The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-01
THE NEW CAPITOL.


The capitol commission settled yes
terday, by close vote, the question
that has been perpleXing them for so
long time. They decided to award the
contract for the superstructure to the
Butler-Ryan company, Of st. Paul, On
their bid of $696,00O for st. Cloud gran
ite for the basement and Georgia mar
BILE for the remainder of the building.
In reaching this conclusion they were
swayed by many considera tons, a full
statement of which will be found in
our local columns. The people of the
state, who have been so intensely in
terested in this question, will find
there complete statement Of the prob
lem set before the commission and the
reasons for the conclusions reached
Two main facts had to be kept ever
in mind. The first was the absolute
limit placed upon the appropriation for
capitol purposes. Three different acts
of the Legislature positively prohibit
the commission to exceed the total of
100000 assigned to the new capitol.
They have properly kept this limitation
in mind. A careful figuring of expenses
incurred to date and of all liabilities
that will accrue before the last stroke
of work is done gave them about $780,
900 for the present contract. 1t seems
to be generally understood that gran
lite would have been chosen for the
building had it been possible to use
that material without exceeding the
cost limit. AS directed by law, the
commission could consider only such
bids and such construction material as
would fall within the appropriations
The second fact was the universal
demand that Minnesota labor and Min
nesota material should have a prefer
ence. AS to the former, the circum-
stances are set forth which go to show
that, under the arrangement approved,
practically the whole benefit of the con-
tract will inure to the laboring men of
Minnesota. Such of the material as is
brought from abroad is to come lin
the rough" and the labor of finishing,
which is the important part, will be
done within the state. The stone work,
outside of the marble veneer, is appor-|
toned among the various contestants
for place, with an endeavor to do JUS
tice to all. AS far as the Workingmen
are concerned, they would seem to have
no reason for criticism.
On the main question, the G b
sees no reason to change the opinion
that it has already expressed; but it
recognizes freely the immense difficulty
Of the task imposed upon the commits
sion, and feels that it, in common with
all the people Of the state should give
due credit to that body for it's impair
TALLY and it's honest and earnest de-
sire to secure the best possible results
for the state within the lines drawn
for it by the law We have believed
and still believe that the new capitol
should be constructed wholly of Min
nesota material. IT, for any reason,
that was impracticable, then it would
seem that the next best thing has been
done. The Georgia marble is a beauti-
full stone, and it lends itself especially
to the architectural demands of the
building. There can be no doubt that
the structure, completed as now plan
ned will be a splendid monument to
the state, a thing of beauty and one
of the notable public buildings of this
that the long controversy should be
closed, and the capitol commission de-
serves the thanks of the people for it's
patient discharge of an onerous and
thankless duty.