Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1903-12-30
CAPITOL IS MORE MODERN
Legislators Will Find Interior
Aspect Much Improved.
BEST STATE HOUSE IN COUNTRY
Electric Lights Soon to illuminate
House and Senate Chambers-New
Storage Building Completed-Li-
brary Commission to Extend Work.

Des Moines, Dec. 29.-When the
state legislators arrive at the state
house next week to enter. upon the
duties of the Thirtieth general assem-
bly, they will find the building much
improved in it's interior appearance
from two years ago, and that during
the interim between the preCent and
the last session the capitol commits
sioners have expended nearly, if not
quite, 100000 of the $250,000 appro-
priated by the Twenty-ninth general
assembly for the improvements on the
building.
For nearly two years the great
building has been more or less scene
of trouble and turmoil. Workmen by
the scores have infested it's broad cor
ridors, have camped during working
hours in the basement and in the
realms of the mighty dome, have torn
up floors and have put them down,
have pounded and cut and chiseled
wide gaps in the walls and ceilings,
have strung wires from basement to
roof and have inserted under the
floors and between the partitions of
all this effort has been put forth in
order to give the lawmakers of Iowa
and its officers of state the comfort
and satisfaction of knowing that they
have the best lighted, heated and ven
tilated state house of any common
wealth in the Union.
The state capitol, which was erected
but comparatively few years ago, at
an enormous cost, is without doubt
one of the finest structures of the
kind in the country. but its interior
equipment was lacking many of the
modern accommodations and COM
forts. 1t was lighted throughout only
by gas jets, and on occasions when
light was really needed, which is
mostly during the time the legislature
is in session, it was found almost i'm
possible to properly illuminate the
building. While the gas has not been
displaced with the new improvements,
1t has been reinforced with a system
of electric illumination which will
prove far more satisfactory when in
stalled for use. 1t is expected the
electric lights will be completed for
use in the house and senate chambers
when needed this winter and the dome
will be brilliantly lighted during dark
and cloudy days. The new heating
plant has been constructed on scien-
tific principles and is practically COM
pleted. 1t has been tried under par
tial force and found to be much pre-
ferable to the old system. The venti-
lating system is now in use.
Storage Building Completed.
A large storage building has been
completed on piece of ground owned
by the state just opposite the capitol
square. This will be used for the
storage of the records of the state
and public documents. While it was
built on what were termed by the
commissioners liberal plans, it is
feared now it will prove inadequate al
most from the start, and that arrange
ments will have to be made during
the coming session of the lawmakers
so that it can be added onto, either
by an additional story or a new wing.
Secretary Davidson of the state execu-
tive council has devised a method for
indexing the records and documents
when they are placed in this new
building which will prove great con-
venience to all the officers and to
those who have any necessity for
looking up certain matters. At pres
ent the documents are scattered about
the building, mostly in any place
where few feet of room can be found
for them, and a great deal of work Is
required on the part of officials many
times to find certain reports or mat
tiers asked about by interested citi-
zens. With the moving of this great
mountain of books and papers from
the capitol proper into the new stor-
age building will come rearrange-
ment of several of the state Offices.
giving them much needed room for
the transaction of their business.
State Superintendent Barrett's Report
State Superintendent Richard c.
Barrett, who will retire from office in
January, has made record in his BIZ
ennial report for completeness, which
has not been equaled heretofore by
himself or any of his predecessors.
A portion of the report has heretofore
been reviewed, but some interesting
details in regard to the schools Of
the state, which have not been COW
cred, are worthy of consideration.
These relate to the attendance at the
various state and public schools the
past year, to the number Of teachers
employed and to the finances of the
institutions.
Mr. Barrett shows that with 1853
teachers the Iowa State university, at
Iowa City, has Lap students, while
with only 60 instructors to care for
them there are 2,460 students at the
State Normal school at Cedar Falls.
The state college at Ames has S8 in
structors and 1920 students. Thirty
nine people are employed at the col.
lege for the blind at Vinton and there
are 16S children in attendance there.
At the soldiers orphans home at Da-
yannort there are TX emDlOYeS and ASO