The Topeka state journal., 1919-01-21
Sen. MOntee Also FayOrs Other
State Improvements Here.
Resolution Would Probe COndi-
tiOn of Governors Mansion.
CAPITOL GROUNDS NEED REPAIR
Sentiment in Senate FavOrs
RemOdeling State House.
Proposed Steps Would Be Credit
to All of Kansas.

J. W. Montee of Girard is one of
the increasing number of senators who
feel that when the state makes i'm
provements on its institutions these
improvements should not be looked
upon as affecting only the localities
where they are situated. He believes
that in the past there has been too
and too little state pride.
If the state of Kansas has a cred
table institution it is a credit to the
whole state and not only to the city
and town in which it is located" Mon
tee says. "And if it has a dilapidated,
run down institution, this is not dis
credit to the town or city, but to the
whole state"
Therefore, Senator Montee believes
the present legislature should get busy
at once and take steps to give the gov
ernor suitable mansion to live in and
to make the state house grounds a
credit, rather than disgrace to Kan
SaS.
Probe Governors Mansion.
AS the first step looking to these
ends, Senator Montee today introduced
a concurrent resolution providing for
the appointment of committee con-
sisting of three members of the SEN
ate and four members of the house to
investigate and report concerning the
present condition of the governor S
able cost of repairing and remodeling
it to make it habitable.
The resolution also provides that
this committee Investigate and make
! making improvements upon the state
house grounds.
One of the improvements that is
badly needed on the state house
grounds is that of putting in new
| walks SO that those who have to visit
1,4 fofo -
grounds will not imagine they are
crossing a battlefield of France and
plowing thru shell holes. There also
| is a sentiment in favor of remodeling
| other parts of the state house building
| to make it as spick and span and up
to-date as the east wing has been
| made.
Need More Committee Rooms
| Another badly needed Improvement
is one that will enable the upper and
/ lower house of the legislature to have
adequate committee room accommo-
| dations when in session. Just how
| this can be done is a matter that has
not been gone into, but if Senator
Thompson of Hutchinson carries out
| his plan of introducing a bill for the
| erection of a temple of justice into
| which the supreme court, the public
| brary could be moved, the problem
will be solved.
| Senator Thompson is one of the up
per house progreSsiveS who wants &c
see the state capital property so i'm
proved that it will be a real credit te
| the state, and he says that if he finds
there is a sentiment in favor of tenn
pie of justice building he will gladly
| introduce the bill that he has talked
of. Also Senator Thompson is anxious
| to see Topeka take hand in improv-
| ing the surroundings of the state house
grounds and believes that one way the
city can do this is by putting more
| slightly structures : on some of the
| ground, facing the capitol grounds or
the north. In the event temple oi
| justice should be erected, Senator
Thompson says that he will insist the
measure providing for it carry the au-
thority to condemn the site.
Won't Remodel Mansion?
| There is a possibility that if a new
| governors mansion is erected it will
face the state house grounds. Many
| believe this should be specified and the
definite location chosen before other
steps are taken.
| The Montee resolution introduced
today provides that the joint house
and senate committee when it makes
| its report shall recommend if it is
more feasible and desirable to repair
and remodel the old governors man
sion than to dispose of it and build a
\ structure elsewhere that will provide
an adequate residence for the governor
| of the state. 1t is hardly probable that
| the committee will see fit to recon-
mend that the present structure be re-
modelled.
1