The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-12-29
The River Press,
Published every Wednesday Morning
bv the River Press Publish
ing Company.
n CAPITOL WINGS.

When the members of the legisla-
ture of Montana meet in extr aordi.
nary session next week to consider the
question of materials to be used in
building the proposed wings of the
capitol, they will deal chiefly with two
propositions which are covered in the
fourteenth eection of the act by the
terms Of which the work is to be done.
In the fret place, this section pro.
vtdes that the state board ''shall pro.
cure all material used in the construc.
ton OF said building from the products
of the state of Montana, provided the
came is produced In the state of Mon
tana and q be procured as chesply
therein as material of like kind and
quality can be procured elsewhere"
So much has been printed about the
difference in the size of the bids, as
between Columbus stone and Indiana
stone, that other reference to that part
of the contention need not be made.
The effort has been to show that the
Indiana stone is of inferior quality.
We assume that the extra session
will 90 In for Columbus stone, so that
time would be wasted we're it spent for
talk about this phase of the conten.
ton. Enough to cay that q good
deal OF the talk about the Indiana stone
unquestionably is rot pure aud simple.
However, o feature of the ques.
ton of quality ought to get the legis.
lature's attention. There is stone and
stone-in different qusrries or in the
same quarry. The walls of the main
capitol are In Columbus stone. Some
of this is miserably bad stuff. 1t is
so inferior that, while they are about it,
the mem bers of the legislature might
properly take into consideration the
proposition to 9 q it out and replace
it with proper material, although the
building is only q few years old.
In any event and in the presence of
the punk in the present walls, we pre-.
sumo that this time the call will be for
Columbus stone that Is fit. For that |
matter, it is told that stone of good
quality in the Columbus quarry is now
available; that the owners of it will be
disposed to furnish the best they have
we do not doubt.
The balance of the section referred
to in the act authorizing the erection
of the wings of the capitol must be
taken to pieces by the members in the
extra session. Manifestly, the aim
was, last winter, to tie the state board
tight to the proposition that, in no
evlnt, must the cost of the addition
exceed the amount then appropriated.
That was a half million dollars. In
imposing an injunction respecting this
item, the act is very specific.
The state board insists that with the
five hundred thousand dollars, if the
extra cost of Columbus stone be in-
volved. the wings cannot be completed, /
the mem bers insisting that the plans
already accepted involve not more
space or cost of fittings than is abso-
lutely required in order to make the
wings what they must be to meet rea.
sonable requirements. If when they
look into the subject the members of
the legisl AZURE tiud themselves disposed
to assent to this view, then, of course,
the leg isl alton of last winter in its
essential details must be wiped out
and the whole project put upon a new
basis.-Anaconda STANDARD