The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-10
ARMORY IS IN SIGHT
SATURDAYS AMENDMENT To NrTT
ITARY CODE SIMPLIFIES
THE PROBLEM
IT WILL COST ABOUT $e5 900
City Can Save on Rent 1t il
Paying-The Building Likely
TO Go Up This Sum-
Iner.

idLSe ana some unforeseen obstacle should
intervene to prevent the contamination of
present plans, st. Paul will. before the
coming fall, have a handsome new
aIlI!ofy building of its own, and the local
companies of the city will be esta bIished
in permanent quarters This has haan
made possible by the new amendment to
the military code, which was enacted by
the legislature on Saturday.
Under the law as it formerly stood the
city was constrained by mandatory pro
vision OF law to furnish an armory for
the use of the companies of the guard
located here, and as the most eXpedienU
course, has done so under lease, the pres p.
ent terms OF which entail the payment
OF rental of $4,000 4 year. The friends
OF the armory project argue that under
the new legal enactment the city may,
by issuing bonds, own a handsome fire.
proof building of modern construction.
and the interest on the bonds and main
tenance of the armOry will cost less than
the sum now paid in rent for the old
frame structure now used for armory
purposes.
Under the original arnory act of 1899
all cities of the state in which companies
of militia were located, were required
to furnish suitable armories and in an
amendment of 1899 those cities were en-
powered to lease buildings for that pur-
pose for periods not exceeding fifteen
years. There was no provision made,
however, for the issuance Of bonds for
the purpose of building armories, and any
city wishing to erect its own building
would have been compelled to take the
entire sum needed out of one tax levy.
The present project which applies as
much to Minneapolis as to st. Paul, was"
first launched at the last annual meeting
of the National Guard association, the eX-
ecutive committee of which recommend
ed that steps be taken to secure legisla-
ton to enable cities to issue bonds for
the erection of armories, and that in
short is the effect of the amendment just
enacted Maj. George c. Lambert, who
is a member Of the executive committee
of the National Guard association, said
Yesterday in explanation of the purposes
of the new law and its advantages:
Renewed Old Lease.
s'Nhen our lease on the armory build
ing expired about q year ago and the
city council was called upon to renew it,
or make other provision for us, some OF
the members of the board of aldermen
and the assembly inquired why the city
could not own it's own arrnOry. The rem
tai under the old lease had been $500,
and these figures had been advanced 70
81 co., Upon investigation 1t was found
that if the city should build an armory
the entire amount of it's cost would be
taken out Of one tax levy, and Such
plan was deemed impracticable 50
new lease was made at $4,UVO year LOT
fifteen years.
1.-The present armOry building, and the
ground upon which it stands, are owned
by an armOry association, which Is a
cOrpcraticn composed of Battery a Of the
First artillery; AMI Companies {, D. ana
r. of the First infantry, and the stock IS
All owned by those companies as organl-
Hon or
individual interest Therefore you see
the present lease will be no bar to the
new plans and the association will hear
tily cooperate in any project to provide
a new building.
The association will donate to the C~ty
the ground upon which the present build
ing stands, and thirty feet adjoining it,
which has been recently acquired. This
the association even offered to do when
it was proposed to have a new armory
erectea by private capital
For some time past the need of a new
armory has been recognized, and some
negotiations have been had with private
individuals with that end ,in view, but it
was found that they all wanted 3 per
cent upon their investment and that look
ed rather high to US, so we have been
waiting. This new law furnishes much
more advantageous solution of our prob
lem, and we are convinced that we will
have but little difficulty in securing the
cooperation of the city council in our
project, as it must recommend itself as
a plain business proposition.
Save Money for City.
eve have figured pretty carefully on
this proposition, and our idea is to n
duce the city to issue bonds to the
amount of $65,0G0 for an armory build
ing. The annual interest at per cent
upon that amount of bonds would be
$50, and allowing $1,000 for the main
tenance of the building and all necessa-
ry expenses, the cost to the city would
be $50 per year less than the rent now
paid for building which under the pres
ent arrangement the city would never
own.
There has been some comment upon
the fact that the law was made general,
but that was necessary to make it con-
stitutional, and it really applies only to
st. Paul and Minneapolis, as Duluth now
has an armory, and nearly all OF the
smaller towns are provided Minneapolis
is really in worse condition than ST Paul
in this respect, for it leases it's armory
from a private individual, and has in
ferior quarters to ours, and has to pay
more money for them. 1 am informed
that the expense of the Minneapolis ar
mory to the city including maintenance,
is from $4,000 to $1,000 a year"
Speaking of the ideas CT lie promoters
Of the armOry as to the sort of building
to be erected, Maj. Lambert said: 1--WE
have already had plans Drawn which it
was intended to use in the erection of a
building by private capital, and those,
with perhaps some slight notifications,
may, l think be utilized in the preseJ
undertaking. With the site of the pres
ent armory and the thirty feet recently
acquire, we will have a frontage Of
1876 feet on Sixth street, with a depth of
80 feet.
Handsome Three-StOry Structure.
'In a general way, I can say that the
plans contemplate a structure to cover the
entire property. For fifty feet back the
building will be three stories in height.
and in this portion will be located the
company rooms, accommodations for the
storage of government property, ETC. In
the rear Of this front portion will be To-
Gated the drill hall proper, which will, Of
course, require only the floor, walls and
roof, but the entire structure will Ice fire
proof, and the roof of the drill hall
will be supported on steel trusses, to
avoid the use of pillars. The floor space
Of the drill hall will be 120x150 feet I'm
der the entire building there will be
well constructed basement, in which will
be located shooting galleries, shower baths.
etc. 1t is proposed to build the first
story Of the front portion of stone and
the upper stories as wei as the side and
rear walls of brick.
IF we can secure favorable action on
the part Of the city councils as we think
we cam we desire to have the building
begun at once, and in that case it could
be ready for occupancy in the fall As
dot ,;tI