The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-01-04
THE CAPITOL AWARD.

The award made by the Capitol Com.
mission for the construction Of the Utah
capitol was much delayed. but that
award viii be accepted by the people of
! tho State as n satisfactory conclusion
Of what might have been n bitter CON
troversy. The award as made estab.
| fishes the good faith of the State and
its agencies in this matter, and gives
no cause for complaint. The lowest bid.
| der got the contract, as was fair and
! right, and the State will be saved a CON
tention in the coming Legislature that
| threatened TO be extremely troublesome.
| The sentiment for the use Of Utah
material so far as that material is found
to be the best, is Of course unanimous.
As to all that, the state and the seuti-
ment involved can be fully protected by
the specifications as drawn up. and ii
there is any actual difference ia cost,
the just allowance can be made for such
difference in each case, for it is a mat.
ter that is not at all mysterious or hid
den. The comparative cost OF one
material and another is easily ascer-
tanned, and the Commission will find no
practical difficulty in arriving at n
| Just measure Of difference for or against
the State.
The Capitol Commission. the State.
and the public are to be congratulated
upon this final step in making the
! award. The State has been altogeth-
| or
! quarters; and, as we have said hereto.
fore, we believe that Utah is the only
State in the Union that is without such
a headquarters. At the same time, there
is no questio but there are certain ad-
vantages in being late in this matter,
since we are thus enabled to take ad-
vantage Of all the best features Of mod
ern construction and equipment The
lessons of the past, especially in the
matter Of the destruction of State arch
ives by fire. can be fully utilized by
provisions which viii give US vaults
absolutely fire proof, and there are GER
tain adornmcnts that can be put upon
the capitol that viii make il unique
among all the capitols Of States in the
Union. Mr.. Young has plan for col
onnado of monolith pillars which should
be a wonderful attraction to tourists,
to scientific men, and to the general
public, \ feature of that kind at the
comparatively small cost for which it
! nently worth while; and other features
can doubtless be added at moderate
cost that Will make the capitol stand
forth unique among all the public build
ings of the United States. Whatever
can be done in this line should not be
neglected, and we assume that the State
I Capitol Commission Will be ready to
avail itself of every desirable sugges-
tion in this line.
The bid having been accepted and the
contract awarded, there is no reason
for further delay The excavation is
being pushed by Mr. Moran with com
mendable diligence and effect The ac-
tual building can soon begin, and the
sooner the better for all concerned. say
we.
The commanding site of the capitol
aud the slightly elevation OF the capitol
itself viii make 1t 4 striking object
from all parts OF the valley, and tour
| lists seeing 1T will be attracted thereby
and Will desire to stop over long
/ enough to examine il and see Just what
| sort Of architecture in the clouds Utah
has provided for their edifcation and
delight
Ii has been reckoued that the Legis-
lature two years hence will be able to
meet in the new capitol. We trust that
this forecast may be found entirely
correct, and when that Legislature does
so meet, the State and every one within
its borders Will have reason TO rejoice
al the accomplishment OF something
worth while. and the consolidation of
the state 5 business in n capitol beauti.
| full to behold. useful in every respect
and safe for the protection of all the
public records and public property con.
tanned therein.