The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1905-02-02
SCOTLAND NECK, N. c., TIL
The LEGISLATURE.
fRe Work Of Our Lawmakers
for a Week.

EIGHTEENTH DAY--TuEsDAY, JAN. "a.
| SENArE-Goyernor Glenn cent thu
following message:
70 the Honorable the General Assem-
oily OF North Carolina.
"Gentlemer From a careful read
ing of the re port of the Secretary o
State. al I % the recommendation
/ made by the retiring Governor in hi
annual message, you will perceive ths
absolute necessity of some steps being
taken to provide adequate room fol
certain OF the State Departments, a.
we'll as places suitable Tor the keeping
OF valuable records, now being storee
In different portions Of the city OF Raj
eigh. The records and papers belong
Ing to the Office ct the Secretary o.
State, as we'll as those in the Execu
tive and nd-Superlntendent of Public In
struction's Offices are most valuable
and their loss by fire or otherwise en-
tail not only Inconvenience, but great
financial loes to the State and yet these
papers are piled up in different build
ings-inadequately protected from fire
Or other destructive means, and are liz.
ble at any time to be lost or destroyed
Also an inspection OF the office of the
Commissioner of Insurance will show
that his department is over-crowded
and entirely insufficient for Its demands
and as the work in this offlce is in
creasing annually, adding very largely
to the finances at the States command
something ought and must be done to
give him more room and better facili-
ties, or else the State Will suffer mate
rial loss. In addition to this the build
ing in which the State Library Is now
kept is unfit fol the weight of the
books placed upon its floors and serious
and fatal results are likely to follow
any day from this department being so
insecure. AS is we'll known to you,
only few days ago a breakage Of
some kind occurred in the floor OF the
State Library and it is now p, oncanced
unsafe, and architects and contractors
are now at work trying to remedy the
damage. From their report it seems
that in the future it will be unwise to
continue to pile books and papers upon
floors that might at any moment give
way, destroying not only this depart
ment, with its books aud records and
ii 'es of newspapers over one hundred
years old, ful! OF valuable information,
but likewise doing great injury to the
whole Supreme court building.
THE Secretary IF State is to-day
paying $S0025 per annum for the rent
OF rooms In different parts of the city
In which to store his records, historical
papers, books and manuscripts, and in
addition to this Will be compelled to
rent this year a new building, entirely
unsuited for the purpose, situated
about half mile from the Capitol, for
which be will have to pay $l5 per
in order to have place to store
the laws passed by this General Assem-
bly,, and the Code which is now in
course of enactment There must be
added to this cost the cost OF insurance
on military supplies, etc, paid through
the Adjutant Generals department.
You can see therefore the need of some
place to store these records, ETC., as
well as to furnish apartments for the
of Insurance, the State
Library and the Superintendent OF
Pu blic Instruction. 1t seems to me
therefore that one of two courees
should be adopted by your Honorable
Body. One to add to our present Cap
ltol building sufficient rooms, vaults,
etc +, to supply all OF Its demands. A
has heretofore been appoint
ID and has ma le report stating what
wou:d be the cost OF an addition to
The Capitol. This addition would fur
nish new halls for the Senate and
House of Representatives, new Su-
preme court. rooms, rooms for the
State Library, rooms for the meeting
Of all the committees needed by the
General Assent bly,, as well as vaults
where all documents, manuscripts, rec
orJs ana papers could be safely and Sc
curely kept. The other proposition ls,
that if the General Assem- bly, cannot
zee Its way to add to the Capitol, that
q building known as Hall of Records,
should be proyided-thls to be erected
on the lot now owned by the otate of
North Carolina on the Northwest corn
Or of Salisbury ard Morgan streets,
which was formerly purchased as 4
site for the arsenal. This building
should bs large enough and with suff1-
cient stories to accommodate all the
needs and requirements now demanded
hv the State. 1t il needless FOR me, af-