Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-03
Nebraska
NEW STATE HOUSE
SOON TO COME UP
Legislature Must Determine It's
Policy in This Regard at
Early Date.
WHAT THE SITUATION is
tFrom a stan Correspondent,

VI u Etdh SofiNnpuHutHe-p
Lincoln, March 2-(SpeciaD.-It is
expected that the state house appro-
priation will be the next big prob
lem before the lower branch OF the
legislature.
The more the matter is discussed,
it becomes apparent that people are
more favorable to creating fund by
special levy, as called for in the Rich
mond bill. This bill calls for one
mill special levy until the sum OF 49,
100000 has been raised. This would
probably take about seven years
under the present valuation of the
state, which on one-mill levy would
raise about 100000 year.
Very few members Of the legisla-
ture but believe there should be a
new state house. Many problems
have arisen at this season calling for
appropriations. The finance ways and
means committee of the house have
ocen trying to keep the appropria-
ions down. Whether they are justi-
led in reporting out for indefinite
nostponement bills simply on the idea
hat the appropriations should be kept
down instead of on the broader idea
that the appropriation are needed. Is
a matter which the legislature will
have to settle.
Stone Viii Crumble.
When it was first proposed to re-
pair the old wing by tearing down the
wall, driving piling for the purpose of
giving solid foundation on which to
rebuild the walls, it was figured that
the stone now composing the walls
could be taken out and used in re-
building the wing. According to ex-
perts, the stone will not stand NOV
ing, but will crumble as soon as
taken out of the walls. In case this
is true, stone that would match that
now in the building and would have
to be shipped from the Bedford quar-
ries in the east. II is the opinion OF
these men that as soon as the south
wall is taken out and the east wall
pulled down as far back as Is shown
TO be unsafe, the whole wall will
crumble.
A serious problem is presented in
the minds OF some of the members
whether the state would not be in
a bad predicament il an attempt were
made to repair the old wing and it
was found after tearing 1t down thar
the whole wing was likely to 20 to
ruin. There would not be enough
money to make it safe for use and no
appropriation to build new.
The present deplorable condition
OF the state library must also be
taken into consideration. The same
business judgment which man
would apply to his own affairs in
protecting property appears to be
lacking in the minds of many Of the
members.
Many Urge Levy.
Tax payers our in the state who are
really interested in the matter, are
urging upon their members to vote
the levy in many instances. Douglas
county. which pays q large per cent
Of the taxes of the state, has full
delegation for the new state house.
Cherry county, Box Butte county,
Sheridan county and many other Of
the new counties where the people
very seldom get . chance to see the
state house, are anxious that the
present disgrace to the state" as
they call the present edihce. should
be removed and a, new one erected.
1t is said that there are people
working in the east wing Of the build
ing who have been turned down by
accident insurance companies because
the risk is too great to carry either
from accident or death. If this il
so, the members Of the legislature are
facing problem Of which there il