Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-15
Z SPEAKER YIELDS, !
Gives Public Building Bills
Two Days Consideration
And Surprises Members Of House.
Architects Plans for Buildings.
Gen. cesbin's Friends Wish 10 See Min 49,.
Ing Major esserars stipes.

peryising Architect Taylor, who viii n. !,
charge OF all the public buildings pru,id.,
for by the bills which have recentlv :. !.
Endorsed by the committee on public h,,,,s ~
ingsand grounds and got through the co,.
mittee Of the whole in the horse. n r.
bills should become laws before cons:
adjourns, says that he expects thsae hs',lS
ings will nearly all be completed With,
the next three years At present the arrI;
tect's Office has very little to do. and ~,
force has been reduced more than ope. ~
owing to the fact that for several year. ~
no new public buildings have been provid, :
for by congress. Architect Taylor intseI,
to make new departure In the man.s.
ment Of public buildings, and instead :,
allowing matters to drag they WIN Il.
pushed with all possible speed The fore,
in the architects office can be doubled
and it is likely that the plans and speci.
fications for large number Of the buila.
ings will be prepared by outside archite4,
under the law which allows such plsnst
be made by competition. This law r.
been the cause OF large reduction in II,
force Of the architects Office. A seve,.l
buildings have been designed and IL.
drawings made by architects outside al
the regular government employ. b.
Plan Of Procedure.
The architects Office will take I'M The
buildings in the order in which they n
passed by congress, which will probably
be about the order in which they were
considered in the house Of representative.
The first thing to do will be TO obtain
sites. for which advertisements will ibe
published, and men having property In
the towns where buildings are to he L.
Gated will be given an opportunity to offer
them to the government An officer Of
the architects office will visit each town
and take into consideration all the condi.
tions. including the price to be paid, and
select the most available site A clear and
unmistakable title which can be approved
by officials of the government will have to
be furnished with each site. As soon As
the sites are secured the Office will begin
the preparation Of plans and specifications
and when these are completed advertise-
ments will be published for bids for con
structing the buildings Where build
ing costs less than $3.50. 900 the contrict
will be for everything except the heating
Buildings costing more than that amount
will probably be divided into three con-
tracts, one for the foundation and base
ment, another for the shperstructure and
third for the interior finish II from
any cause there is q delay in the cOnstrlc-
ton, such as, for instance, the desireon
the part Of the citizens Of the town fora
larger appropriation, the site will be Sc.
lected and purchased and the building
dropped to the foot of the list to await
efforts on the part of the congressman to
get more money Mr.. Taylor intendsto
accommodate congressman in this matter,
but where there is little prospect Of add
tional appropriations the buildings will
be pushed with all speed consistent with
good results, and he hopes that only tho
more expensive structures will BE- incom-
plctc at the end of three years.
They Were ssrprised.
Members of tho house have not vt re-
covered from their surprise that Speaker
Reed relented to such an extent as to give
two days for the consideration Of public
building hills, leaving every facility for
pushing them through with great rapidly.
For two or three years past he has firmly
refused to grant time for the consideration
of public building bills and has cited the
necessities Of the United States treasury IS
reason why there should not be- any cx-
pcnditure in this direction Perhaps there
was more seriousness than jest in rcmsrk
credited to Speaker Reed some time ~
when he was referring to the appropriation
of SO. o00,0 900 to pay Spain for the Philip
pine Islands He then told one Of ms
friends about his efforts to keep the goy-
crnmcnt from being cxtravagant IN the
matter of paying claims and making up.
for various public works and
that it looked rs if his efforts
might have been misdircted. ~ We bad
entered upon policy of"buying Mslsys!
at 81 a head At all events, the present
session of congress has seen the speaker
in a more liberal mood than ever before
He would not favor the consideration otl
the river and harbor bill in the last s0-I
sion, but made no objection to 1t thistimel
Not while Mr.. Reed exercised cOntroi ~
there ever been seen a time when putt
bills were allowed in such ~
bers. United States senators who ~
to increase the amounts provided ~
house bills have been advised that asyM
.empt of that kind would be likely0ee
feat the measures, and probably the hQuw
bills will be accepted without any elapes
I they ever reach the senate. Tho WW
have had bills partially considered - "
ng every influence to secure day = ~
he bills which are hanging In ~
,assetl and sent to the president
Shall IL he Major General Csfeles
Whatever may be the effect Of the arm!
bill, thsre seems ton 9uns
strong disposition among the friendscl
Adjutant General Corbin to have
'assed which will make him major eeh.
raj The senate befoSe adjOurnment ~
ummer passed a bill for this purpor: ana
he house committee on military sanNn
as reported similar bill. 1t Is nov ~
oscd to have the senate bill reported, sne
efore the house finally adjourns an enors
1ill be made to pass it. There Is onyc
ray that this measure can be taken y
her by unanimous consent or paased W.
err suspension Of the rules. Tns ~
,ethod is. almost impossible, a. ess
bjection by any one member Of the ~
,ould defeat 1t. The other methca
uires two-t thirds Of the house, which
IDLY can be obtained, but 1t also reqss
he approval Of Speaker Reed, ana
OF likely to grant recognition LOT
ension unless it is for . bill that
iliing to have passed. The ilen
eneral Corbin's bill have believed ". -. !.
i'll get consideration under eusPenl