Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1907-01-17
NEW STATE HOUSE.
How the Building Committee
is Getting on.

build new state house for Idaht
have prepared report of the worh
done and according to the Boise
Statesman conditions are as fol
lows:
The last legislature provided fol-
the creation of capitol building
commission to be composed of the
governor, secretary of state, state
treasurer and two citizens to be
appointed by the governor. Judge
James II. Beatty and w. E. Pierce
were appointed by Gov. Gooding
as citizen members of this commits.
sion. As soon as possible after the
organization of this commission il
began the preliminary work of the
new building.
The act providing for the crea.
ton of the commission also pro-
vided that no money should be
used except that derived from the
sale or lease Of the lands appropri-
ated by congress for that purpose,
which at that time amounted to
S350,000, of which sum $66. DOB.
.35 was then in the state treasury.
No funds from the state were APP
propriated except that, in order to
provide funds for immediate use,
the state loaned it's credit to the
extent of 100000 on it's bonds,
payable in 20 years at 4 per cent
interest, payable from the proceeds
of the said lands. At the time the
act was passed creating this com
mission it was supposed that the
proceeds of the sale of these lands
would produce fund of about
100000 and also it was supposed
that the state owned a stone quarry
near the penitentiary from which
the stone necessary for the con-
struction of the building might be
quarried mostly by convict labor.
Soon after the commission began
it's labors it discovered that the
funds on hands exceeded the
amount reported as having been
received from the sale OF lands.
Later it was found that in 1902
he timber had been sold from
l2,072, 80 acres in Kootenai county
Tor $50, l05.46 which sum had been
placed to the credit of the public
building fund. This amount was
afterwards found to have included
about 800 acres more than it should
have done. 1t also found that the
timber from something over 5000
acres of land had been burned and
also that a portion Of the lands
had not been wisely selected. The
commission also found that the
stone in the state quarry near the
peniteniiary was valneless for the
purpose desired. These sinkages in
the supposed assets of the building
fund, coupled with the advanced
prices for labor and material places
the financial outlook of the COM
mission in less favorable light
tnan was at first supposed.
The commission reports that it
first issued notice to architects in
March, 1906, to submit plans for
capitol building and on June 80 it
adopted those of J. e. Tourtellotte
& Co. of Boise, for which the CON-
mission agreed to pay $4,000.
After careful consideration of a
variety of sites the commission
finally decided to buy the old Gen.
trail school block which adjoins the
present capitol grounds. These
grounds We're offered to the state for
S25, 900, which was about half of
their value. Another advantage
gained by this location was that it
gave the state the use of the old
school building in addition to the
present state capital building and
thus saves the state annually a
large expense for rent paid for adj
ditlonal quarters. In the mean.
time the new building may be
erected on the plat between the
two buildings, and according to
the plans for the new building
which have been adopted, the GEN.
trail portion of the building, when
completed, may be utilized for state
offices while the other old buildings
are being torn down and wings of
the new building erected in their
present sites.
The commission also purchased
property on State street which it
used for the establishment of its
power, heat and lighting plant.
This property is about 900 feet from
the other buildings thus eliminates
the danger of fire. The cost of this
property was $500.
The new building will be as near
ire proof as cement, stone and steel
could make it. 1t is to be 323 #.
long by III #. wide at the widest
place. There will be three Office
floors with basement and a dome
in the center that will be $50 #.
high from the ground level. The
central portion which is now under
pRtrnntinn uuill ha