The Topeka state journal., 1905-03-11
TO MEET MONDAY
New State Printer Commission
VIII Hold a Session.
Are to Decide About New Print
ing Plant.
TO SELECT A SITE.
Building VIII Be Erected Soon
as Possible.
Certain to BE Near Tenth and
jackson.
TO SELECT A SITE.

It is expected that the first meeting
OF the commission appointed to pur-
chase a site for a state printery and
build and equip the plant viii be held
next Monday.
George e. Tucker of Eureka and T.
sB. Murdock Of Wichita will come to To-
pelza Monday and the meeting with c.
g. Gleed viii then take place. These
three comprise the board. Each mem
Der of the commission must give S10,-
0O0 bond. The members of the commits
sion viii get SIS a day for their work,
and their expenses. but the total amount
to be paid out in this way must not ex-
ceed $1,000 to the entire board.
The first thing the commission will
have to do after organizing will be to
select q site This may take a week
The state architect must then prepare
plans for the building, which viii take
two or three weeks. The contract for
the building can not very well be let
before May Is. and it will probably take
four OF five months to complete the
building. This will take it up to OctO-
ber l. Tom McNeaIs term OF Office be-
gins on July L.
Il is therefore considerable of a pro
blem what McNeal viii do between July
! and October l. Mr. McNeal said to-
day:
7 suppose some arrangement viii
have to be made so that the state can
use the present printing plant in the
interim"
If anybody has a piece of land which
he thinks is suitable for the location OF
the printing plant, now is the time 10
speak up. It must be remembered,
however that the legislature very un-
kindly fixed Sc, 600 as the amount which
should be the limit ON the purchase
price Of site. The commission has no
authority to pay more than S6,uOO Lor
the land upon which to put the plant.
The bill also says.
..In selecting a site for said building,
the said commissioners shall consider
izz~f- 1,f1 of 10
its own light. heat and power from It's
This means that the site for the print
ing plant should be as close to the pres
ent heating plant at Tenth and Jackson
There are four sites which fill the
bill, and which are likely to be offered
to the commisson- They are as fol-
i. Four lots, comprising tract 100
by 100 feet on which Jackson school
now stands.
> Five lots Just east of the Jackson
school, comprising a tract 125 by lSO
3. Three lots at the southwest cor
ner, now occupied by the Baptist tab
ernacle
4. Lots adjoining the state heating
plant site on the east.
It is stated that the Topeka board
of education, which owns the Jackson
school site, is willing to sell that prop
EILN LOT fosUUur anu VIII AAActtAC Tia !
sort of an offer when the time comes
The old stone building now on those
lots has been condemned as unsafe,
and is used as a school building only
in emergencies. The site is a splendid
one. and one which is certain to in
crease greatly in value in years to
come. It is weM worth $4,000. and
probably there would be some who
would criticise the board for accept
ing that amount for it. The old stone
building which stands on it is the orig
inal 'tWashburn College" 1t was built
IN 1855 by Harvey D. Rice and a few
other pioneers and named Lincoln col
lege- The name was changed subse-
quently and the new college building
erected at the present site west of
town This would probably be the
best for the printing plant that could
be found as il faces the east side Of
the capitol square, and is in the same
block with the Santa Fe general Of
fees.
The i've lots east Of jackson school
are the ones which were formerly the
site Of the horse car barns. They are
owned by the Topeka Railway COM
pany. The railway company wants
$4,000 for this tract and was expect
ing to sell the land to the state at that
figure. The lots are good ones but
not as desirable as the Jackson school
tract.
The lots where the Baptist taber-
nacle now stands are excellent for the
purpose, and could probably be pur-
chased for less than the jackson