Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-19


sent by mail on receipt of price. GlYB
vas much more elaborate structure thai
the plain addition planned by Mr.. Fasset
some years since. At the very lowest fsur,
the new building planned by Mr.. FAsset
would cost 20 per cent additional to his est
mate on the addition planned by him som
years ago to the present buildiag-estimss
ing even At this low figure the new buildinI
shown in MIR. Fasset's plan would cos
ss1O.s96. In estimating upon this matte
himself he said he did not think this pro
posed new building could be built short Of
million dollars. In making this estimate h
had been in conference With the exper
Of the Bowel Granite Work
and had the advantage of what that gentle
man claimed was an exceedingly low est.
matt of the granite work on such building
He (Mr. Spohord) had himself resided il
Maine for twenty -four years of his life. Ii
his opinion q new State House suitable to the
wants of Maine could not be built for lees
than 81, 100000 and this would be le>s than
one-fourth of what the Massachusetts State
House would cost, when the annex was com.
pleted. Mr.. Spofford said that the
Massachusetts House of Representa-
tives was So by 90 feet and the Maine
House was not far from fifty feet square
Yet the Massachusetts House of Represe ntx-
tives had 24l members while the Maine
House had only $50. He considered the
Maine Represe natives much better accom-
modated than those of Massachusetts
especially IS the latter were not provided
with desks. He considered that the present
State House could be enlarged to amply
meet all the needs of the Capitol at an ex-
| snS hau
plan for such an addition in the rear of
the present building. This plan
provided for an enlargement
Of the present House of Representatives ;
new committee rooms q new library; a new
treasury and secretary Of States office, with
abundant room for vaults in which could be
stored the valuable archives of the State.
This building was to be FIRE proof. Mr..
Spotford considered that such an enlarge
me It was eminently practical; that it would
provide all needed cOnveniences and would
add materially to the architectural beauty of
the present building.
Architect Stevens of Portland was called
and stated that after more extended consid-
GRAFTON of the subject he still believed
that a new capitol could be built
for $500. 900.
Architect Fassett of Portland was then
called and made the same statement of opin-
ion. Mr.. Baker asked him if it would not
cost more prOportioaately to build the new
State House planned by him than his pro-
posed addition to the present State House on
account of its greater ornamentation and
more costly finish. Mr.. Fassett stated that
such would be the case. He was not pre-
pared to say, however, whether it would be
as much as forty per cent more or not.
"Well," asked Mr.. Baker, "do you not
know that applying the low estimate given by
you on the proposed extension of this present
building to the construction of this new cap
itol building planned by you would make that
structure cost $725 ,s6l?"
Mr.. Fasse,t replied that he did not know.
He hal not figured it out but did not think
it would cost SO much. He appeared con-
siderably broken up and Mr.. Baker passed
over this point with the advice that he figure
the question out, and see if he could consist
emily estimate that the new building would
cost only S500,000.
Mr.. Fas,ett's testimony was followed by
short speeches from G.. +. Townsend, Of
Brunswick F. Goldthwaite, OF Bid ieford;
Galen C. Moses, Ex-senator Kimball, of
Bath and Hon. Warren Vinton, of Cumber.
land County, with short speeches fsvoring
Portland as the seat of Government.
Ara Cushman of Auburn favored that
city first with Portland as second choice.
Hon. j. Manchester Haynes then addressed
the committee against removal. He said
two reasons for a change had been urged,
and the most prominent of which was the
material Importance and magniticence of
Portland The first night he heard nothing
bnt the grandeur, the wealth, the power and
the commercial importance of that city.
But what in the name of reason had this to
do with making laws by Legislative bodyl
The other reason that had been assigned
was the inadequate quarters in the present
capitol. He maintained that this building
was vel enough and with few improvements
could be made as good as other capitols in
New England. The Senate and Council
chambers were ample, and the representa-
tves hall would be well enough with ventia-
ton. With the wings sup gested, ample
accommodations would be provided for COM
mittee rooms, etc. These improvements
W ,uld cost from one hundred to one hundred
and fifty thousand dollars, and the building
with all its associations would be preserved
But why was the capital to be changed? Was
it not apparent that there was some personal
feeling at the bottom of the attempt? One
gentleman wanted it where the representa-
tives of the people would not he robbed.
The question of removing the State capital
had become one of victuaIs.
Mr.. Haynes then read q newspaper article
to show the exorbitant hotel rates charged
in Portland in 1885 at the time of the Grand
Army encampmeut there, from which it ap-
peared that hotel prices were extremely
high, one lady being obliged to pay 50 a day
for small room. This showed that human
nature was about the same in Portland AZ in
Augusta.
1t was absurdity to say that the cost of
living was more in Augusta than in Portland,
and if the capital should be moved to Port
land those who desired to board cheaply
would be obliged to find it out of town while
the politicians paid the prices of the Falmouth
and lived in town and ran the legislature.
But what did Portland want the capital for?
Not for the money disbursed, because shoe
factory would be much better in that respect.
Of course, she did not want it for the Jlit-
cal or social prestige. She wanted it because
she had fine site, and wanted to erect a
temple on Bramhall hill for an ornament.
She wanted to tax the people Of the State
million dollars to erect structure that will
adorn the city. He had known many objects
Of State charity to be denied aid because the
State could not afford it. There 10 not
5s"ec VI iehfutuB VI CnbIttV tnat
IS not no ' and has not been for years suffer
ing for the want of state aid, yet it was pro-
posed to expend 4 million dollars to adorn
and aggrandize the leading city of Portland
Portland needed no such aggran lizement,
and he submitted that her attempt uow is
scarcely worthy Of her generosity or consci-
ence. Whenever the people came to the
conclusion that change to Portland was
best be would acquiesce and head the pro- |
cession, but he did not propose to see |
change made on any false pretence. The |
arguments made in favor of Portland would |
move the capitol from Albany to New York,
and from Springfield, Ill.,. to Chic ago. This |
is not q question of board nor of what Port |
land wants. This is the old homestead of
the State Of Maine. She set up houseke D.
ing here in this building. Here begun the
sacred Office of her maturity. Here was
born to her the offspring Of her bene ficent
rule, and the man who will disturb one block
in her walls or one "Reminiscences in her re-
collections would repudi&te the mother who
nurtured his childhood and spurn the cradle
IN which his own infancy was rocked.
Let Portland have her general hospital and
let the State sustain it. Let Lewiston have
her hospital and let the State sustain it. Let
he farmers have their college and let the
state sustain it. and let the cn pitoI yerna;n ON |