The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-09-16
Tronble Over New Uapitol Plans
eoyernor Hastings Files Protest.

rhe nroposed new capitol building
=, Harrisburg will not be erected in
';r,e a. for the next Legislature as required
hv the act appropriating $55o,ooo for
:" new state house. This fact was
settled Thursday afternoon when the
c.nitol commission, against the pro
,sst I of Gov. Hastings, rejected all the
ulons recommended by the board OF
pvnerts. and decided to ask the archi-
tects for new ones. l.
The Governor was sorely displeased
with the action of his colleagues, and
withdrew from the meeting, and
refused to take any further part in its
proceedings. |
The commission was in session in
the executive chamber for nearly three
hours discussing the question OF select
inp a plan for the proposed capitol.
Senator McCarrell submitted resolu-
ton disapproving the action OF the
hoard of experts in excluding from the
competition of architects the designs
of Harding & Gooch, OF New York,
and Furniss, Evans & Co, of Phila-
delphia. The resolution also provides
that the envelopes containing the
names of the thirty competitors be
requested OF Judge Simonton and
opened and that if the names of the
authors of the two plans thrown out
be found among them that all designs
be sent back to the competing archi-
tects.
Senator McCarrell and Auditor
General Mylin spoke against the
recommendation of the board OF ex-
perts and urged the adoption OF the
resolution. Governor Hastings was
emphatically opposed to the resolu
ton and made a formal statemen
which he requested to be placed or
the minutes of the commission.
John NJ. Carrere Of New York
speaking Tor the board of experts, sal'
that they had acted in what could b.
termed judicial capacity, that thei
report should be accepted as hnal an
that they declined to make anothe
examination of the rejected drawings
The resolution was adopted by
vote of a. to I, Governor Hastlne
voting in the negative. Those tavo
ing the resolution were Auditor Ger
eral Mylln, Senator McCarrell, Stat
Treasurer Haywood and Speak'
Bower. The Governor called Speak'
Boyer to the chair after the vote W;
announced and retired from the roo
in company with Attorney Gener
Mccormick, who acted as legal a
wiser of the commission.
Professor Warren P. Laird,
Philadelphia, professional adviser
the commission, protested against Il
adoption of the resolution as t
representative of his profession.
Governor Hastings formal prott
against the action of the commlssi
follows in part:
81 desire to say, my fellow comm
soners, most seriously and with gre
earnestness that, in my opinion, If y
follow the course suggested by I
preamble and resolution presented
Senator McCarrell, you are not o.
acting in bad faith to every archlt
who has submitted his plans, but J
will be violating the faith and ere
of this commission and violating
honor of the commonwe alth.
"This program is our creation. l
commission spent four or five we
in its preparation. We have g
over every article and section, line
line. 1t is our own work from bel
ming to end. We signed our nal
to 1t and in good faith we sent 1t
to the architects of the country
asked them in response to that INV
ton to come and submit their d'
ings for a new capitol.
"No one who has examined Il
eight plans as we have done will (
to say that anyone of them would
make a creditable capitol buile
More than three months were o
pied in the study of the problem
the preparation of the plans.
proposed now by the resolution "
the gentleman says will follow the
now under consideration to II
other plans. There is no time tor
No architect can take up the stu
the problem and master it in tv
three weeks and should this re
ton pass none Of the best arch,te'
the country will likely enter the
petition and the most that you
hope for will be that some OF the
now before the board may DE I
mitted with the knowledged OF
authorship.
0In NV iudpment, II we tax