Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-04-28
Expenditure to Date for State Capitol is
Sl,I27, ,89O.84, Although Start HAS
Scarcely Been Made for BuIdnQ
PUBLIC MONEY USED TO PAY POLITICAL DEBTS
Notwithstanding Large Land Grant, Reckless
Legislation Will Place Burden of
Capitol Building on taxpayers

The wanton waste of money whicl
has led to the present outcry agains
high taxation, is clearly shown in thu
articles printed below, which was
written by E. d. Cowen, and publish
ed in the Spokane-Spokesman Re
view on April ~. The article which
relates the story of State Capitol ex
travagance, follows:
Many lessons may be drawn from
the brief history of Washington state
finance, illustrative of the folly AM
waste of bond and warrant invest
ments in piecemeal public work; bu
fund, an invention of Olympia states
manship, is the most fragrant. Th'
sum of $1127 ,9OS4S has been expend
ed, and only the now ancient founda
ton built in early statehood, made
over county courthouse, with a legis
lative building annex and the raw
justice to be completed in palatia
style, show for the investment, one
third of which, or 364,O46.6S was in
terest money paid from the genera
fund under legal guarantees.
OF the $1,127, ,90S.48 expended, $657,
1889 was paid out of the genera
fund, which is expected to be REIN
bursed in that amount when the
granted lands are sold or bonded.
In addition to the total interest paid
there was an accrued sum of $18,989.
%, January /, 1914, while the out
standing obligations of the fund
"a progressive debt in reality are
piling up an added interest obligation
of $24,369.S7 annually.
Based on Land Sales.
1.-THE capitol building fund.-" be ii
known, is derived theoretically from
the proceeds of the sales of the capi
tol granted lands. In the congression'
al enabling act the incoming state oi
Washington was donated 10000
acres Of land for the express purpose
of providing financial means for the
construction Of capitol building. The
cruise and selection of these lands
were authorized by the legislature Of
1891, but nothing in the direction OF
laying claim to the grant was accom-
plished until the appointive land c"r'
mission of 1893 undertook the WORK
The legislature of 1898 provided 70.
the $50 of the capitol grant lands in
lots not to exceed 10000 acres each
p"vments to be made if desired on the
instalment plan, as in the case OF
school lands.
from the sale Of the school lands
form permanent fund, the interest
earnings of which pass into a current
fund that is annually for maintenance
The single purpose of the COMPRESSION.
al capitol land grant was to provide
for the immediate erection of a suit
able state capitol building and build
ings for which the sale of the lands
in block would have furnished the
money long ago.
This overcautious and ill-conceived
legislation, together with a compan-
ion act, was the cause of financial
troubles not yet concluded.
Was Limited to 100000.
The secondary act of the capitol
building enterprise created building
commission of five. two elected state
officers and three members to be ap-
pointed by the governor. The expen-
diture on the construction was limited
to a million dollars and the time for
completion fixed in 1899.
One section of this act created the
capitol building fund" out of "the
proceeds of all moneys derived from
the sales of lands granted to the state
of Washington for the purpose OF
erecting public buildings at the state
capitol" and appropriated 100000
1895 from this visionary fund.
The previous act, in prescribing the
manner of sale of the lands and pay
ment therefor. nullified all possibility
of negotiating for the completion and
furnishing of capitol building on the
basis Of the total land grant.
Governor McGraw was chairman of
the commission and appointed one re-
publican and two democratic citizens
members. The state auditor was the
fifth member.
IN the selection of plan such was
the rivalry between the combinations
OF architects and contractors. cor
ruption was resorted to for the pur-
pos, OF influencing a majority of the
commission, and the facts havine
been presented 20 the governor with
cor7oboratiye proc before ary money