ANNUAL MESSAGE OFTHE GOVERNOR TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA JULY 29th, 1919 1919 BYRD PRINTING CO., State Printers, ATLANTA, GA. ANNUAL MESSAGE OF THE GOVERNOR TO THE GENERA-L ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA JULY 29th, 19 19 1919 BYRD PRINTING CO., State Printers, ATLANTA, GA. MESSAGE ~htfe nf Q}enrgia:, '.lfr'xuutitte tllepadment, July 28, 1919. Gentlemen of the General Assembly: In my Inaugural Address, the report of the Budget and Investigating Commission and in several special messages, your attention has been heretofore directed to those matters which, in my judgment, deserved preferential consideration. However, it is deemed advisable to call your attention to the following: INADEQUACY OF SPACE IN CAPITOL AND NEED OF REPAIRS. The business of the State is fast outgrowing the quarters afforded by the present Capitol building. Several Departments are handicapped in carrying on their work because of the lack! of room. It has been necessary to rent two buildings on Capitol Square for the Military Department and the State Board of Health; and offices have also been rented in one of the large office buildings of the city for the use of the Highway Department. 3 At my request, and without expense to the State, a survey of the Capitol building-especially with reference to the need of space-was made by Messrs. Edwards, Sayward and Leitner, architects, and their report covering this matter is as follows: '' In response to your request to look into better housing conditions for departments located in the ground floor of the Capitol Building, we beg to say that we consider any expense put into changing or finishing this portion of the building as wasteful until certain fundamental and permanent changes are made, which should antedate any attempt at renovation or completion of this floor. "First of all the antiquated and defective heating plant should be removed in its entirety and a modern and proper system installed if safety, efficiency and economy are important in this item. The steam generating plant should be taken out of the building entirely and put into a power house on an adjoining lot or in a subterranean power house on the grounds. All pipes for the mains could then be run under the ground floor of the building and thus make this floor when finished as habitable as any other portion of the building. For sanitary reasons the plumbing system should be entirely dismantled and a new and modern installation made. "The proper completion of this ground floor would give great added space and value to the Capitol building for the housing of Departments of State to which it is admirably adapted. '' The building throughout should be renovated with such remodeling as would adapt it suit- 4 ably to the present day requirements. By planning ahead this work could be done in several installments with economy and thus make the expenditure of little or no burden. '' There are certain State Departments that should be removed entirely from the Capitol Building and structures erected for them elsewhere, adequate and of proper arrangements for the fclicitious handling of these departments, on adjoining property. '' As a matter of fact we believe the State Capitol Building is most adequate for all time to house the administrative branches of the Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial Departments of the State and should be equipped fully and properly for this service alone. '' The most modern method of erecting State buildings is in a number of structures rather than in one building; notably, the State of Washington is building its equipment of this kind in several structures, one at a time as needed, with the whole outfit planned ahead. ~orth Carolina, Florida and Ca1ifornia are advancing their State building equipment by acquiring adjoining property and building new departmental structures while holding the existing Capitol in original form as a central and predominating feature around which the new structures are swung. Tennessee is agitating the question and soon to fo1low in the same direction of advancement. This method of housing is of course significant at our National Capitol." I recommend the purchase of land near the Capitol upon which to erect an annex now needed, ancl those which inevitably will be needed in the future. The present building should be used for the Libra- ry, Courts and Executive Offices; and the Scientific Departments should be housed in the annex, which should be especially adapted to their needs. The Capitol building is in need of general overhauling. The heating plant is wholly i11adequate; in consequence of which it is necessary to burn, frequently, both coal and gas in many of the rooms. Your attention is invited to the report of the Keeper of Public Buildings and Grounds covering the period from July l, 1918 to July 1, 1919, in which the need of improved heating facilities is stressed. ACOUSTICS OF THE HALL OF THID HOUS"BJ OF REPRESENTATIVES. By Resolution of date August 19, 1918 (Georgia Laws, 1918, page 923), the Governor was authorized '' to make such alterations and adclitious in the Hall of Representafrns" as would "pro