The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-05
ALBANY Letter, in Times-Herald.

ALBANY Letter, in Times-Herald.
New York's state capitol building
has cost more money than any other
structure in America, and it is by no
means finished yet. The people of the
state have thus far been taxed the
stupendous sum of $22,250,000 for the
mere building. Its maintenance is quite
another item, costing upward of $780,
900 a year.
This building, with its porticos, occu-
pies an area of three acres. The ma
tional capitol building at Washington
covers an area of four acres and cost
Only $13,000,000.
Governor Black has announced his
Intention of pushing the work on the
capitol and of having 1t finished before
the term of his office expires. The gov
srnor is an able man and one who gen.
orally carries out his plans, but New
York people who have seen what 1t is
possible not to do in the matter Of the
statehouse smile with pity when they
fS3Sy Mr.. Black or any other governor
turning over the building to the peo-
ple in completed condition.
A WASTE OF TIME.
In fact, most of the people of New
York who pay any attention whatever
TO the big lob" are reconciled to the
chronic demands for more money for
the work and have made up their minds
90 be robbed until they die and to die
without ever seeing the building fin
tshed. Protests are regarded as a mere
waste of time.
Seldom does the legislature of New
York adjourn without appropriating a
sum of money, ranging from 100000 to
t1,000,000, for the carrying forward of
the work Into this Unsuitable vortex
of jobbery enough money has thus far
disappeared to have built ten state
houses of magnificent design and ma
terial.
The match for this capitol project
cannot be found among the historic
churches and palaces of Europe, and 1t
is doubtful whether the tombs of the
Rameses dynasty, constructed to pre-
serve the memory of Egypt's kings,
cost as much as it has cost the people
Of the Empire state to have a head
quarters for their business.
BEGUN THIRTY YEARS AGO.
The statehouse was begun in 1867
Since that time nine governors have
sat in the chair of New York. Nine
governors have attempted to do some
Shing with the incubus, and nine gov
ernors have failed.' Investigations
have been made of charges of fraud
Legislators have come to Albany full
M enthusiastic purposes to do some
shing' and have left 1t hopeless and
rushed In heart Contractors have
grown rich out of the enterprise, died
ana left great fortunes to their chill
dren. A generation has passed away,
and no one knows today when or how
the capitol will be finished, If ever. In
deed, its unfinished condition has come
TO be regarded as the normal one, and
New York would not feel natural if
there We're no more work to be done
and no more appropriations to be made
The legislature which recently ad-
Journed made an appropriation of ST.
25O'OOO for the capitol, but expressly
on the condition that it should suffice
to finish the structure OF this amount
sSoo'OOO Is to be expended this year. All
this is only repetition of what has
gone before. There is no reason now To
suppose that the end is any nearer than
1t ever was.
PROLIFIC OF SCANDALS.
The size and cost of capitol are not its
sole claims to notoriety. No public in
stitution in the country has been so
prolific Of scandals. From the very
outset politics has figured largely in
the construction of the building. II
has always been the same whether
Democrats or Republicans have been
In charge of the state administration.
The patronage connected with the i'm
mense work has been the undoing of
more than one public official,
N hn apI.v
construction contractors grew sudden
ly wealthy at the expense of the tax
payers. All sorts of impositions were
practiced in order to get money from
the state without rendering an ade.
quate return. The original plans OF
the structure were juggled with, with
the result that they bear only a par,
tlal resemblance to those used in the
nnal stages of the capitol work.
Occasionally the legislature ordered
an investigation into the way in which
the work was being pushed ahead, anC
then another scandal was almost sur,
TO be added to the list of those witt
which the history of the building /,
checkered.
Some years ago the discovery wa,
mate that the foundations of the great
eastern staircase on the assembly side
were settling. An examination disclos
ed the fact that an unequal distribu,
ton OF weight had caused some of tn,
enormous stones and pillars to crack
The defect was remedied by means OF
some delicate engineering work at q
cost to the state of several hundred
thousand dollars.
Is ASSEMBLY CEILING A FRAUD.
When the assembly chamber wal
complete its ceiling was OF sandstone
and four great pillars four feet In dla,