Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-03-07


The capitol improvement commits
sion decided to have complete plans
prepared for a new Wisconsin capitol
Governor La Toilette will. under the
law authorizing him to restore or re
pair any public building which may be
destroyed or damaged by fire or other
wise, make emergency repairs to the
capitol so as to house the government
until the legislature acts to provide
money for the construction of the new
capitol -'t
The capitol improvement com
mission will not spend any part of tho
100000 appropriated by the last legis-
lature for building quarters for the
supreme court and state law library,
until further instructions are had from
the legislature.
This is the situation regarding the
capitol fire this morning.
COMMISSIONS ANNOUNCEMENT.
The following statement and resolu-
ton was made public last night by
Justice j. b. WinslOw, vice president
of the capitol Improvement commits
sion.
The capitol improvement commits
sion met m the capitol building March
LIST and I'd on the call of the vice pres
ident, 20 consider what its duty might
be in view Of the recent fire in the
capitol building. all members being
present except President Ingram.
The law under which the commits
sion acts is chapter 3SS Of the laws Of
1908. TIE commission has always
construed this act as providing for
two separate things, first, the procur-
ing Of a plan for additions to and
changes in the north part of the pres
ent capitol building. which should,
when completed, furnish the addition
al room necessary for the supreme
court and library, and which should
also be so constructed that similar
changes and additions could in time be
made 10 the south part of the build
ing. so that when completed the orig
inai building with it's additions and
changes should constitute a complete
and modern building as if originally so
planned; for this purpose the act ap-
propriated $4,000; second, the build
ing by the commission OF the addi-
tiOn so planned for the north part of
the capitol. if such additions could be
built FOR the sum OF 100000, that be
ing the amount appropriated by the
act for this second purpose.
At the time OF the fire the commits
sion had been proceeding for some
months under this construction of the
act; several meetings had been held
and mucL Irk had been done in pre-
pairing a Ogram for a competition
among a NJ -nber of architects, for a
plan for the proposed Improvements
which should conform 10 the cOnstruc
AA04 NAAGGA ~ AAAG G0nAAAAC-A1n MUOl
the act This program represented
months Of labor and was nearly ready
for submission to the architects a,
the time Of the fire, and a sub-com
mittee had been authorized to proceed
and open the competition.
The first question considered by the
commission at the present meeting
was the question whether the fact oil
the fire had made any change in its
duty. The law, OF course, remained
the same as before. and hence technic
ally there was nc change in the Legal
powers OF the commission; Tut IL was
readily recognized that there might
be such a change in the physical situa
ton caused by the fire as 10 make II
unreasonable for the commission tc
proceed under the law. and this was
the initial inquiry. In order 10 act ad
visedly the commission made an exam
inatiOn OF the building before taking
any action. After this examination II
was at once decided that IL would mo-
he advisable TO act under that part Of
tho law authorizing the erection Of
additions or the making Of changes in
the capitol The changed condition re
sulting from the FIRE was such that the
legislature plainly should determine
what line Of policy should be pursued
in the line OF permanent additions OF
changes; but as 10 the other branch o
the act authorizing the commission Il
obtain tentative plans for what would
be in the end III adopted by the leg
islatL 81 a complete modern capitol
the question was not so easily
answered.
Nothing tangible seemed To pre-
vent the carrying out Of this part ot
the commissions duty; the fact Of