Report of the Department of Public Buildings, 1915 July 1

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let 15
REPORT
OF
DEPARTMENT OF
PuB L I cBU I LDIN GS
STATE OF GEORGIA
JULY I! 1915
RECEt'JEO
JAN 2 6 \993
DUGUMENTS
GA UBttARlES
1915 e lIAS. P. BYRD, STATE PRINTER
ATLANTA, GA.

REPORT
OF THE
DEPARTMENT
OF .
PUBLIC BUILDINGS
JULY I, 1915
P. B. LATIMER, KEEPER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS
191 5 C ll AS. P . BYRD , Sta te P rinter
ATLA NTA . GA .

. REPORT

July 1, 1915.

Gov. N. E. Harris, State Capitol.

DEAR SIR:-1 submit financial report Department of Public Buildings from July 1st, 1914, to July 1st, 1915, as ' follows:

Custodian, Superintendent, Engineer,

Fireman, Florist, Elevator Operator

and Guards __.

:.. __~

$ 7,326.00

Porters, Laborers and extra

.______ 6,506.00

Gas and Electric Bills, Capitol and Man-

slon

_ 4,382.62

Repairs, Furnishings and Incidentals

(Sixty-five items)

_ i,200.00

Coal Bills '

_ 1,228.2(1

Soaps, Disinfectant, Brooms, Compound, Etc.

Servants, Governor's Mansion

Electric Bills (repairs)

Florist Bills

,

Brushes, .~ _
_ _ _

1,222.09 1,200.00
322.00 277.55

Plumbing Bills, Capitol and Mansion _ . 524.60

Paint and Paintings, Capitol and Mansion 3'97.00

M. D. & H. L. Smith, awnings

_ 118.00 .

One pair platform scales and installing

same __. , ,

.:.

_ 137.45

Ice Bills

54.00

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Brick, Sand, Cement, Etc.

_

H ardware Bills

_

Water Bills

--'

_

Mer chandise Bills, Capit ol and Man sion __

R epairs, Elevator __, .

:. .

_

Laundry, Mans ion

_

Upholstering, Capito l an d Mansion _

121.50 759.84 794.74 236.41 40.10
30.92 47.05

Total

$26,926.07

The Capit ol building is in good condition with one exception. I r ef er to our heating system. W e have what is called the ho t bla st sys te m th at was in general us e when the Ca pit ol was built in 1889. The demands have grow n greate r every year since my connec tion with the Departm en t of Public Buildings by reason of the cr eation of new departments whi ch r equire in cr ea sed heat. The capacity for heating g r ows less eve ry ye ar by r eason of age and deterioration. It is ge tting to be a se rious problem and if the S ta te was not in such fin an cial straits , I would suggest as a good busniess propo.sition th e in stalling of a modern heating sys t em, feeling assured that as ide fr om the in cr ea sed comfort derived, we could save the cost of such a sys t em in ten to fift een years in our annual coal expenses. I have for th e last two winters had to us e every fire pl ace in the building to give any degree of comfort. 'I' his was never intended only when t he hea ting sy ste m was un der repair . I will st ate in this connection that th e Engineer estimates we will have t o exp end ap pr oximately $1,000.00 r epairing and in stalling un der ground pipes before we enter the next winter. The pipes from long use have

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become so r ot ten. . rusty and badly choked that we

cannot get the real service of the plant without

these needed repairs.

I do no t cons ider it within my p rovince to make

any suggestion to you, or to the Legislature in the

matter of the Governor's Mansion. I am in po sition

to state that it can never be made desirable as a ,

residence property. It was built during the year

1868 and the natural deterioration unfit s it for mod -

ern use. I have expended approximately $5,000.00

sin ce January 15, 1912. This money that I have'

been compelle d to spend in this direction has and

will continue to embarrass my department, as th e

appropriation for th e same gives very little margin

above actual expenses. It was my purpose and am-

bition when appointed to the Department of Public

Buildingsto put the State Capitol in such physical

condit ion that the people of the State would not be

ashamed for visitors to th e State to visit th e same

and see in this an exp r ess ion of the pride and ente r-

prise of our people. Ther e is much yet t o be done

to make it a fit expression of Georgia's pluck and

public spirit.

I

I n making the much needed improvements to the

State Capitol, I have incurred indebtedness that has

worked a hardship to my creditor s, as well as serious

embar r assmen t to myself. The most of th e work

done wa s by men who were dep endent on th eir daily

labor for a living and consequently had to be paid
promptly . 1 arranged for those best able to help

me tide over the deficiency, but they now insist that

I make special effort. to secure the money necessary

to re lieve them.

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The past d.ue accounts are as follows:

Stocks Coal Company

$3,038 .94

Fielder & Allen

'

2,044.08

Bryan Electric Company

910.20

King Hardware Company

800.00

West Disinfectant Company _-'- ___________ 700.00

Dozier-Gay Paint Company ._________ 846.43'

Farrell Heating Company

333.15

Total

.

$8,672.80

I feel it due to state that since my appointment three n ew S tate Departments have been created with no provision in the Act creating them for office equipment. This I have been compelled to provide, and in addition to this, several other departments were in such a crowded condition that th eir efficiency was seriously impair ed. '1"0 improve such conditions necessi t a ted the expenditure of considerable money and I was not prepared by my appropriation to really meet these conditions.
T he Legislature of 1912 and 1913 very generously caine to my relief by appropriating $20,000.00 additional to my department and I 'trust the presentLegis lature will appreciate the situation ana. relieve the State and myself of the present serious embarrassment by an appropriation sufficient to cover my past due indebtedness.
Respectfully submitted, P. B . LATIMER,
Keeper of Public Buildings and Grounds.

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