Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-03-01
EXPLAINED AT PUBLIC HEARING
ON CAPITOL PLANS.
INDUSTRY OF COMMISSION
Unceasing Care in Interest of the
State and in Fairness to All Inter
ests Shown by Able Men Who Sc
lected cass Gilbert as Best Archl.
tect.
Madison. Feb. "a.

not given full Justice in the competi
ton for plans for the proposed new
/ Wisconsin capitol, the prize of which
competition is the honor of super.
yising the construction and the ma.
terial rewards consequent thereto, pre-
scented their arguments in full at a
public hearing before the joint legisla-
tive committee ON capitol and grounds
in the senate chamber yesterday after.
noon The committee had set limita.
tons on the hearing, restricting the
discussion To the question of the Sc
lection of an architect and leaving out
the controversy over the merits of the
three plans considered by the commits
sion in the competition. 1t had ap-
peared to the committee that the mat
ter Of plans was a closed subject and
that no good purpose could be served
by going into it, but that the resolu-
ton to be determined upon by the
committee was that authorizing a con
tract with Cass Gilbert, the author of
/ the successful plans. However, after
the Milwaukee architects had protest.
ed against thus limiting the discus
sion, and upon the earnest appeal of
/ Justice Marshall of the supren court.
a member of the commission, the doors
OF discussion were thrown wide aud the
aggrieved gentlemen and their attorney,
with some assistance by Senator Nc
/ Gillivray, presented freely their cas-
cns for believing that the commission
/ had erred Il was well perhaps that
! the restrictions were removed, for in
/ the long afternoon scarcely a word or
a suggestion was made directly oppos-
/ ing the fitness of Cass Gilbert to CON
struct the capitol. Each speaker who
appeared in opposition to the resolu-
! ton took occasion to pay high com.
I pliments to Mr. Gilbert. and only one
OF them, Mr. Ferry Of Milwaukee, sug.
/ gested anything against Mr. Gilbert,
this in mild and well qualified re-
mark, that while l have known Mr..
/ Gilbert and have seen his ability dis
/ played in many splendid buildings.
know that he is inclined to overreach.' %
The committee took no action and
it is possible that another hearing may
be held, although the committee is ap-
/ parently DESTROYS of determining the
/ matter as soon as il can be determined
with the assurance that it is settled
! properly and with absolute and I'M
questioned fairness to all the interests
/ involved. Some things were deter
mined however, by the hearing.
Among these were the facts that the
/ commission, consisting of Justices
Marshall and Winslow Governor La
! Toilette, H. w Chynoweth, E. S. Rey-
nolds of Milwaukee, o. H. Ingram of
j Eau Claire and ]. A. Van Cleve Of
( Marinette, had done its utmost to be
! fair and impartial and secure the best
results for the state; that the commits
/ sion had devoted itself to an exhaus-
/ tive study of the needs of the state
and Of the general subject of archi.
lecture, paying particular and volumi-
nous attention to the details of the
best monumental governmental build
ings of this country and of the world
/ in preparation for the great and i'm
portant work in hand; that the com
mission was of the opinion that its de-
termination was wise, just and proper,
but that whatever should be deter.
mined by the legislature would be &C
! Cepted as desirable, whether it agreed
4 with the Judgment of the committee
/ or not The commissioners were pres
ent in the attitude of eagerness to i'm
! part all possible information and lend
all possible assistance to the legisla-
ture. but they consistently endeavored
/ TO escape being drawn into controver.
+ ~. They answered questions freely,
/ b1t avoided making arguments.
Opposition Has It's Say.
] Senator Stout, chairman Of the
/ joint committee on capitol and
grounds, presided, and, sitting with
him were Senator Whitehead. and As.
semblymen Lenroot, Ainsworth.
/ Cleary, Greenwood and Brooks.
/ W. A. Austin OF Milwaukee, repre-.
senting the Milwaukee architects. H.
/ c. Koch & Son, protested against the
program Of the committee limiting
the discussion TO he question Of
/ choice of architects, rather than the
selection of plans. Justice Marshall
appealed TO the committee to allow
+ Mr. Austin to deliver , speech and
the permission being sranted Mr.
Austin reviewed the history Of the
necessity for additional room in the
capitol, for the supreme court and
state law library. the legislature Of
/ 1903 appropriated $4,000 TO a commits
sion for the purpose Of securing plans,
also $4,000 for construction. TIE
commission chose Cass Gilbert of
New York, Koch & Son and Ferry &
Clas Of Milwaukee. The program calls
for a floor space Of 10000 10 $4,000
square feet. but Mr. Austin said that
the Gilbert plans called for capitol
Of T0.430 square feet. an increase Of
( &c per cent. over the limit set by he
/ commission. Notwithstanding the fact
that the program definitely stated
that the variation from the program
should not be more than 10 per cent.
/ He said the Gilbert plans called for
la $4,000 900 structure, but that these
plans could not be executed for less
than sG.592.OOO.
! Justice Marshall interrupted to say
! that Mr. Austins ngures were incor.
/ rect.
Mr.. Austin went at the expert report
Of U Faurne IF & To7rfs ehor-fr,e,