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


That thing may be done At sometime
in the future, but to do it now would
provide more room than we need and
would take more money than we can ar
ford: and I do not think that We should
contemplate that.
The other proposition is. to build an
| independent. frc-proof building. but In
| connection with this building. so that
it may be reached by a subway and be
| heated by the same boiler plant and be
| substantially part of this building.
The important things to be done in
connection with our State House-the
| demand fer enlargement. as | see 1t, is
| for two purposes: One is. to better
| house the library and valuable docu-
| ments The library / am told is Il very
| valuable one and worthy Of as good pro-
| lection as can possibly be provided.
| The documents. which are now in a
somewhat dangerous position, We all
| understand are priceless. These should
| be put in as safe Il fir2-proof building
| as possible. An independent building,
at some distance from the present
| one, but not so far so that
| but it could be easily reached would
| put thes" in q safer place than would
| bc possible if they We're put in wing
! such as I have suggested. 1t would
, not be possible to make that as fire
| proof as it would an independent
| building; it would always be menaced
| more or less by the present Capitol
| This present building. although good,
| is highly nllammable. If it once caught
| fire, | fear there would be little saving
| of Ii. There Is as many Of us may
| see by looking around. 4 good deal Of
| l;indling wood in the basement and in
! the attic; and this presumably will al
| ways be true. | admit that the other
| wing could be made in a much more
| fireproof manner than is this building,
| hut it would always lie mcnaccd by
| the present building.
Now the, other thing to do, in my
estimation. is to build ut the south end
Of this capitol an annex for the library
ana inr those documents. 1t should be
of the same length as the width of
this building and possibly somewhat
| more. but | think not. 1t could be of
| any width that might be desired to
give adequate room. 1t could be, and
| naturally would be. owing to the con-
| formation Of the ground. at least one
y
| It would not be carried to nearly such
! a height, as there would be desired
for the library building only two stories
and basement. for the documents and
the library room proper. Its height
would not be So great as to at all
obscure the beauty. or dignity, or char
actor of the present building. 1t should
be 81 feet mere or less distant frcm
4
WouiG not IN any way impair the APP
rearancc of the present building and
| ii would provide that which we need
| Th" resolve, as l propose to amG nj
| it. will provide for some alteration of
| the present building. but Only so much
| as would be necessary for an entrance
| to the subway and such changes as
| would result from the removal Of the
| library from its present quarters in
this building: and it should be built
| over 50 as TO adapt these rooms for
the purposes of our committees
| AS | have stated. the great need that
| we have, is for the better housing OF
! our library and documents Another
! thing IS apparent, and that is. more
| and better committee rooms-I will NOT
| say Letter, but more committee rooms
! and The room which would be vacated
| Wy the library, in case this is done,
| would add several think five com
| nlnt"e rooms to our present accom-
| modatlonS. 1t might. at sometime in
| tie future. be matched up by a cor
responding wing toward the north for
"thor purposes. either for the depart
n''''s or for further committee rooms.
Now, if this building is annexed to
| IN" rear this wing is to be built, the
! sum Of S"31,Uoo is not, in my estimation.
/ anEWnt re near adequate to the com
! Iirt" carrying of it out 1t it were UNI
| deftdken ON this appropriation of
! A''o",o'' one of two things would hap
| pen; either the building would wait in
| an IncOnIplct" state for another Sos
| SION OF our Legislature and a further
| appropriation, or else it would be car
| NED to z height one story below what
! y ultimately ought to be and wuuld
De stopped there by lcmporar,
l""f-WnIch might be done. But the
Stat" of Main" would not long cpnscnt
I" building being left in this state
even if available for us. and we Womb
be involved in the completion of tn.
| building. together with the added cost
|
| tfAt would result; and it would natll.
rally cost much more to lie built q,
Two times than it would at one
! II the annex which / suggest is
butt, those who have charge of tn,
! tuilding of it would cut their coat ac.
cofdins to the cloth. They could yer,
definitely determine upon the cost o.
TINS building and would not involve
the state in any expenditure more thar
what the resolve calls for 1t would
! PC perfectly safe proposition If this
Is to be done, | do not think that thl
| situation calls for a commission. II
| Tie whole question is to be left omen
| readily admit that perhaps a com.
mission is doubtful because a gree
deal would be left to their discretion
MY suggestion is that we, as a BODY
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