The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-09-26
OUR CROWDED CAPITOL
Conditions at the Statehouse Such as
to Delay Session Business.


Montpelier, Sept. 23.-From the lof
ty crown OF Ceres head to the gran
lite slabs that support the Anticipated
fence, everything about the State
House and grounds has been scrubbed
polished or painted in readiness for
the session of the Legislature next
week. Even the outer walls of granite
have been washed free from their &C
Communication of SCOT and dust; Ethan
Aliens statute is a dazzling white
and his sword has received a new
coat of paint.
The interior has been painted, dec
Grated, carpeted and to some extent
newly furnished, and all the prepare
tons in the despatch OF business have
| been made that the limited quarters
will permit.
Facing the front entrance, just
back of the corner of the corridor, is
the heroic bust of Lincoln, made and
presented to the State by Larkin G.
Mead, the Vermont sculptor. The
ceremony of presentation will take
place some time early in the session.
Another presentation will be that of
memorial of the private soldiers, au-
thorized by the Legislature of 1910,
which bears a medallion portrait of
Governor John A. Mead. That Legis-
lature also selected a commission to
procure some suitable memorial of
Daniel p Thompson, the Vermont
historian and novelist but so far as
known that body has taken no steps
toward securing such memorial.
The old cloak room, the general
committee room, has been reduced in
size by partitioning of a room in the
rear for the use of the commissioner
OF weights and measures. 1t is now
further curtailed by the installation
of a cloak room at the other end. In
stead of the old haphazard way, in
which each member was responsible
for his own belongings. coats, hats,
etc, will be turned over to the page
in charge of the cloak room and he
will be responsible for them. The
room opens directly off the corridor,
so that members can be served rap
idly, and is guarded by a half door,
so that only those in charge will have
admission to the room. IL will also
be a great convenience TO visitors,
who have hitherto had TO depend on
the hospitality OF some office in the
building.
The executive chamber, which has
not been refurnished for 80 years, is
TO have new chairs and a new table
for the use of the governor
The steel fling cases in the vault
of the secretary of states Office have
been removed TO the basement, to
make room for desks, as he is to have
eight clerks at the State House this
fall. The accumulation of material
is rapidly crowding the basement
room and the dome is already crowd
ed with documents and ancient files.
The dome has been completely closed
to visitors and entrance TO 1t, except
by employees of the State House has
been absolutely forbidden for years
One room at the base has now been
opened for the use of the newspaper
workers. They have been utterly
without accommodations, except
those furnished at the press table of
the House, and if they desired to in
stall a typewriter or to do five min
utes' writing they have had to i'm
pose on the kindness of some other
busy man about the building. The
room which has been assigned for
their use has been carpeted, electric
lights and gas connections installed,
tables and chairs furnished and tele-
phone connection made, so that news
paper reports of legislative proceed
ings may be furnished more easily
and more promptly. The fact that |
Frank T. Parsons, the new sergeant |
alarms. is a newspaper man himself |
makes him realize that II is important |
and desirable that the newspaper |
men have some attention as well as |
State officers and members of the |
General Assembly.
At each biennial session IL becomes |
increasingly apparent that more room |
is seriously needed for the proper
conduct of State business, though |
each Legislature hesitates to take the
responsibility of mourning the ex-
pense. BY making a new cloak room |
there has been provided one room
that may be used exclusively as
committee room. though previously |
there had been none. or the rooms |
on the lower floor of the State House |
all are occupied, with this one excep-
ton. as follows State auditor. pub
lie service commission, bird room and /
geological room, commissioner OF
weights and measures, cloak room,
library commission. attorney general,
superintendent of education. secre-
tary of state, state treasurer, ser
geant-at-arms. commissioner OF
state taxes. and adjutant and inspect
orgeneral. There are other State
officers and commissions calling for
rooms at the State House. but there
are none TO be assigned them, All the
rooms above the first floor are occu-
pied. and there are not enough ade-
quately TO meet the necessities.
In the busy part Of the session /
there are frequently thirty committee
meetings in a day. and il is a puzzle
for the sergeant-at-arms to find a
place for them. This lack of com
mittee room is a serious hindrance
to business.
Most OF the Offices in the building /
are crowded to the point Of incon-
venience IL not of ineffciency, and the
telephone booths and postOfice have
been placed in the lobby. taking up /
desirable space. because there is no
room for them elsewhere.