The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-20
AS Good AS new
j. c. Holland Presents Some
Facts About Auditorium.
His Plan Will Save the Tax
payers About $4,000.
DOUBLE SEATING CAPACITY
At Half the Cost OF New
Building.
The Walls as Good as Ever
They Were.
DOUBLE SEATING CAPACITY

The proposed new auditorium, to
be built under plans made by j. c.
Holland & Sons. architects at a cost
of S6S,500. net, would cost the city Of
Topeka close to $15O.OOO if built en-
tirely new at this time.
This was the statement made to-
day by the architect when asked for
a statement regarding the plans for
the rev building.
''afr. Holland" he was asked, chow
do you propose to build d new and
larger auditorium with less money
than the old building cost Is years
ago when labor and materials were
not half SO high now"
well, just walk around to the
auditorium and look a it, take in its
size, estimate the value of the thou
ands of brick in the three walls we
intend to retain, estimate the weeks
required to build these walls and the
amount of money paid out to skilled
lab Dor and for other materials in build
ing them, find out something about
the foundations underneath these
walls, and a few other things. you
don't know, perhaps. and you'll be
able to understand it, was the reply
'One trouble with those persons
who have been talking against the new
auditorium proposition" he continued,
lis that they haven't taken any pains
TO find out anything about the propo-
sition. They have heard there is
plan to issue bonds to patch up the
auditorium. spending a big sum of
money for the purpose, and they have
/ instantly concluded, without nvesti
eating matters, that their taxes are
to be raised and the money squan-
dered.
Not a Patched Up Building.
| Now the truth is. the alluSlon or
reference to the proposed new audi
torium as a patched up building are
misrepresentation and wholly unjus--
tifiable. 1t will not be patched up
building at all. 1t will be a new audi
| torium out and out. 1t is true, we are
going to use the present north and
south and west walls Why not? For
our purpose, they are as good as new
ones would be. There will be no
more weight on them in the new
building probably not so much, as in
the present one. In the new Audi
| torium these walls will be used only
to support the roof The gallery and
balcony will be supported by iron col
umns and pillars of steel and re
inforced concrete. The bottom floor
will rest on the ground. So why tear
down the present walls when they Will
do as well as new ones?
Mr.. Holland. having been the archi-
tect of the old Auditorium, knows
every foot of the material that went
into it. He knows what would he
available and what wouldn't be- Hav-
! ing made careful examinations of the
building recently. he knows the con-
dition of such material as could be
used He was therefore asked:
"What additional materials of the
old building can be used in construct
ing the new Auditorium -
THE foundations, the three walls
/ have named, the stone trimmings, the
steel trusses that support the roof,
and few smaller items. The people
have not stopped to figure out how
much this saving would amount to,
he said.
How much in dollars and cents do
you estimate this saving would be,
| Mr. Holland -
Between $4,000 and $4,000"
THAT is two-thirds the cost of the
old building"
of brick in those walls and founda-
tons stone trimmings. steel trusses.
etc. look up their cost today, then
figure the labor cost to put it all to-
gether. and you will get a conception
of the saving. That's why l have said
that unless a person is familiar with
building operations. and has some I'M
derstanding of the cost of building
materials, he cannot realize the
amount of material and labor that
would be saved
yet at the same time" said Mr..
Holland, the proposed Auditorium
will he entirely new inside these walls.
1t will be of steel and reinforced con-
crete and will be fireproof"
''As a matter of fact then" he was
questioned, you would be able to
save at least one-third the total cost
of material and labor required for the
new building?"
Yes" he replied.
Would Cost Nearly Double.
Then at present prices consider
ing what you would save under your
plans, the new auditorium. if built en-
; tirely new from the ground up. would
cost nearly double the amount now
contemplated, would it not?''
Undoubtedly. The new auditor
lum, if built new from the ground IN
at this time, according to my plans
would cost between $4,000 and
$150.00O'
Still. you insist that by using the
north, south and west walls of the
present building, the present founda-
lions, steel trusses, etc, the new audi
forum as proposed would be quite as
safe and strong as if new walls entire
ly were built?'
Absolutely And he added. For
the reason that. as 1 have explained
the present walls. for the purposes tor
which they would be used under nv
I plans. would be just as good as new
! ones
: The seating capacity of the new
auditorium will be SCOOP"
: 1T will be $500 exactly" said Mr.
/; Holland.
t $50 far as I am personally con
] cerned, he said. in conclusion. 81
e would rather build an entirely ncO
! building, because l built the present
4 one, and ii would be natural for me [,
7 wish to add to the number of biz
r buildings l have erected in Topeka
r But so far as safety. stability, ade.
, duacy and comfort are concerned, tbs
! auditorium as 1 have planned it would
be just as good as one with entireI,
r new walls"
2 Topekan Won at Lebo
Louis Hoffman, the Topeka wres.
0 tier. defeated Horton Smith at Iebo
Kan, last night The first fall wa,
Q cht in ar.e,r,