The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-08-30
CITIZEN Of UTAH
On THE CAPITOL
Ground Is Taken That the
Present Site Is Not
Good One.
THINKS EAST BENCH
is BETTER LOCATION
Points Out That the City Is
Growing Rapidly in That
Direction.

| To the Editor OF the Salt Lake lrlDuHeT
There seems to be no little comment as
| to whether the present grounds which
have long been set apart for the capitol
| building are OF the proper location. That
| Il is a serious question and one Of mo-
| ment needing immediate consideration.
must be admitted. The grounds on which
such a building Is placed becomes a part
Of that building, inasmuch as the land
scape gardening becomes its setting, and
Is TO be reckoned with as seriously as the
setting OF the scenery for a play. A
capitol building is OF the people and for
the people OF the state, and has not to
do with the individual Of the city. 1t Is
not thing OF today and gone tomor-
row, but monument that should stand
TO their credit or better left undone: and
the suggestion Of the east bench as g.
new site and better one is we'll worth
the consideration OF each and every per-
son, for. indeed, there are many argu-
ments In It's favor. and many against the
present location.
Does the axis OF the present grounds
hold any relation TO the axis OF State
street? The drawing herewith will show
that they do not: then could r. building
hold n proper relation both to the ground
and the street? Probably the length OF
such building could not be less than
400 feet, and II will readily be seen that
State street 1t would not hold the prop
er relation to it's site and would also
necessitate 1t being placed so far back
on the grounds that the entire point OF
the hill would have TO be graded away
In order that the building might even be
seen from lower State street.
Pertinent Question Asked.
Why use site which compels every
competitor in the forthcoming competi-
tion Of the new building to adopt some
be seen above the rising knoll OF fore
ground? Why not give the designer the
freedom Of his emotions and feelings, and
have in return the best that Is in him,
for surely those emotions and feelings
are the source OF his Inspiration and II
he Is compelled 10 work under restric
secure that thing OF beauty and credit OF
which so much has been said?
Following the precedent OF all other
capitol buildings. that OF being classic in
design, and the one governing rule in
each OF the five orders OF classic achl-
lecture is symmetry and proportion then
just as necessary is II that both Its
symmetry with relation TO the building
Where are the possibilities OF these con-
dtions OF harmony at the head OF State
tol building only 400 feet long is OF the
smaller type, and a design having the
possibilities Of future extension would
find no favor on this piece of ground.
recently completed, is confronted with
the fact that through the progress OF
her state she Will either be compelled 10
add to her present building or erect a
new one. Such buildings as these cover
a period OF severnl years in their erec-
tion to entire completion, and II Is 10 be
hoped that Utah's advancement will not
be behind that OF Minnesota.
City Growing East
Some have argued that a location such
as has been offered on the east bench Is
too far from the heart of our city. Which
way is our city growing? Certainly not
canyon; no. the city itself is giving evil
dence OF the direction OF It's growth, and
it is only repeating that Of every other
city. Take Denver as an example, When
Colorado's capitol was built, II seemed
TO everybody then that 1t was placed
far out on the hill. but today 1t seems
but a little way to Its grounds, for the
city has grown miles beyond 1t In every
direction.
Even considering the time and expense
entailed in the calling of a special ses-
sion Of the legislature. would It not be
better TO suffer the criticisms OF the fcw
today than the curses OF tomorrow by
committing an irretrievahle error? 1t
would seem that capitol building should
TO the advantages OF its being seen from
all points OF distance. but the view from
the capitol Itself and its immediate sur
roundings should also be OF the best from
all sides. What Is TO be the future view
OF North Salt Lake from the present
site? The indications arc more o, S. l.
train yards and work shops. with a pos
slbIlity of stock yards and packing houses
with the view TO the north OF barren
hills and sand pits. II is quite probable
that at the time when the present capi-
tol grounds were accepted and set apart
they would have met every requirement
had a building then been erected, but
with the passing OF the years has come
the reformation of the city. Does or
fa y
enough TO affect our caDitoI site?
a CITIZEN OF UTAH