Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1914-03-06
CITIZENS PLEAD FOR
STATE OFFICES HERE
Hearing Before Ways and Means
Committee Yesterday.
CAPITAL THE LOGICAL PLACE.
Representative Men Of City Urge
Passage II Measures for Erection
Of Office Building.

4 - 0AAh@H 1AsaAA1NH
Representative citizens of Annap-
oils and few from other counties
appeared before the Ways and Means
| Committee Of the House Of Delegates
Yesterday afternoon, and pleaded in
favor Of the bills offered by Delegate
Frank NJ. Duvall, of this county, and
which provide tor grouping all Of the
state Offices ia this city, and appro-
| priating $500, coo, through a bond is-
sue, for the purchase of a suitable
site, and the erection of the neces-
sary building thereon.
Several addresses setting forth the
reasons, as we'll as the advantages
Of having all State Offices located
here, were made before the commit
tee. The bill, It Is expected, will be
reported from the committee in a
few days.
Mr.. Robert Moss made the open
ing address. He said that in his opin-
ion the maintenance of State offices
other than in AnUapc lis was in viola
ti0n Of the State Constitution, which
clearly set forth that Annapolis
should be the Capital OF the State.
He paid that IN time gone by. due TO
the lack of proper railroad facilities,
there might have been some justifica-
ton Tor having branch Offices in Balti-
more. but that the day had passed and
Annapolis now has the best transpor-
tatiUn arrangements of any town In
the country for its size.
Further, he said Annapolis is hest
paved. lighted and severed, and Is
more convenient TO Southern and
Northwestern and che Eastern Shore
Of Maryland than Baltimore, and that
any one having business with the
State officials should come TO ia I'm and
not expect the State Office re- 10 60 TO
them. He said that he considered IL
much more dignified for the Offices
to be maintained at the Capital.
Mayor Strange followed and explain
ed that the ere ction Of an Office build
ing in Annapolis was, in reality, Dot
an extravaganza, but proper move In
the right direction Of economy, and
quoted the rentals paid 20 private
owners in Baltimore for office room.
lie further said that the National
Government was rapidly building its
own Office buildings and doing away
with the re nted ones.
Mr.. Ennalls Waggaman then pre-
scented the following figures. There
are ll2 trains daily be ween Annapo-
lis and Baltimore, az between Annap-
oils and Washington, is between An
napJils and Odenton, the junction
point of the Pennsylvania railroad.
connecting with the p, W. & e.
Popes Creek Line for Southern Mary
land Ia between Annapolis and An
napolis Junction, the Baltimore &
Ohio connection; boats between An.
npolis and Claiborne for points on the
b., G. e A. railroad, connecting with
the f. Il. r., n. Y. 7. q NJ. ID. e Va.
for points on the Eastern Shore. 2
boats between Annapolis and Cam
bridge, Oxford, Nevetts, Secretary,
etc, tri-weekly bats TO the Patux-
ent river, 4 boats to West and Rhode
rivers and points on the Western
Shore, and the Colchester Line.
Timetables showing the schedules
to bear out the above were given the
committee. A resolution from the
Chamber Of Commerce was presented.
asking that the bills be passed. Ad-
ditional facts concerning the cost Of
Offices we're presented as follows:
Garrett Building, S12, 600. Phone,
based on S,400 calls, or % calls per
day Tor 81 the Offices, $50: Public
Service Comm. Bids. Elk Bldg. So
369 90 Phone, 1924; Board Of Health.
10 W. Saratoga street, $4,000
| Phone, Sl4; Ten-hour Law, Eauit.
Bldg. s420; Phon', ss1 State Luna
cy, Prof. Bldg, $3.50; Phone, S3g
State Vet, $500; Buread of Statis.
tics, Calvert Bldg, amount Above 4
by Be ard Of Public Works, not the
full rent, $40O; Shellfish Comm, Ma
rine Nat. Bank Bldg, immigration
Bureau, Z. Lexington stree ct, Bal.
ance on Bureau Of Statistics. No
figures on the above.
A map Of Maryland with the rail
and water routes to Annapolis mark
ed, showing that Annapolis is the
geographical and transportation cen
ter, was presented also thirty-six
letters from as many states showing
that almost without exception the
State offices are st the State Capital.
cir. Waggaman stated that all the
letters received were submitted
whether favorable or otherwise. A
list showing the comforts to be con.
venient for the committee was also
filed.
Mr. C. c. Magruder. Clerk Of the
Court Of Appeals, and a resident OF
Prince George county, stated that in
bis opinion the maintenance Of Offices
for the transaction Of State business
other than in Annapolis is uneonsti.
tutional ard that he believed citi.
zens could upset the practice By 20.
ing into court about il.
II is a well known fact that All
papers pertaining TO Jficial business
that is transacted in Baltimore are
brought to Annapolis to be signed
and sealed. This is not for conven-
fence, but because there IL a well.
established doubt as to tn. lightly
Of the papers if signed elsewhere
than in Annapolis.