The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-01-12
Improvements Needed
At the CaDitOI

Some days ago The Journal called
attention to the cramped condition of
the officials in the state house at Tai
lahassee, and urged that it was the
duty of the legislature at the coming
session TO make some provision for
more room, either by enlarging the
present building or erecting a new
building, near the present one, for the
supreme court and the railroad COM
mission.
1t is true that we are two hundred
miles from the seat of government,
but We believed we understood the
conditions existing in the state house
and were no little surprised when the
Tallahassee True Democrat assert
ed that there was absolutely no need
of any additional room for the COVER
nor, his cabinet, the supreme court,
the railroad commission, or any other
branch of the government
The True Democrat is evidently
afraid of the capitol removal bugaboo,
or has some other reason why it
wishes to keep the crowded and
cramped condition of the offices in
the CAPITOL a secret.
The Journals contention that the
state house needs enlarging, or the
officials provided with more Office
room, is substantiated by an article
in a recent issue of the Tallahassee
Sun, which says:
Mr.. Collins knows perfectly well
that almost every department in the
state house is suffering sadly for
more Office room, which is merely an
other way of saying that the business
of the people of Florida could be bet
ter and more easily transacted if the
state officials had better accommoda-
tons
Right now the Railroad Commits
siOners and the Adjutant General are
hunting for suitable quarters in some
Tallahassee house. The Offices now
used by them are legislative commit
tee rooms. The legislature will soon
be here and will need these rooms.
The Railroad Commissioners and Ad-
jutant General should have adequate
and permanent Offices. There is no
place in the present capitol for them.
The comptroller has his clerks
scattered over three floors of the pres
ent building. Three of the rooms now
used by his force are also legislative
committee rooms. He should have
sufficient Office rooms compactly ar
ranged and connected. He could then
give better supervision to the work
of his department, and the people, of
course, would get better service.
The Secretary of State is by law
made State Librarian The State owns
thousands of books. many of them
very valuable, but there is no suitable
place in the capitol to put them. They
are stored here and there and every
where, in unprotected halls, in the
damp basement. and in unlighted stor-
age rooms. The State library is in
accessible and practically valueless,
because of lack of room in the capi-
toll
The cramped quarters of the State
Treasurer are VIGOROUSLY inadequate
for the prompt and convenient trans
action of the heavy work of that i'm
portant Office. This fact is so we'll
known that it requires no further
comment Yet there is no other avail
able space in the capitol which could
be assigned to relieve the Treasurer.
so is it in other departments. 1t is
indeed surprising TO find that there is
single person who has walked
through the building in recent years
willing to advance the opinion that
/ the office room in the present capitol
is sufficient for the proper transaction
of the states business. 1t is not at
all probable that Mr.. Collins believes
as he writes He is surcharged with
the 'dogin-the-manger" feeling. and is
| unwisely allowing this feeling TO lead
him into misstatements so patent as
TO make him absurd"