The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-27
Governor Asks Mayor
to Take Up Sale Ques-
tion With Council.
SEEKS OPTION ON.
FORD HOTEL BLOCK
General Assembly in 1912 Di-
rected That Half of Square on
Capitol Street Be Acquired if
State Had Surplus at
End of Fiscal Year.
Up to Council.

Al the direction OF commission
named by the General Assembly in
1917 Governor Mann has requested
Mayor Ainslie to take up with tho
proper authorities tho question OF sell
ing to tho Commonwealth one-half OF
the Ford Hotel block, recently acquired
by the city AS site for a court build
ing. 1t is the purpose Of the state 10
erect thereon modern nrcproof struc-
ture for the STATE Library, in which
priceless records may be preserved. ana
which will also provide ample quarters
Tor tho Supreme Court Of Appeals
Whether the city will consent 10 dis
pose OF part OF the property mn,
chased two years ago for slse 900. must
he determined By tho Council. though
II Is believed that there ;s ample sn.ca
IN me block for a State and u city
building Several days ago Governor
Mann. Lieutenant Governor I-llvson
and Attorney General Williams held a
conference In Mr. Eiiysons room at
the Johnston Wills Hospital. and tho
Governor was instructed to begin uoco
tiauons with the city. In nccordance
with the Instructions OF the commits
SION he has written the MAYOR. and il
Is expected that the matter NAV be
PRESENTED to the Common Council At It's
meeting tonight.
Legislature Authorized Deal
The conference was held under Tho
provisioEs Of chapter ESQ Of the Acts
Of Assembly Of 1912. which provides fol.
ana authorizes the purchase OF Mt least
nne-half Of the block 1t was approved
March H. lal2. The act was adopted
as q result Of report from 4 joInt com
inittee OF the Senate and House SUB
hitted on February %. 1912, 10 tho
erect that II was advisable that AT
least onc-half OF the block bounded i,y
capitol. Twelfth Eleventh and Broad
Streets be purchased from the city. TO
carry into effect the purpose Of thc
resolution. the act authorizes tho Gov
ernoT. eu,enant-Governor and Attor-
hcy- General To purchase. IL possible
tho half OF the block lying next to
Capitol Street. but If found impossible.
70 buy the half nearest Twelf,h Stree,
Ihe act appropriated Sao.ooc, on as
much OF II as Was necessary. and al
rected that the property, when pur-
chased shpuld be held ''fo, the purpose
or erecting modern ireproof state
Library building, in which shall be
provided also rooms for the Supreme
Court Of Appeals and its library. and
for tho further purpose OF erecting
Such other buildings rs may he
ln'red for the accommodation OF other
departments and agencies or the State"
Depended surplus.
In case a purchase is made. the act
authorizes the Governor to make such
repairs TO tho buildings on tho prop
erty as may be necessary to lit them
for use by any of the departments OF
the State until new buildings can be
erected The meat OF the resolution Is
In the last clause. which reads:
NO action shall be taken in regard
20 this purchase save Mt the end of
the fiscal year OF 1912 or 1919.
nor unless a real surplus exists in the
treasury sufficient TO make purchase OF
said property In one OF the fiscal years"
The States fiscal year for 1912 closed
with exactly s400,s2 In the treasury.
and purchase at that time was not
practicable under terms OF the act But
on September 80, State Auditor Moore
reported that the fiscal year for 1913
mad closed with an approximate bal
ance OF s25O.O0o.
The city acquired the entire block
By condemnation about two years ago
on n resolution offered in the city
Council by ~. r, Pollard Jr then
chairman of the Finance COMMITTEES
Ford's Hotel. which occupied the west
ern side, next to the City Hall. has
been removed. and the old buildings
facing Capitol Square arc used tenn
pora'ily by tho First Battalion First
Virginia Regiment, and the State Board
of Health
IL was the announced purpose of the
city In acquiring the property to open
the way Tor the erection rs soon as
practicable of handsome freproof
building to house all of the city courts.
with proper record and clerks Offices.
thus relieving congestion in the Citv
Hall.
State DEPARTMENTS Crowded.
Congestion in state Offices is even
more marked The State Board Of
Health is In inadequate and badly
equipped quarters. The Adjutant-Gen-
erals department. recently crowded
from the State Library Building. nov
rents the greater part OF Il floor In the
Virginia Railway and Power Companv
Building. The Bureau OF Banking has
never had quarters at the Capitol but
is in rented rooms away from other
state Offices. The Department OF Agri-
culture. which has its main Offices in
the capitol. rents Offices for its chem
ist, md for other bureaus The state
highway commissioner has nevcn had
the space that the engineering proh
lens of his growing department do
mand.
The State Library Building was
erected about twenty years ago. and
has beet somewhat enlarged While
desi as an Office building. bousinr
the auditor Treasurer and other Gs-
cal officers, 1t has never been satisfnc
tory to the Supreme Court. nor does II
anord absolutely hreproof protection
Tor She records OF that court, which.
if lost or damaged could not he re-
placed. Nor Is the state Library at All
adequately or comfortably located. oc
cupytng ri 1t does only the third floor
Iho Library owns and IS asserting m
invaluable collection of historical man
uscripts which. IL destroyed, could not
be replaced.