Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-07-11
Addition to staten


The General Assembly II its last session
passed an act providing fbr an addition to
the State House for the Purpose of provid-
ing for the pressing Mods of the State
library. Four commissioners are named
in the law to superinte1i this work, and
ten thousand dollars is Appropriated for ii.
The commissioners h9e met adopted
plans and. awarded thl contract at the
price of So 400.
The need of increased facilities for the
library has been admitted for many years
by every one familiar With its present and
prospective condition. Every State librar-
ian for years in his report to the General
Assembly has called attention to the utter
lack Of accommodation for the library
and has earnestly urged the Legislature 10
make some provision ior it. The subject
has also been referred 10 in executive mes
sages. The State owns thousands of dollars
worth of valuable books. They are being
damaged and must b, seriously damaged
unless some early prJvision is made for
the needs of the library. In view OF these
facts the General Assembly saw fit to pro-
vide for an addition 10 the State House in
order to- provide the necessary accoinmo-
dation for the library
Since the adjournment of the Legisla-
tnre there seems to have been great effort
TO excite opposition 10 the new building.
AiRtNhs Alt VlpJsltlii INV bGiuH
Tested in some quarters is frantic and
almost hysterical. Although the building
is to be erected in Dover and by Dover
contractor the attempt is being made to
excite feeling because majority of the
commissioners are from New Castle
county. And an effort is being made to
get the Town Council of Dover to take
some action to prevent the erection of the
building under the pretext that it will
.Nh Of fhn tharnnat, r.p
So far as the action of the Legislature is
concerned. we think II mistake was made.
The best arrangement in our opinion
would have been q separate tireproof build
ing for the library. This was our opinion
at the time the act was passed and it has
been Tor years. But we are emphatically
OF the opinion that if no such building
could be erected now or at any time in the
near future il is much better for the State
to spend S5,40O in charging the State
House than to permit the injury and ruin
Of valuable books by continuing the library
in its present inadequate quarters.
Some strong reasons i'll addition to the
needs Of the library could be urged in
favor OF an addition to the State House
The rooms of the State officers are very in.
adequate. The Governor and Secretary of
State have fairly. good quarters, but the
accommodations for the others are misera-
BILE. The upstairs room above the library
is very much needed A few more COM
mittee rooms are needed during sessions Of
the Legislature. Moreover, ID is not at all
unlikely that we may in u few years have
new Constitution and a legislature more
numerous i'll Its membership than at
present. In that event the rooms now used
for the meetings of the Senate and House
| OF Representatives would be insufficient
and the second story of the new building
could be used by the House OF Representa-
| tives. Aud there is u strong reason for
some additional room next year, and one
which seems to make it extremely short
| sighted for the people of Kent county to
make serious opposition to the erection OF
this new building. Members of the Con-
| stitutional Convention are to be elected in
November, 1896, and they will meet the
December following. The State Capitol is
certainly the right place for the meetings
| OF this convention. But unless the State
| House is enlarged in the meantime the ses-
| sions of the convention cannot be held
| there while the Legislature is in session.
| The convention and the Legislature will
| be in session at the same time. Where can
the convention go2 If there is no room in
| the state House. a strong and likely sue
cessful effort will be mace to take the con
| vention to Wilmington. The advantages
| TO Dover and to Kent county of having
| the convention here are TOO numerous and
| apparent to require mention, The second
| story OF this State House addition would
furnish an excellent place for the meeting;
! of the convention, and its being here
would be worth more than the cost of the
building,