The Topeka state journal., 1897-03-17
$4,000 ENOUGH.
A COmmOdi0us, Good AuditO-
rum Can Be Built for
That Sum.

ct am satisfied that all the estimates
1 have seen of the cost of the audito-
rum are out of reason" said State
Architect Holland to a Journal reporter
today. while I have made no figures,
I know in a general way what a good
building of the kind needed in Topeka
will cost.
81 feel perfectly safe in saying that
a building $50 feet by $50 feet can be
built, heated and equipped, with COM
mittee rooms and everything necessary
to make an auditorium all that is de
sired. for $40, 900 or less. am inclined
to think that it will more likely be less
than that sum than more.
when 1 speak of an auditorium, I
take into conSideration,.th the fact that it
will be a permanent building and one
that will serve all the purposes for
which il is intended The building
should be a good, solid structure, and l
am certain that it will not cost as much
as the council seems to think.
when the time came to build a high
school nearly every one said it would
take at least 1925, 600 to build the kind
of a high school needed in Topeka
When L said that it should not cost over
SOS, 600 the people would not believe me,
and still we got a high school building
with more room than had been figured
on for S65 900, and there was SO. 900 left
after the building had been equipped.
The thing that costs is the fancy
work. There is no use in making a
building too ornate, and in an audito-
rum what is needed is a substantial,
plain building. If a great deal of fancy
work is put on it would run into money
very fast.
Mr.. Holland will make some sketches
enbodying his ideas concerning what
the building should be. and these will
be submitted to the council so that they
may have an opportunity of having
something tangible before them.
All the councilmen profess to be IA
vorable to the plan of building an au-
ditorium. The question of what the
building should cost seems to be the one
which is causing all the trouble.
City Attorney Bird said today that
he is not stickler for provisions which
will tend to hamper the raising of
the money which will be necessary to
get the building under way.
Il will approve any ordinance which
may be submitted by Mr. GODDARD" "
said Mr.. Bird, provided the CONNER
cial club will take the responsibility of
it's success. I do not think it will be
necessary to specify everything in de-
tail concerning the building. All that
will be necessary will be to state in
general terms what the building shall
be.
1.-The Commercial club is willing that
the ordinance shall specify that the
money in the city treasury shall re-
main there to apply as the last pay
the citizens will be required to raise
should be lowered if a building can be
built for less than 100000.
1.-The council and the people wanted
to be sure of one thing and that was
that the money should not be put in
some lots to stay there until the people
got ready to put up a building. Since
the plan to buy lots has been abandon
ed there will be no danger of that.
Il want to have the ordinance drawn
so as to avoid law suits and I also
want to see the proposition carry when
it is submitted to the people,
City Attorney Bird suggests that it
would be a good plan to have a meet
ing of the council and Commercial club
committees with interested citizens
where an ordinance satisfactory to eve
ryone may be approved to be submit
ted at the next meeting of the council.
A A GODDARD who is looking after the
matter for the Commercial club is t.
tending the federal court in Wichita
but he will return tonight.