The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-08

The action of the Supreme Court Jus tices of Alabama in using their ma jority power on the Capitol Building Commission at the meeting Wednesday to provide for the building of two-story additions to tha three-story State House and thereDy mar Its architec- tural beauty, continued yesterday to be a subject of general comment and con- demnation in Montgomery.
 Not only in Montgomery was indigna- ton expressed at the proposed plan, but the photographic reproduction Of the three perspectives carried to the homes of citizens of the State by The Advertiser aroused the feelings of the people who feel more than ordinary in- terest in the historic old building.
 Hasty Action of Commission.
 New light on the nasty action Of the Building Commission was given yes terday by J. F. Leitner. an architec: of Columbia, s. C.. who represented the plans of c. c. Wilson of that city. Mir. Leitner in signed statement de- cares that he was allowed only ten minutes in which to present the de- tails of his plan to the Commission. He adds that two-story additions to the State Capitol are architectural impos- abilities.
 Statement by MT. Letner.
 The signed statement by MT. Leitner concerning the awards was as follows:
 q do not consider that the plans or architects who came from a distance were given the proper consideration or study by the judges of the Capitol addition competition, and the time al- lowed for the full explanation of the plans and description of the work be- ing only ten minutes made 1t a mat ter of impossibility for them to go into even an outline of what they intended to do. I am satisfied 1t would have taken me an hour at least, to have fully explained what I considered the good points of my plan.
 An architect coming 400 or more miles and spending from $350 to $409 would, very naturally, think that ten minutes was a very short time to go into and explain the merits resulting from more than a week of hard study. The memorandum given each architect (which contained the rules governing the competition) was not adhered to. and shaded drawings and water-color perspectives were used. These, they said. were not entered in the compe- tition; but it is a fact that they were admitted into the room and exhibited to the Commission with the other drawings, and considered by the Com mission. We are prepared to do the highest class of water color or execute drawings in any style in our office, and had made a splendid picture in water color of the building and surroundings, which I think if we had asked per mission to show, the Commission would have allowed. But our color-work be- ing barred by Paragraph 3 on the sec ond page of the rules. we decided to live strictly up to this and submit noth- Ing but what was called for and made in the specified way; but, 1t Is evident that this put us decidedly at disad- vantage.
 TwO-StOry Plan Impossible.
 II was told that my design was re- tired on account of the addition being on or about the same line with the present building. This was purposelY what will be the central and most con- spicuous part of the completed struc- ture. And. in order to make the ad- ditions harmonize with the old part and appear as one mass. the addition was connected, which to be done per- fectly, it was necessary to move the present House of Representatives so that a hall connection could be had