Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-24

re has only lust cited a few office
holders who would like q nice hand
some Office to occupy and a S2,OOO,OOO
| building that it is proposed TO erect If
they can only get started so they
won't get stopped by a referendum. I
mold in my hand a Certified copy OF
| the famous town meeting called In
| Portland when they tried to stop the
chairman of the finance committee
from buildin. such a building as he
would like, am 1 will read from the
proceedings of that meeting to which
| over 1900 people turned out In one OF
| the worst storms that occurred last
year--turned out to show their con-
| domination of what the chairman or
this finance committee was trying to
do. I will read the resolutions that
were passed in that town meeting. The
first resolution was by Horace h.
shaw, long remembered as one of the
largest manufacturers Of shoes in
Portland. who moved its adoption, the
motion being seconded by Liberty B.
bennett:
"Resolved, That we, the citizens OF
Portland, in town meeting assembled,
hereby advise the mayor and city
council of the city of Portland to make
Use of the present site for the city
building"
That gentlemen, was when he was
irving to put that city building on a
mark on which we had been trying for
thirty years to grow trees, and he would
have them cut down to put that building
,;,ere and erect a monument to Andrew
T. Leighton.
The second resolutions: after discus
sion the resolution was adopted by rls-
ing vote. George w. Soldiers presented
the following resolution and moved its
adoption, which motion was duly sec
onded: Resolved, that We, the citl-
zens of Portland in town meeting as
sembled hereby instruct the city council
of the city of Portland that they restore
the present building using the remain
ing walls so far as they are sound and
suitable A motion. made by Liberty
B. bennett and seconded by Frederick
w. Hinckley, to lay the resolution on
the table. pending discussion of sub
sequent question was put and declared
lost. The motion of Mr.. Seiders, to
adopt the pending resolution. was car
ried by rising vote, and the resolution
declared adopted"
Now, gentlemen. there were over 1900
people at that town meeting who voted
and they knew what they were talking
about. They came from four and five
miles to that meeting in one of the
, worst storms of the year. and they con-
demned the action of that finance COM
mittee at that time. Now all we ask is
to have the referendum attached to this
| fIa oit
hall as it looks--over one-third larger
than the old building as the outlines
show with the county court rooms and
offices taken out. with the electric APP
pliance station taken .. { and still they
want to build a buildin-s over one third
, larger. You have been haggling this
winter over $35O,O00 to enlarge this
State House; but. gentlemen. here is
one city that is within s150.OO0 of her
debt limit today and you are trying to
give her authority. or to give two or
three men authority, To 20 ahead and
build this proposed bui.tii : without a
referendum to the pcer} think with
the referendum paSS't a such an over
whelming majority l.~~ september, that
the people woult ~, IL. haNe something
to say on t'Is s1hje.
l add her" Inc opinion ~ some dozen
or fifteen of some of tn IN 'st prominent
men of Portland anG a.. most of them
condemn the propositi".., some favor it
I will read both sides
Variety of Opinions Expressed About
City Hall.
Many citizens gave Il public express
sion of their views yesterday on the
proposed City hall plans. Among them
were the following:
LYMAN II. NELSON.
The effort t. reproduce history in
the design for the City building is to
my mind a failure and | must say that
I am very much disappointed in the
result of the architects work. A little
while ago we heard a great deal about
Il civic center for Portland. about the
harmonious construction and group
in. of public buildings, thing of
course to be desired. But have those
who advocated such plan forgotten
and abandoned it altogether? DO they
forget that the city is to take the
central fire station lot as a public park
and that all of the buildings now on it
will be removed and that there will be
an open space in front of the City hall
with view Of the two new buildings
now being erected or to be erected
across this square? The buildings be-
ing erected are of an entirely different
type from that proposed for the City
uilding. They are entirely out of har-
mony with the design for the City hall
and the contrast will be so great that
it will be painful. Have you tried tax
ing away the cupola of the building
which is proposed by placing your hand
over it? Try it and you will see that
what remains is merely the average col
l1ge dormitory. scores of which can be
seen all over New England. I do not
question the, interior arrangements of
the building which is proposed but am
| grievously disappointed in the exterior
and in the type proposed. 1t seems tc
| me that we could do much better than
| this. My observation is that people gen
orally do not approve of the design
GEORGE II. SMITH
AT first didn't like it. am frank to
confess. but it looks better to me every
time 1 look at it. OF course the news