The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-27

ASsc5nhIymaa Hall Protests Against
Any Larger OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ally Refers to the Character and
Cost of the Congressional Library.
HARRISBURG, Pa, June 2T--The
Pennsylvania Legislature has passed
bill appropriating 100000 FOR a new
capitol building The effort to increase
this appropriation to $4.250.0O0 was tIe-
feated through the energy of Assembly
man Hall, of Allegheny, who took oc-
CASTOR during his discussion of the mat
ter to say:
The bill as amended by the Senate
appropriates 81, 250, 900 for the compile
ton OF the State capitol It also pro-
vides that the commission which Is to
be charged with it's construction may,
in it's discretion, dispense with the cree
ton of d lighting and heating plant If
this be done there will be left 81, 250, 900
to be spent on the building alone, exclu-
sive Of the Punishment. There has been
spent already upon the building we are
now occupying the sum of $3.50, COO Pass
this bill and the capitol viii cost a total
of $4,000. 900. and will then have to be
furnished and fitted up at an additional
cost, which viii probably increase the
whole sum to s., 900, 600.
The dimensions Of the building ac-
cording to the present plans are 504 feet
front by 257 feet deep. with a dome IS
feet in diameter and 263 feet high At
either end Of the present building wings
81 by 257 feet are to be erected for de-
rfT faT
building, completed in 1891, is larger
than these proposed wings. It was
built for 900, and with its furnish
ings cost in all S499,37G I grant that
both materials and labor were cheaper
then than now. but, adding so per cent
for these advances, and thus allowing
$750.000 for each wing. OF 81, 800. GOO in all,
there will be left 81, $50 600 to be plas-
tered upon this pile Of bricks in which
our sessions are held. 1 ask any man
favoring this bill to tell me how 1t is to
be spent, and for What purpose 1t is to
be expended Where and how can g.
10000 be honestly spent on this main
building. and only 80 by go feet in
size? Let someone answer There is
no answer, because. Mr.. Speaker. every
man here knows that it cannot be hon
estIy spent Other States have built
capitoIs in recent years. Let Us COM
pare what they have with what We are
now asked to do
Mr., Hall then read letters from the
Governors of several States reciting the
dimensions and cost Of capitoIs therein
constructed. showing that the Indiana
capitol cost less than $4,000, o00; Rhode
Island, sI-516,000; Minnesota, 81, AZ 000;
Connecticut $2,4SI, 600 and Texas.
whose capitol is the building next Iarg-
est in size to the Capitol of the United
States, 81 509, COO With regard to the
latter, however, the speaker admitted
that as it was paid for by a grant of
100000 acres Of State lands its exact
cost could not be accurately estimated
There IS another building" Mr. Hall
continued, which many members of
this House have seen and admired
refer TO the Congressional Library in
Washington I have here a letter from
Superintendent Green, of the Congress
sional Library in which he says its di-
mansions are 40 feet By $40 feet. COW
ering about three and three-quarIers
acres Of ground It's total cost was So
544,2o5- Mr. Speaker, does anyone who
has seen this building expect 10 see a
capitol erected here which shall COM
pare with II in beauty and grandeur?
And yet We are asked to appropriate
within less than $1,500. 900 of its total
cost for the proposed capitol building.
That Congressional Library is built
Of granite and its interior is adorned
with the choicest marbles. not only Of
America, but also Of Europe and Africa
Upon its decoration the best artists and
sculptors Of our country have bestowed
the highest efforts Of their genius It is
a masterpiece Of architecture, a trf-
umph OF art We cannot hope to have
a building here like 1t. and we should
not, Tor II was erected by a nation of
5000, COS people, while this capitol is to
be paid for by a State of only {. 900 900
population Why, then, I ask. should
we be required TO appropriate for this
capitol only about SI-5O0 600 less than
the Congressional Library. cost