The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-02-14
IN THE ATTICS AND EASEMENTS.
How the Committees Meet In the
Capitol at Augusta.
Two at a Time In the Senate Cham
ber and House.
Records in Danger Of BE-
coming Food for Flames.
Special to the Press. ]

| Special TO the PreSs.l
AUGUSTA, Feb. 13.-That the Hall of Re-
presentatiyes in the State House is small.
poorly lighted and hardly ventilated at all
has been very we'll noised abroad through
this State. by the official grumblings of the
| Representatives themselves. That the Sem
ate has been forced to adjourn by the smoke
| that couldn't go up the chimneys is one of
the official facts of this session. Two
patent nightcaps of galvanized iron have
been put on the Senate chimneys and they
are reported to be working all right The
cost of the two contrivances has been hun
dred and eighty dollars. and some of the
members are propounding this conundrum.
''If it costs $3.50 to put two nightcaps on the
chimneys, how much would 1t cost to repair
the old State House so that 1t would be suit
able for the Legislature" The most ap-
proved answer is; "That would be impossi-
ble."
1t is also quite generally understood that
the committee rooms are monuments of that
class of ingenuity that so distinguished the
Oriental proprietor of the Calcutta B lack
Hole. But the architect who planned the
committee roems did the best he could.
When the State House was built the busi-
ness before the Legislature was small and
the number of committees was not large. In
1880 there were but eighteen joint standing
committees, and it is probable that their
sessions were few and the amount of mat
tiers and hearings small There are today
thirty-one committees. and there are at least
fiye-J judiciary, Railroads, Interior Waters.
Fisheries and Game and Legal Aaffairs-that
In all probability have each more matters to
consider than were before whole legisla-
ture at the time the State House was built.
To make room for the increasing work of
the committees it became necessary to try an
ingenious but lamentable plan. The four
offices that occupy the first floor of the
wings of the State House were high, well
lighted rooms. The idea was conceived
of building another floor half |
way between the floor and the |
ceilings Of these offices, leaving the |
offices at the bottom and making the top |
spaces into committee rooms. The windO VS. |
happened to be long enough so that about |
four feet of them projected up into the new
ly made committee rooms. Thus light was |
furnished. As to ventilation that is some
thing never heard Of in one OF these commit
tee rooms. By this plan six small commit /
tee rooms were secured. And these are the |
only committee rooms there are to accOmmO-
date thirty-0ne great committees. As a re- |
suit the committees use the Senate chamber,
two often sitting at once there and interrupt
ing each other with their hearings; in the
House of Representatives when that can be
used; in the State Treasurer's office, on
which occasions the crowds fill the room and
lounge in behind the sacred iron bars which
guard the State Treasurer and his records; |
in the Adjutant Generals office; in the Land
WI 10 ole ba off of ha Sat |
intendent OF Schools; down in the Engross-
ing Room in the basement, except on occa-
sions when the hard working clerks rise in
despair and drive out the intruders;
in the Office of the Insurance Commissioner,
which is also the telegraph office; up in the
library room; down in the Labor Commis-
sioner's room, and even in the hotels down
town. When there is great hearing. like
yesterday, or like some that occur before the
judiciary committee almost every week, the
rooms are crowded, filled with tobacco
smoke, and are as uncomfortable places as
can we'll be imagined.
This afternoon the committee on legal af-
fairs met on one side of the Senate chamber
and the interior waters committee, who had
been driven out of their usual room by the
railroad committee, on the other side A
loud-voiced man began to talk before each.
The racket so interfered with business that
the chairman of the legal affairs tried to rap
received banu5ty renlv which III made wav
for defiant, though good-natured alterca-
ton between the two chairmen.
The quarters OF the great State officers are
no better. except perhaps those OF the Gov
ernor and Council, who are quite well cared
for. The office of the State Board Of Health
is down in a basement half underground,
where it is almost impossible for the Board
to practice what they preach, and where the
chemical w0rk.is carried on sometimes at the
direct expense Of the lungs of the secretary
and his assistants. The Land Agent and
Superintendent of Schools occupy an office
together, and are not over crowded. The
office, none too large at best, the State Pen
sion Agent. The Railroad Commissioners,
one of the most important boards OF Jffi-
GERS in the State, with records of the greatest
value. have no Office and no place for their
records. Neither has the Attorney General
an Office in the capitol. The Labor Commits
sioner, who is becoming an important part of
the State government, and who is doing a
work that will increase year by year, is
crowded into one Of the little rooms in the
basement or cellar.
But poor as are the accommodations of
these officers, they are palatial compared
with the accommodations of the Secretary of
State and State Librarian. The quarters
provided for these officers and for the keep
ing OF the treasures under their charge are
disgrace to the State Of Maine. Take the
eLibrary, in which the stateloughtto to take
the great pride that Librarian Hobbs takes
in the treasures under his care. In its law
department it is the most splendid library in
the State, and is of ipestimable value to the
scores of lawyers who resort here from all
parts of the State to consult its volumes.
There are the reports Of every State and Ter
ritory in the Union except Utah and Alaska.
These reports are in every instance nearly
complete, Librarian Hobbs having, by long
persistence, succeeded in getting most of the
reports of the Southern States for the years
of the Civil War-reports very rare. But
yesterday Mr.. Hobbs was showing with ex-
ultation a time stained Report of the State
of Georgia for 1860. There are also the
alcoye" are the reports of the sourts of
England. This law library is Of inestimable
value. There are also in the Library, and
crowded into the little sub attic that adjoins
for the Library. itself will claim the title of
attic-very valuable records and pamphlets.
All these are in the very, top of the building,
at the head OF crooked and very mar
row wooden, staircase. A large fire plug
with a long linen hose coiled by 1t in one OF
the law alchoves, suggests what may happen
and what would result in case the dry wood
en- walls or closets should take fire.
Valuable as the Library is, it probably
could be largely replaced in the course of
years. In the Secretary OF States office we
find records that could never be replaced. |
Two vaults, supposed to be fire proof are
provided for the Secretary Of State, but |
these we're long since filed And if YOU will
90 down into the basement room which |
serves as engr0ssing r0om-a room so damp |
in summer that unless fires are frequently |
built the draws of the desks will swell SO |
that they cannot be opened-you may find |
there the records of the Governor and Coun- |
ell packed in pine cupboards, which would |
give feast to the flames Even in these
cupboards there will be room for but few |
more records. And If you will 90 up stairs
into the Office proper of the Secretary, YOU
will find that room full and overiiow wing
with the precious records OF the State from |
the time of its foundation. There are the |
journals of the legislatures, the original re-
ports of the legislatures, the original laws.
the records of all appointments and com
missions, and other valuable records which |
are referred to almost daily. They could |
never be replaced. Yet they are stored in a
room that is not fire-proof, and where. in |
case of fire they might be spoiled by smoke |
and water if not actually destroyed. Yet |
the Constitution of Maine specifically saws |
that the Secretary of State
Shall carefully keep and preserve the records
Of all the official acts and proceedings of the Gov
ernor and Council, Senate and House of Repre- |
sentatves
The Secretary of State does the best he |
can. 1t is not his fault that the State pro- |
vides no room.
In the Adjutant Generals Office are the