The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-01-24


as is best to put the old building in good
shape and after that a committee is to
confer and report back any suggestions
or plans for further Improvement. This
committee is the governor. secretary of
state and treasurer. These gentlemen
will undertake to ADVISE the commission
as to what may be done in the way Of
additions and new buildings with the So
600 that will be left of the appropriation
after the $4,000 is spent in addition to
what has already been used The COM
mission has spent $4,000 for the south
end of the square and have under way
improvements including painting new
roof, drainage, new steps and filing and
work on the basement that will cost
$1,000 more.
The meeting today was held in the Of
fee of the governor with the entire MEM
bership of the commission present. 1t
was ordered that all work In the nature
of painting, putting in tiles and such, be
pushed to completion.
]. Craig Smith was appointed to ar
range to have the new lot set out on
street sides with trees and shrubbery.
Supreme Court Position.
Auditor Carmichael and Attorney Cen
eral Wilson, appointed to confer with
the supreme court with a view of get
ting some new lines of thought and effort
worked out than what had been settled
upon, reported that they had held sew
eral conferences with members of the
court, but had been told that the court
had done all 1t had any right to do when
it sat with a commission and selected
plans for a building for the court. 1t
was not now to be called in save to dis
euss matters of plans for the building
of rooms the members are to occupy. In
other words the supreme court takes the
position that there is no retracting what
has been done so far as it is concerned
The report was received and the COM
mittee discharged.
At this juncture Mr.. Smith offered his
motion to ask the legislature to appro-
priate million and half dollars at the
next session to build a new capitol.
Up In the Air.
1t leaves the matter of capitol improve
ment up a tree so far as any new build
ings or additions to the old one are con-
cerned. At a meeting several months ago
the supreme court voting a majority it
was decided to erect an addition to the
present structure and plans were adopted.
They contemplate a two-story structure
while the old one is three. There was
much objection to this plan and IT was
well known that the members of the
building commission proper did not APP
prove it. The law had made II so the
supreme court could become voting part
of the commission in selecting its quar-
ters and in this way 1t became possible
for the court to force the commission to
adopt plans it did not approve. Since
that time there has been no move to go
ahead save in some minor repairs to the
old building.
With the $4,000 appropriation to interior
Improvement of the old structure today
1t will be possible to put it in splendid
shape, though there will still be woeful
lack of room. When that is spent 1t will
be up to the subcommittee to suggest a
plan to go further either in the way OF
additions or new buildings.
The three members of the commission
who voted against the resolution of Treas
urer Smith for a new building to cost so
much money are not opposed to new
building per Sc, but they take the position
that their duty is to spend the money APP
propriated and not make suggestions to
the legislature. This has been the posi-
ton taken by them all along. However,
there are many who believe that the COM
mission has perfect right to make such
suggestions as it seems best and to do
nothing or much as It cares to in the line
of improving the building. These hold
that the $4,000 given so far is entirely
inadequate and that the state ought to
erect building fully equipped to its de-
mands no matter what the cost.