The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-04

| The Board or state House COmlnls-
| sioners presented their annual report TO
| the General Assembly today.
Ii Is brief and business-like document
! and n printed in full herewith.
Accompanying is report of the cere-
| monies Of laying the cornerstone with
| half-tone illustrations and the papers in
| the case OF Governor Lippitt's queries to
| the Supreme Court and the response
| thereto.
The Report.
| To the Honorable the General Assembly
of the State OF Rhode Island:
The Board Of state House Commits
siCners beg leave to present their annual
report in accordance with chapter 1901 of
the Public Laws, as follows
Since the date OF the last report the
building of the State House has progressed
as rapidly as circumstances have per-
mitted, and the wings OF the building
have already reached the level OF TIE
second story. IL is expected that the COM
ing year Will see the state House completed
To the dome at least
The cornerstone was laid on October IL,
1926 by the Grand Lodge of Free and
Accepted Masons His Excellency Charles
-
Honorable Herbert W. Ladd, president Of
the board, made addresses, and Honorable
Rowland Hazard. of Peace Dale, delivered
the Grafton.
A full account OF the ceremonies is
herewith submitted.
The Board would respectfully suggest To
the General Assembly that, in view of the
fact that one or more Of the flreproof
vaults contained In the building can soon
be made ready, provision be made for re-
moving from their present dangerous
position the valuable archives of the state,
and the placing of them In these vaults
until they can be properly classified and
arranged In the room for archives in the
new State House.
i, We drem IL proper TO append to our re-
port the questions which have recently
been submitted to the Supreme Court by
His Excellency the Governor. and the
answer of the court thereto, i'm order
that they may be Of record in the papers
OF your honorable body, In connection
with matters pertaining to this Board.
The General Assembly has never in any
way by legislative action negatived or
criticised the proposed or completed
actions Of this Board as reported To it
from time 10 time. In view, however, of
criticisms which have been made In tho
public press npon the action of the Board
In contracting for the Crection of State
House larger than the original design as
being unnecessary, and without notice To
or sanction by your honorable body, the
Board teels that its report made To the
January session of 1895 cannot be familiar
TO the people OF the state generally, and
that in Justice TO itself it should at least
call attention here To the following state
nent therein contained, viz.
"When your Board attempted TO locate
the departments OF the state in the State
House. they found that the building as
mi Ia. ,ip., I.s
present existing needs, and IL was
necessary to add about GO feet TO its
length This required re-drawing Of
all the plans and some changes in the
exterior, which your Board feel has inn
proved its appearance. The plans and
specifications are now ready for contrac-
tors Bids have been invited and work
will he begun as soon as possible.
This was submitted 10 the General
Assembly month before tho opening OF
any bids and three months before the
contract for the construction of the build
ing was made In that month two differ
cnt General Assemblies were in session,
and with notice in the possession of both
of the the proposed increase of the size
of the building, and with the right and
power TO order change In the plans OF
the Board before "A contract FOR their cXe-
cution had been entered into, both OF them
adjourned without indicating in any way
u
the Board, and rati(ying 1t by their ac-
ccptance Of the report and their taking
no action thereon.
As To the necessity for the increase in
the size Of the building, we respectfully
refer your honorable body TO what we
have heretofore stated in our several an
nual reports upon that subject, pDTticu-
larly that of 1896, which was as follows:
The first step in this preparation was
the allotment of rooms and the providing
for the various Departments and officials.
All heads of departments were again
applied to for the purpose of discovering
their needs in this respect. The result
was call for accommodations much be-
yond what was contemplated when the
design for the state House was made. The
rooms which were called for, and deemed
necessary by the Board were arranged
and rcarranged many times within the
area Of the original design. to try and
accommodate all ana To leave room Tor
future growth, but after many trials 10
was found impossible to do So as the
space required by the offices filed IL com
pletely, leaving no provision for the
future needs of the state. Three new de-
partments having been created by the
General Assembly since the original de
sign was proposed. the Board did not feel
authorized To erect "a building which when
completed, would only be adequate for
the present time. believing that they
would not properly discharge the duty
conflded TO them unless provision was
made for the probable requirements Of
the state for many years. They con
strucd the words Of the act TO erect "a
now state House substantially In accord
ance with the plan accompanying the
report of the State House commission
made to the Gencrnal Assembly at the
January session. lSsr3. Co mean that the
people of the state desired state House
10 fe erected which Ia its exterior APP
pearance would be substantially like the
design committed 60 them, and which
would I'm size Le what was required by
the business Of tho state.
"They have basod their action upon this
III. a. .....o' -. 80,