Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-13

he what it may do not care-as win
provide for tie future wants of this
state for a good many years do not
believe, as the gentleman from Cum
berland says, that we should put on an
Office building now, and in a few years
put Oh an addition. That would mean
keeping alive this old trouble that has
ag;tated this state for more than "a
years. Now the Governor, as under !
stand from him, and I have talked
with him within a day or two. tells me
that he believes in this commission
He does not believe in having it left TO
the Governor and Council. but he be-
Iiryes in the resolve just as il is.
hope, Mr. President, that the Senate
will vote down these amendments, and
pass the Resolve to put it in the hands
of the Governor and his commission:
and in two years, when the Legisla-
ture meets here, we shall have a IL
| blary room and we shall have accom-
| modations which shall be sufficient for
| the next 30 years.
| Mr. STAPLES of Knox. Mr. Presi-
dent, | am not ambitious in. regard to
| the rcmodelling Of the STATE House
| I am aware that sometime in the near
future it viii be necessary; but it does
seem to me that this great proposition
| of expendng $3.50, 900 is putting the
| cart before the horse. BEFORE VIC UNI
dertake To remodel the State House or
to build an office building, or any
propositiGn that will cost more than
| 500 900 we should know what we are
| doing. No one will doubt that when
tEis state House is rcmOdelled it will
require more than $3.50 900 IT seems
to me that a proposition of this kind.
| where they do not undertake to say
| what is wanted, what additions are
| wanted, what kind of an office building
| they propose to have-it seems to me.
| in Il proposition of this magnitude
| that the proper thing for this Legs-
| lature to do is to authorize the Gov
ernor and Council to employ an arch
itoct to prepare plans, and to find out
| lust what we want and then get cSti-
mates as to what that is going 10 cost.
| Nobody knows what we want row. or
| how much it is going to cost. Let us
| commence right in this matter Let
us have the Governor and Council au-
thorizcd at this session to find out just
what we want in the way of repairing
| this State House. and then come here
two years from now with the esti-
| mates as to how much it is going to
cost; and then the people will know
something about it.
| ] believe that this is a business
proposition. I do not think it is a good
| business proposition to undertake to
repair this capitol when you do not
know what you want to appropriate,
and appropriate $350.000 and then go
| around to see how much it is going to-
cost. 1t is not fair proposition. We
are not suffering very much here in
regard to this State House. When the
! legislature is in session of course il is
somewhat congested, but the Legisla-
| ture is only here about three months
| once in two years. We can get along
very comfortably until the proper per
sons are authorized to find out Just
what We want. and until we have ssti-
| mates made as to its cost; and then
| they can go to work and repair the
| State House. ard know what they
| want and what they are doing There
is moody ON the floor of this Senate
| today that can tell us. what is to be
done, CT how much it is going to
| amount to.
apprehond that the taxpayers of
the State of Maine have something to
say about this. I do not believe the
taxpayers want q commission appoint
ed; and am opposed to any commits
sion, whatever it may be. in the State
of Maine. | will let the Governor and
Council take charge of it. That is the
only way I will vote for n proposition
| of this kind. | say that The heads of
| departments here. and everybody else
who has anything to do with the
| House can get along very comfortably
| for the next two, four or six years.
much easier than the taxpayers can
| pay the tax by the unequal taxation
| We have in the State of Maine: aud |
Continued on Page Five.)