The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-29
IMPROVEMENT
OF CAPITOL.
First Meeting of Commits
sion Held Yesterday.
COMMITTEE WAS NAMED
Will Investigate Purchase Of
South of Square.
Heads of All Departments VIII APP
pear at Meeting Tuesday and
Give Views ON Capitol


The Alabama Capitol Building Com
mission held its first meeting yesterday
at noon In the ONCE of Governor Cum
ningham. The Capitol Improvement
Act with Its prescriptions and restric-
lions was discussed and a general in
terchange of views was had.
A committee was appointed to ascer-
tain the owners of the property on the
south side of the Capitol, the value at
which the property was placed and all
other information relating to the prop
erty in question and it's acquisition by
the State. This committee will report
at a meeting which will be held Tues
day morning in the Office of the Gov
ernor. To the same meeting all State
officials have been invited to appear
before the commission and express
their views as to Capitol Improvement
and outline the needs of their depart
ments.t
The commission was called to order
at IL o'clock yesterday morning in the
private Office of Governor Cunning
ham. The members of the Commission
are Governor Cunningham, Treasurer
j. Craig Smith. Auditor Thomas l..
Sowell, Secretary of State E. r. Media
vid, Attorney General Massey Wilson.
Under the express terms of the act Dr.
rector Thomas NJ Gwen of the State
Department of Archives and History
acts as the secretary of the commits
sion. The commission was organized
by the election of Governor Cunning
ham as president.
The Capitol Improvement Act was
read at length and all Its provisions
were discussed.
Treasurer Smith and Attorney Cen
eral Wilson were appointed commit
tee to secure the names of the owners
of property on the south side of the
Capitol Square, to. prepare plat of
the property. to report such other In
formation as might be obtained as to
the valuation of the property.
The commission decided to invite be-
fore it for the expression of their
views at the next meeting the keeper
of the Capitol, the chief justice of the
Supreme Court. the Supreme Court Ii
brarian, the Superintendent of Educa-
ton, the president of the Board Of Con-
Wet Inspectors, the Commissioner of
Agriculture. the president of the Rail-
road Commission, the .Adjutant Gener-
al. the State Tax Commissioner and the
Examiner of Public Accounts. The
are represented upon the commission
1t was decided that the next meet
ing should be held Tuesday at IL 80
o'clock a.. m.
The Capitol commission will have
available for Capitol Improvement the
$150.000 The final $4,000 of this
amount will not be available until next
year. There are two general policies
which may be pursued by the commits
sion. The Commission may decide to
acquire the south side of Capitol
Square from private property owners
This will make the Capitol grounds
symmetrical and 1t will assure the
State that there will always be room
enough for. an adequate State House
with ample grounds. In. the pursuance
of this policy 1t is possible that the
Commission may depend upon the next
Legislature or future Legislatures for
additional building improvements. 1t
is not meant that the total of the pres
ent available appropriation viii be
used in the purchase of the additional
grounds. On the contrary the southern
portion of the Capitol can be secured
under any contingency and leave a
handsome remainder for building i'm
provements
Che other possible course which the
Commission may pursue is tn expend
the total $150,000 in making additions
to and renovating the present Capitol
building. If the Commission has de-
cided upon either OF the two courses
the decision has not been made public
The Capitol Improvement Act gives
the Commission the power to institute
condemnation proceedings against the
holders of property on the south side
of the Capitol Square, II sale of the
property at a reasonable figure is re-
fused.