The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-18
GETTING READY
FOR ASSEMBLY
Secretary Of State Arranging
Details Of Requirements
for Session.
NEW CAPITOL POSSIBLE
UNDER RECENT ELECTION
Big Sum Available Under In
crease in Limit Of Bonded
Debt.

assembly Of Utah. the secretary of state,
whose duty it is TO arrange for the
comfort of the lawmakers, is shaping
into form the details Of the require,
ments for the session.
First Of all, of course, there must be
provided place for the members TO
meet, The quarters that have served
= as legislative halls in recent years will
again bc used. The house will meet in
the northeast room Of the city and
county building s. fourth floor. and the
bcr, on the third floor
Both of these rooms, being on the
S'ty, side of the building. are controlled
BY the municipality. and the state pays
a rental for their use The rental is
$i2uo for the regular term of sixty days,
with provision for $50 for each addi.
tlonal day. The two sessions of 1907
and 1909 ran well over the period spe-
clfted by the constitution. and there is
no GOOD reason 10 assume that the ninth
assembly viii not do likewise.
N The senate chamber, the council
men S desks will serve for seats for
senators. and the furniture for the house
VIII soon be resurrccted from its place
OF storage. No new furniture will be
supplied for the coming session. save,
perhaps. few chairs and tables
Capitol Building Possibility.
New furniture might be appropriate.
but it is deemed not wise to buy it at
this time. There is every likelihood
that the legislature Will soon be meet
ing III a new state capitol. when. nat
Ilrally. everything connected with the
house and senate chambers will be spick
and span and wholly new
1t is estimated that the legislature
of 1918, nj least, should meet in the new
cap'toj. The amendment 10 the coustl
tuton adopted at the recent election.
provides that the state may exceed the
limit of bonded Indebtedness now i'm
posed by the constitution. The present
constitutional limitation is 100000
moro tnan the territorial Indebtedness.
which was 100000. The 100000 ad.
ditional bonded indebtedness. however.
has never been assumed by the state
The amendment recently adopted bS
the Dconle provides that the state may
bond for one and onc.half per cent of
the total valuation of the assessed
property within the state. which, on
basis of n valuation of $2000 000-|
the valuation that undoubtedly will OBJ
tain next year-would give the state
sS.000,00O. The provision is TINT the
money acquired by Inc issue Of bonds
NAV be used for the payment Of de-
ficits ard the like, and for the erection
Of public buildings. Subtractlng from
MS $3.00n.Gn0 the 5000 900 indebted
ness Inherited fror, territorial DAYS. the
state would have S2,l00,000 for the new
canito!.
1T is Ill no wise probable, however.
that this amount would be put ou5 in
bonds Immediately. for fhc reason chat
only norton of il would be necessary
70 begin and continue work 1t is be.
lieved that half q million dollars raised
by tine sale of bonds authorized bv the
coming legislature would he ample for n
start md for progress covering a period
Of two wears, or until the next legsn-
tuTe meets.
Other Moneys Available.
In addition 10 this $500.0O0 there
wood he available S25Oo00 in the re-
domption fmnd. This redemption fund
WIS created for the purpose of taking
uo state bonds maturing in 1912. Under
the provisions OF, a leeislativg act the
eight years for this fund, The legis-
lature Of 1909, however. passed bill
providing for rcfunding of the bonds.
If the bonds are taken up, with other
bonds issued for the purpose, therefore
there would be available S250,000 when
the date Of maturity rolls round. This,
added 70 the 100000 Of new bonds.
S150O00 towards the erection Of CAPT
tol comportjng to the dignity of this
grand commonwealth,
Having decided 10 proceed with the
work of erecting the capitol, il would
require at least six months to deter.
mine upon plans. which. no doubt, would
be invited under the competitive meth
od- prizes TO he given for second, third
and possibly fourth designs in order of
nert-Dlans TINT failed of acceptance.
Tho prize for the architect preparing
the accepted design would be desig-
mated as supervisor OF the work, which
would be his reward
Other preliminary details would re-
uuirc little time. but there is reason
TO assume that actual excavation work
could start in the fall of 1911. In the
following spring and summer the foun-
dntious could be laid and. then, with ad-
ditional provision made by tho leeisla-
fuYe Of 1913, the work Of putting up
the walls would be in order, With the
beginning Of that part of the work,
Of course, the heavy expense would be.
gin. Then two years more should see
the completion of the capitol. so far,
at any rate. as to enable the legisla-
ture of 1915 to meet in the new struc~
ture.
Doubtless The building would be so
far advanced long prior to that time
as 10 accommodate many, II not all
OF the state Offices. When that time
comes. the enormous sums which the
state is now compelled to pay in rentals
would be no longer n drain on the
treasury.
Site Is Ideal
The state of Utah is peculiarly for
funote i'll this matter Of state cap
itol. 1t possesses, without incumbrance,
one of tho most ideal sites for cap.
;tol that is TO be found. AT the head
Of State street, Capitol hill affords a
location for IL state house unsurpassed
in point Of accessibility, commanding
Of view. drainage. pure air and, in
deed. all the hundred and ono acces-
sories that 20 To make for model
capitol site. When the city transferred
TO the state titlo to this valuable tract
of ground, there WAS only one provis-
ion and that was that the state must
erect lt0 capitol thereon. No time