Tacoma Moves to Halt the New State Capitol—and Seattle Cheers

Olympia, Feb. 23.—Special.—A resolution adopted by the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce was introduced in the house this morning in the shape of a petition, urging the legislature to refuse to pass any measure that would continue the work on the new capitol building. The resolution sets forth that no further appropriation should be made for continuing the work until the value of the land set aside for creating a fund for its purchase can be more accurately determined. The resolution created considerable surprise among the friends of the capitol, as it is most pessimistic in its theory.

Chairman Scobey, of the house public buildings and grounds committee, and who introduced the bill asking for an appropriation to continue the work during the next two years, as recommended by Gov. McGraw's message, in speaking of the Tacoma resolution, said he was advised by leading men in Tacoma that only a few members of the Chamber of Commerce were present when the resolution was adopted, and that it is the outcome of a few bankrupt land speculators. Mr. Scobey does not believe that the best people and leading business men of Tacoma indorse the sentiment of the resolution.

"The people of the state are getting tired of this kind of treatment," said Mr. Scobey, "and the mutterings of wrath can be heard all along the line. If the business men of Tacoma are going to submit to such work as this on the part of the real estate men of the town, then the business interests of Tacoma must stand the consequences. You noticed how coldly this resolution was received and the burst of applause that greeted the resolution of indorsement of the continuation of the work that came from Seattle."