the price of
board WAS higher in Augusta than it had
been in Por.lanl. He spIke in glowing
language of the site for new Capitol shicn
Portland people considered the proper place
Tor the location of such a bnII1ing. lie
thought that the large am)unt Of ) ate taxes
paid by Cum lerland and Yo k sh luld be a
strong argument IN favor OF Portland. ii.
iId not think the tax-pay ers of Maine voul.l
begrudge the amount that would be necessary
tor new buIlIii z.
lie was followed by Judge Symonds of
who pictured v hat he beiieyed to
be the great danger, from bre, 10 the proper
" of the State. He thought measures saou.d
at once be taken to protect this property
from Coz tlagrstion, He thought there should
be no della IN erecting a new building. He
believed that the people were strongly in
favor of it. He believed in spending public
money generously, not vasfefully, for iegi-
timste public expenses. He hai head IT
that the sum mentioael was a
small amount with which to build new cap
itoi and that it vas an opening wedge for the
expenditure of larger amount, bat ii seemed
to hin it Saia large sam-even greater than
vas necessary. He claimed that the ad-
vsntages of accessibility were in favor OF
Portland, ard thought the people of the
state were very generally 10 favor of a re-
moval to that city. He believed that Maine
should have a new capitol building in every
way worthy of her dignity As a state, ant
that the city of Portland had superior advan-
tages over any other place in the state for
the location of IT,