New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-23
THE CAPIToL ar ALBANY.

ator Sloan is now pending in the Legislature
Resolved (if the Assembly concur, That the Of
| hclals Of the State who appointed by chapter
! b7s Of the Laws Of 1883 supervising commits
| sloners OF the Capitol be and they are hereby au-
| thorzed to act examining commissioners OF the
| Capltol whose duty II shall be to make thorough
examination Of the present condition OF the Capitol
buIldlng to ascertain the kind and quality OF ma
terals and labor that will be required to complete the
| same internally and externally, according to the
plans and specifications therefor already adopted and
now in force and TO mako as full, accurate and de-
tailed an estimate OF the cost Of such material and
labor as they may be able to prepare And in case
thew NAV deem It best TO suggest notifications or
changes in the plans for the building, or for any
mart thereof they shall make detailed statement
| thereof showing the difference In quantity quality
| and cost OF material and labor compared with
those Of the present plans and they shall report to
this LEGISLATURE on or before the fifth day Of February
next tho result Of their investigations and
mepdatons, in which they shall also express their
opinion as to the length of time that will probably
be required TO complete the building according to
the plans which they may recommend
Il will be generally admitted that this is an
eminentIy sensible and timely resolution. When
building which, as originally designed, was
TO cost not to exceed 81, 100000 remains I'M
completed after S18, 900, 900 has been spent
upon it, it is certainly high time for the State
to try to find out what is to be it's ultimate cost
and appearance, and when it is likely to be all
DONE II is just ten years ago since the Legis-
lature moved out Of the old Capitol into the
new. The Assembly Chamber at that time was
substantially completed, the Senate occupied
the room intended for and now occupied by the
Court of Appeals. The rest Of the building,
except the Attorney Generals office, was I'M
finished. Up to 1879 S9,276,615 SO had been
expended.
In their annual report for 1873 the Capitol
Commissioners submitted some figures which,
in view Of the resolution printed above, arc
pertinent and interesting. They estimated that
the building could be finished and furnished
for the additional sum Of 81, 90, 900, and they
added "the commissioners have reason to
believe that the building can be contracted for
within said sum to be completed in two years
from the date Of contractp The Legislature
Of 1915 appropriated $500 900 to continue the
work, STIMULATING, however, that the appropri-
alton should not be available until the com
missioners had filed a certificate with the Sec
rotary of State setting forth that after exam
ming the estimates, plans and specifications
completed at further expenditure OF $4,000
600. The Commissioners filed the certificate,
but the Capitol was not finished with $1,000
600. II IL had been, its total cost would not
have. exceeded $4,000, 900. In 1881 another
estimate was made, at the request OF the SEN
ate. this time by the superintendent, architect
and the commissioners. Here are their figures
sum necessary to complete tho walls .o.,a. -
vi VI sso ossn- s,nrv mart 263, geo 90
Cost Of making ready for occupation the
several rooms and appointments 10
dessnsd, 0s sDes ~ inc srehiecs 1901 70
sum necessary IN addition 20 above 70
comPisto tho building according 70
the general plan OF construction - m
now being followed. iiioo'oaooo
sa3eo,o95 90
This estimate. 70 will be seen. was about rs
much out OF the way as the other. 1t is to be
said. however, in regard to both that those
making them could not foresee that the plans
vould be again changed, that the Assembly
ceiling would be replaced, or that other costly
repairs and alterations would be MADE neces-
sary as the work advanced.
There is no reason why, in spite OF 'ne
futility OF these estimates, another effort Oh
the sort should not be measurably SUCCESSFUL
II is unlikely that at this stage OF the work any
serious modification Of existing plans viii Do
made; it is thought that tho most important
Of the defects have been cured. 1t ought
therefore. to be comparatively easy for experts
to approximate pretty closely to the amount
necessary to give the people what they have
been longing for for many years-a compicteo
Capitol There is general demand for the fig
ures. And when they have been furnished 1t
IL to he hoped appropriations will be made
lacking 70 n prompt completion Of all that re-
mains to be done.