The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-25
HOUSE WILL DRAFT
new CAPITOL BILL
Plan Now IS to Continue. Conn
mission in Charge of the
Building

The house committee on public build
ings, after hearing members of the cap
itol commission and the architect of
the building for three hours yesterday
afternoon, unanimously decided to ap-
point a subcommittee of five to draft
a new measure to take the place of the.
Horton and the Mork bills, pending in
the house, providing for the control
and operation Of the new capitol
The subcommittee will be named by,
Capt r. T. Lewis. of Duluth, chairman
of the committee. The committee will
probably be announced today, and it is
expected that the committee will draft
a bill giving control of the capitol to
the capitol commission for the year and
a half which it claims will take it to
complete the structure.
The future control of the building is
purely matter Of conjecture and
second bill may be introduced by the
subcommittee covering the feature of,
the maintenance and operation of the
capitol The subcommittee bill will
meet with determined opposition in the
house.
The Cost Is Estimated
Members of the committee were
somewhat impressed by figures given
them by the commission yesterday rel
atiye to the cost of the operation and
maintenance of the new building. The
Horton bill provides an annual appro-
priation of $4,000, and the Mork bill
$45,00O. Figures submitted to the COM
mittee yesterday showed the estimate
OF the commission to be $76,730, but
this included a contingent fund of $780,
600 to provide against breaks in the
machinery necessary to the operation
of the building. The operation of the
mechanical plant was figured at $29.370.
Of this sum $14.250 was estimated for
coal, engineers and assistant engineers,
oil, water and other essentials. Water
alone Is estimated to cost $1,8O0. A SUI
perlntendent for the main building is
estimated at $4,000, and two office men
will cost $2,100. A custodian and a.
mead Janltor will each draw 81 200, and
other employees include cleaners, two
watchmen, electricians, four guides who
shall act as messengers, two switch
board operators and other employees
The sum of $4,000 will be necessary, the
commissioners said. for telephone serv-
Ice. The estimate, less the contingent
fund would give $4,000 for the actual
operating expenses of the capitol for
the first year.
Hear Mr.. seabury
The committee listened to urgent ap-
peals by Capitol Commissioners Sea-
bury and Corliss in behalf of the Hor-
ton bill, which makes an annual ap--
preparation of $4,000 for the mainte-
nance and operation of the new capi-
tol building and creates a $4,000 a year
job for such member of the capitol
commission as that body may select
to supervise and superintend the care
and completion of the building
!! Charming Seabury occupied more
than an hour of the committees time
in an argument for the passage of the
bill. He cited estimates of the cost of
maintenance of the new structure to
justify the proposed allowance of $75,-
600 year for it's operation and then
defended the section creating a resi-
dent supervisor or superintendent of
the building at an annual salary of
SO 200.
"The section creating the office Of
| resident supervisor" said Mr.. Seabury
becomes somewhat of personal mat
ter, inasmuch as attention has been
directed to myself as a possible in
cumbent of the Office should the bill
pass. So far as the compensation of
the position is concerned, have only
this to say: AS member of the cap
| itol commission / am entitled to draw
So day, or $1,000 a year, and I do
not think there is man here who
| would question that 1t would be worth
another $1,500 a year to look after the
maintenance and operation of this
| $4,500,000 building until it's completion.
don't say that the resident super
| visor would have to spend his entire
| time here. How much of 1t he would
be obliged to devote would depend
largely on his ability as an organizer"
Corliss Favors Bills
Capitol Commissioner CorIiss follow
! ed with plea for the passage Of the
bill, especially indorsing the employing
of the resident commissioner, Mr.. Sea-
| bury, as the superintendent of the build.
| ing.
Does the commission feel that this
| capitol will suffice to accommodate all
state departments for twenty-five
! years ?" asked Representative L. H.
Johnson, of Minneapolis.
Il do" replied Mr.. Seebury, .sbut the
historical society must eventually
move out, which would vacate one-half
| of the lower story
Wouldn't it be well to continue the
old capitol building under the control
| of the commission ?" inquired Chairman
| Lewis, rather than have the state re-
linquish it altogether, in view of the
action of the Bazille heirs who now
| claim a ..eversion?"
In my opinion the old building
should be kept running this winter. in
any event, responded Mr.. Seabury.
| The supreme court can move in here in
April and the historical society too. 1t
should move out Of the old capitol,
which is not fre-proof building.'
! After hearing Messrs Seabury and
/ Corliss and likewise Cass Gilbert, who
/ explained what had been done to sat-
| isfy all heads of departments with their
| quarters. the committee went into Sc
cret session for half an hour.