The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-30
Will HURRY 1T.
No More Delay With State Memo
rial Building.
Contract for Excavation Award
ed to Douglas & Evans.
REST IN JANUARY.
Superstructure Will Then Be
Let, Says Governor
Explains That Delay Was CauS-
ed by Title to Land.

The contract for the excavations and
foundations for the Memorial building
has been let by the commission u
Douglas & Evans of Topeka for $l1,-
OBJ S5, and it is expected that the sue
cessfuI bidders will begin the work be-
fore the en- of the year.
The plans call for a solid concrete
foundation. The commission discussed
a superintendent for the work in order
to insure that the contractors should
use the material called for in the
specifications Fred Lewis of Marion Is
a candidate for the place.
The selection of a superintendent was
left to a committee composed of Gov
ernor Stubbs, Architect Chandler and
George Martin.
While the street car company ar ;
moving their material off the ground,
the old stone school house still remaln-
untouched in the center of the site. II
will have to be torn down and moved
before the work of excavation can be-
gin. The board of education had prom
ised to have the building removed some
time ago.
Award Rest in January.
More important even than the letting
of the contract for the foundation and
excavations was the action of the COM
mission in instructing the architect to
draw up plans for the superstructure
SO that the contract for the entire
building except the interior decorations
can be let next January. This Will en-
able the successful bidder to COM
mence work on the building proper
early next spring.
The architect was instructed to Sc
cure samples of stone and marble from
the QuarrieS of Georgia. Colorado and
Vermont and the price per ton at which
this material can be placed on the
ground AS soon as the architect has
prepared his estimates the commission
will meet early in January and let the
contract for the building.
Cause of Delay.
Governor Stubbs said today. speaking
of the Memorial building: The delay
of all the past summer was not caused
by any lack of energy on the part OF
the commission. but rather by the law
yers for the Santa Fe, for the street
car company, for the city and. for the
state in trying to clear up the title for
the site for the building. They are
hardly through now with their work.
The contract for the foundation was let
at the earliest possible moment, and tho
action of the commission at its last
meeting in deciding to let the contract
for the building next January instead
of waiting until spring is calculated to
hasten the work. The successful bid
der can begin his construction of the
building at the first peep of sunshine
next spring. I am in hopes that it will
be finished in 1910, and depend upon it
the commission will push operations as
fast as practicable"
The tax commission have just finish
ed the adjustment of the inheritance
tax against the estate Of H. A. Wade OF
Labette county, and it was "a pretty big
job. The estate was assessed at $55, OF
and the Inheritance tax totaled ST.
751. SO. The reason the tax was so large
was because the bulk of the estate was
left to nieces, nephews, grandnieces
and grandnephews of the deceased
There were % of these relatives men,
toned in the will. Now the inheritance
tax is based on a sliding scale, being
per cent of an estate for direct heirs
8 per cent for nephews and nieces and
| 5 per cent for grandnephews and grand
| nieces. In the case of the Wade estate
| the assessments against the property
were all based upon the 3 and pei
cent.