The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-27
WILL THE
 FIVE BALK? Capitol Commissioners Talk Of Plans. THEY ARE STILL WAITING Hope Court Justices Will Not
 Insist. The Chagrin of Five Members of Capi- tOl Commission Displayed at
 The Meeting Held
 Yesterday.

For the first time since the Capitol Building Commission, consisting of the executive officers of the State govern ment, was sat upon by the members of the Alabama Supreme Court in it's effort to adopt plans for three-story wings to the North and South ends of the historic structure now sitting at the end of Dexter Avenue. that body
 met yesterday in the office of Governor Jelks. The Commissioners were most fly concerned in arranging for imme-
 diate interior and exterior improve
 ments ot the old Capitol and impor-
 tant steps were taken in this direc- | tion.
 The public will be interested to
 know that Secretary Of State E. R.
 McDavid was authorized to contract for the building of a basement room
 under his private office in which will
 be safely stored all the books and re-
 cords which are crowding his compart-
 ments at present. The people will also l be glad to know that the authority | unoficially given a day or two ago | to have the exterior of the Capitol
 painted anew and a fine enduring roof
 put on was yesterday made final The
 grading committee of the Commission.
 consisting of State Treasurer J. Craig
 Smith and Director Thomas M. Owen. | or the Ctdte Dcpdt thtSuS oh fiShANSc
 and History. was also instructed to
 secure plans for the landscape garden
 ing of the southside of Capitol square whereon will be erected the South
 wing. l Above all this. however, many out
 siders who havo been astonished at the
 selection of two-story plans for the
 wings were anxious to sound the atti-
 tude of the members of the Commis- | If officially known, of course, that the
 Supreme Court justices who were made
 members of the Commission by law in
 determining plans for the wings voted
 solidly for the two-story plans of Ar
 chitect Frank Lockwood, of Montgom- ery The executive officers of the State, the permanent members, had
 their desires solidly nullified in this
 way. Outsiders did not hear any of
 the members discuss this question of
 substantial improvement. They knew.
 on the other hand, that the problem. | now somewhat of a nightmare was Ibroached at the meeting yesterday for
 short period and 1t Is reliably report ed that much pent-up chagrin was ex-
 pressed at the selection of plans em- bracing the ideas oT the Supreme Court.
 This chagrin, 1t Is understood. will l endure so lOHS as tHc tWo-otoAy aSp'e IT
 for wings connecting with three
 story central building Is urged by tho Supreme Court justices who made them | nossible. Some hope was expressed that the Honorable Justices, reflectfng that they were not considerate enough in choosing these plans. will relent | bit and admit of some sort or com promise, a compromise by which at | feast the adverse clamors of beauty | hA Ideeree. Otherwise, 1t was all but pos litiyely learned yesterday. that the Com mission proper will be decidedly lindisposed to execute the plans select ed the first part of this month. The buring question is. will be the five per | manent members balk on the execu- tionq Time only will answer this as these officers decline to commit them selves.
 The decision of the Commission to nrovide the Secretary of State with an aunIe room for the safe deposit of those official volumes and records for l which that officer makes bond, was
 welcomed by Mir. McDavid. The new | room will be cemented and alcoves so arranged as to protect the documents and records against decay and gradual damage, possibly permanent loss. MT. McDavid said yesterday that this is a necessity bv him and past Secretaries of State and every effort will be made to start work on the room at an early date. The designs of a landscape gardener | will be obtained in competition for the large lot purchased by the State and l ia miliarly known as the south half of the Capitol Square Grading will cease on this ground until satisfactory nIan adapted to the proposed wing on | that aide has been decided upon. As soon as this is done the gardening will he begun in time not to interfere with inc construction of the wing.
 The painting of the Capitol will be aone bv direction of Secretary of State McDavjd and the roofing under Hon !. Kirk Jackson: ex-oficio Keeper of the Capitol.
 Ali members of the Commission were | present yesterday, including Governor | Jaiks state Auditor T. l.. Sowell. state treasurer J. Craig Smith. Secre-
 ,arv of State E. R. McDavid and At torney General Massey Wilson The Secretary, pr. Thomas NJ. Owen, was also present. The meeting began in