The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1919-07-04


and there was no other way to relieve
1T. AT the time II was said this build
ing would afford ample room for the
military department and several CON-
the way, there Is no such thing in the
present capitol as legislative commit
tee room of any kind.) When the milf
tary establishment moved in it required,
and is now using, the entire residence
building.
More recently, when the legislature cree
ated the state department OF archives
move the records Of the state. II was
found the department had nowhere to
go, and there has had to be erected
building q series Of stalls and shelves
where these records are stored in the
open.
In the past few months the Gnsani-
tary and congested condition Of the
basement under the capitol became such
that the state health department, which
has been housed there for years. had to
Governor Cover Dorsey pyV' on his own responsi-
bility, rented another residence building
the jackson property which the Legs,
lature had twice refused to buy~and
that is wholly devoted to the use OF this
one department
A portion OF the state agricultural de-
partment has had to be transferred from
capitol building because of lack Of other
accommodations and, when the state Du-
reau of markets was created and offices
were required, 1t became necessary 10
let's on the first floor. overhaul that space
and make OF 1t an office for the state
director.
And still there is not one legislative
committee room in the entire building.
nor sufficient room for the appellate
courts, since in at least one instance q
blind flooring has had to be run in half
way down from the ceiling II one OF the
rooms.
Why the Governor Says Settle IL
These are the conditions at the capitol
as they stand today.
At the mansion there Is an even worse
state of affairs. During the admins
tration of Governor Harris, and his oc-
cupancy of the mansion. its unsanitary
and dilapidated condition caused him to
make complaint to the Legislature. and
visions, but the effort was stalled by
capitol removal" as an issue to be
settled first
occupancy of the mansion-he is still liv-
ing there because the state provides no.
where else for him to Metaphysical and
sanitary conditions at the mansion grew
still worse The plastering fell from the
walls. the water pipes froze and burst;
the house was uncomfortable and wholly
unsatisfactory.
Toward the end of last year Governor
Dorsey made the fiat statement
that the point was reached when this
one way or the other" He said, as he
a handicap. and will remain 80 until
1t is voted on by the people and gotten
out OF the way; that 1t is standing In
pansion of the states properties to meet
the actual pressing demands.
While these are probably not his exact
words, this is the substance Of his com,
mt an ha Of a
as 1t has been printed and repeated by
him since: 1T Is an issue that must
be brought to an end. 1t appears that
the way Of every effort to do anything
about the mansion or an annex to the
capitol until the people have ended 1t.
Therefore. it ought to be submitted to
II they are going to move the capitol
to Macon, let's know 1T and so ahead
and build adequate facilities down there.
let them unite our hands and let's go
ahead and do the things that are neces-
sary here"
II is not by any means to be taken for
granted, either, that the governor hasn't
future interest In what the people
of the state do on that score for in his
conversation on the subject, he has left
no room for mistake as to his sentiment
and intention. He is an Albanian and
quite naturally Is opposed to removal Of
. the capitol from Atlanta: so much SO
that he has made It known when the vote
on it comes he will go to the ballot box
and register by his vote his desire that
| it remain here-but he has been suf-
ficiently broad not to side-step the is
sue; he has been big enough to say clear
| ly that he wants to see 1t settled; set
tied now.
Here Is What Is Needed
AS an outline OF what the future con-
templates: There is to be new man
| sion somewhere in or near Atlanta, IL
the people vote that way. It will likely
be somewhere in the Druid Hills, and
will be building COMFORTING with the
dignity OF a governors mansion. There
must be an annex building sufficiently
large to house the entire department of
state board Of health; the state military
department: the state geological depart
ment; the state department of archives,
and possibly some OF me f Gtner smaller
will have to be bought adjoining the pres
ent capitol. on the opposite side OF the
street the buildings now thereon viii
have to be wrecked and new structure
must go up. When this is done the pres
ent capitol needs and will have to have
no little rubbing up and repairing.
These are the necessities. They are
why the governor has taken the demo-
cratic view he holds in respect to ter
mination of the issue.
| On the other hand II the people vote
| to move the capitol to Macon, then pro-
vision must be made down there, in a
manner satisfactory to the people OF the
state, for the erection OF 8 handsome
Georgia marble state building sufficiently
large to meet all those requirements the
! present capitol doesn't meet now and for
/ the future, and a suitable mansion for
| the governor will have to be provided
| Those however. are the things which
| the two factions will have to present
| to the satisfaction OF the people of the
state when the question is submitted
| for a popular vote. 1t will be then that
the comparative advantages to the state
will have TO be drawn and the business
trade with the people of Georgia will
have to be made.
/ In middle and north Georgia there are
state officials who have been consult
ed, men familiar with the situation as
| it exists and with the status of the
states property here and the hopeless
ness of improving II until there is q
popular vote, who view the situation in
the Identical light as does the governor
that the issue must be settled and the
handicap removed, one way or the other
so that the state may move forward
Only Ono Legislative Point
Insofar as the state legislature is con~
cerned, there is but one point to be COW
cred: Is there an issue involved?
! The highest constituted body IN state
government has fixed the manner Of
dsposing Of such an issue. when the
constitutional convention said by ordt-
nance II must be Setlled by the people,
n In future (after the sitting Of that
conYention) the location of the capitol
should be brought !nto issue. The con-
Ivention did not say, nor can the state leg
!slature say, that the capitol must be