The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-05-22
Capitol Investigation.


day Senator Wood temporarily interrupted
the proceedings by asking unanimous con-
sent to make a report from the finance
committee on investigation into the affairs
of the new capitol commission. The rea-
son for his request, he said, was that he
was compelled to attend meeting OF the
conference committee upon the supply bill,
and could make the report at no other
time. The consent asked for having been
given, he sent the report to the clerks
desk to be read, prefacipg 1t with the re-
mark that it was a compromise report, AS
it was practically unanimously made, not
withstanding the fact that ii was not en-
tirely pleasing to any member of the COM
mittce. The report is long and exhaustive
1t sets forth that while by the first act
making an appropriation for this work its
cost was limited to S4,00O,OO0 there had
been expended upon the building up to
January, 1S74-as reported by the com
missioners- So, 247, 500.28, and the archi-
tect estimates that it will cost in addi-
ton to that amount, to complete the
entire work, $1,SS5,065 making the
whole building cost $l2, $50, 296.20. The
men upon the work were not kept well and
advantageously employed, aud much of the
time more men than were needed or than
could he judiciously employed were carried
on the pay rolls and there seems to have
! hnnn a npnllacu nu,,hnr apainpa1 n art -
foremcn, or tin e-keepers, or to manage
derricks. and TO other positions where 10
special physical exertion was required, aud
where the pay was larger than that of
common labmers. In the employment of
carpenters the system appears to have been
especially lax. II was impossible to ascer-
tain the amount oyerchargcd in this de-
partment, but it does appear that very
large proportion of the men for whom the
carpenter received $3.50 per day were paid
by him only - 80 or less per day. 1t also
appears that these workmen were not kept
employed aud there were on the work u
greater number than was necessary or pro-
per. There is claimed to have been paid
for carpenter work S100,2l52j. This
amount, in view of the character of the
work, seems to be excessive. There is re-
ported TO have heen paid for lumber $780,
l20 Ga. In view of the fact that this is a
| fire proof building, thus far construc-
ted entirely Of stone, brick and iron,
this expenditure and item of $780,
1885 for carpenter work is very
much larger than there is any proof to Jus.
tify. There does not seem to have been
any enforced regulation that restricted
other purchases made on behalf of the
state TO the actual necessities OF the work,
and, as might be expected under such cir
cumstances very large purchases appear to
have been made which are not satisfactor-
lily explained. An inquiry into the man
ner of purchasing the principal materials
of the building and the prices paid there
for lead to no more satisfactory result In
the purchase of sand no competition seems
to have been attempted The Albany rail-
road company has been allowed to obtain
an undue advantage. In the items of stone
the business has been transacted in man.
ner disadyantageous to the state, and in
this item and that of excavation the sys-
ten Of unbalanced bids seems to have OBJ
tanned. The committee conclude that the
system under which the work is carried on
is not wise one, other public buildings
not, however, involving the expenditure of
SO large sums of money have been under
taken and carried on by tue state under
some system of the commissioners
Some of the best men III the state have
held positions on such commissions and
yet your committee has found in the IN
vcstigation Of their affairs that work has
been carried on under them with great dis
advantage to the state and in this investiga-
ton of the affairs of those commissioners,
we find nothing involving the personal in
tegrity of the commissioners. In this new
capitol work the system of management
substantially the same. The commission
ers have been gentlemen of various pur
suits in life, serving without compensation
attending stated meetings of the board
and having a general oversight of the
business, but giving it no constant OIL
special attention, but il was business Of
which they had no practical knowledge
and in which they had no experience. The
detail Of the business and its immediate
management have been lett TO others will
the responsibility SO divided and sub
divided that there was no one who con
sidered himself responsible for any
negligence OF mismanagement which
resulted. Hence it is claimed OF
the part of the commissioners tina
the faults complained of have come, TO
great extent from the system, and that I'm
der it responsibility for all that has gon
wrong should not be ascribcd to them o
those of them residing remote from Thu
place where the work is going on, ant
where it could not have their personal over
sight. We think direct management o
the business of carrying on such worl
/ should be in the hands of one responsible
man, who should be practical builder o
, large experience, who understands the bus
} mess and who should devote his entire tim
, to it. Such man, with the aid of his ex
, perience, can manage the business with fa
more advantage to the state than any com
+ mission possibly could. Under such a sys
G TEN, honestly and economically admins
tered, the work of the new capitol wou
have been much farther advanced, and tina
portion which has thus far been erecte
might have been accomplished with a
least a saving of $l,00O,00O. The result
ofthe past year under the partial chang
: that has been made confirm the committe