The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-12
THE CAPITOL COMMISSION.

The bill providing means for the
const ruction of State capitol having
passed both houses of the Legislature,
with the certainty that he will sign it,,
the next step is The practical operation
of getting on with tho work.
The chief thing now. after the bond
issue, is TO get proper plans for the
building, and to that end building
commission is provided for that will in
vite plans and pass upon those that
are submitted. 1t is of the highest I'M
portance that politics he disrcgardcd in
the actual procedure throughout. The
Governor is TO he the head Of the com
mission, and the bill contcmplatcs that
politics shall not control.
First of all and we do not doubt but
that the Governor will agree with this.
the best disInteresLed architectural
ability in the State should be EN-
ployed, The selecting Of persons to
form this building commission requires
the exercise of great deal Of discrc-
tion. 1t will not, Of course, be ex
pected by the Governor that persons
qualified TO he members OF this board
will bcsicgo him with applications and
petitions for their appointment Any
one who would do this would by that
very act show that he was not fl TO be
on the board The Governor will have
to make dilipcnJ search for the best
material, and weigh well the names
that are available for this work, The
persons selected should be not only
good, practical men, but they should
have an eye to beauty, to architectural
fitness. and to adornment, as well as to
mere utility, A State capitol is IN Il
way business structure, to be sure,
but it is also very much more, 1t
tistic ideals. and beaut" as we'll as
utility.
This capitol building should, first Of
all. present striking and ideal form
of beautiful architecture. We say first
of all, because first of all the eye Will
rest upon it, and there is no reason
why it should not he so constructed.
Perhaps others might consider the COM
mcrcial or useful portion of the build
ing deserves first place. With this
we would not quarrel, always provided
that the sense of architectural beauty
be given place 1t is just as easy to
make a beautiful building providing
all the facilities for usefulness and for
business convenience, as it is to sur
round those utilities with mere com.
mercial or barrack-likc structure.
The best that the State has should
go into this building in the way of
beautiful ideals, Of symmetry, of art;
and skill from the outside should be
no means be rejected, where it is found
available, useful, and stimulating.
Governor Spry can do the State a
very great service by naming on this
building commission men who will do
the State credit in the performance of
this work 1t is a work that will take
great deal of the time of the mem.
bers of the board if those members deal
faithfully with the trust confded to
them. And so, we hope that Governor
Spry will prove himself big enough
man for the situation, and see that
through the selections he Will make for
this commission the State shall get a
capitol building that will be salts,
faction and pride to its people for gen
erations TO come. The best is what is
needed, from commission TO structure;
and without the best possible selections
for the commission, the structure is
sure 10 be inferior. and may be a hu
initiation. The site on which the cap
itol is to be erected is so glorious that
it should be an inspiration for archi-
tectural beauty TO all concerned