The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-09-06

capitol board, and we fail to lind anything
in them that has not already been
answered by us in our reply to his first
document of complaint, all of which was
read and considered at your board meet
ing last Saturday afternoon.
He has stated that he is not acquainted
with the plans, specifications and CON
tracts according to which the capitol has
been built, and his memoranda OF COM
plants fully attest this fact.
Respectfully
JOSEPH LEE,
M. H. MoLAURIN,
Capitol Building Commissioners.
r. l.. WALKER,
Superintendent.
General Hardeman then called atten-
zion to specification sixty-two, which says
the skylights shall be set on rubber.
The commissioners explained that the
specification alluded to was in the original
contract, and the skylight frames were TO
be of wood They had been changed to
iron which necessltated O change from
rubber.
General Hardemsn then called attention
to the omission of six caps to arrears.
It was shown that the caps in all the
other arrears were not required by the
contract and specification, but that they
had been put in at Mr. Wilkes sugges
ton and at his own expense.
Mr.. Wilke, who was present, explained
that if six were missing it was an over
sight, and that he would have them put in.
Attorney-general Hogg then appeared
and was asked by Governor Ross if he
knew of any defects or had any informa-
ton of any.
He replied: II have made written
statement in which called attention to
certain defects in the work" He called
attention to veneered pannels Ia his room
and to the fact that the doors we're glued
together, with the center of white pine, all
of which he alleged was in violation of
the contract. He also called attention to
the omission of certain articles in his
room as coming under his own observa-
ton.
He also called attention to the fact that
the painting of the iron work and COL
umns appeared to have a greenlsh tint
which he thought was an evidence of its
not being first class.
The commissioners explained that the
doors were Just as they ordered them TO
be and that they made the change be-
cause it was to the interest of the build
the veneered pannels were put in for the
same reason. The greenlsh tint to the
paint work was explained by the pres snce
of marble dust to giveth it that tint as re-
quired by the specifications. Mr.. Price,
the agent of the company which did the
wood work, on his behalf and for his COM
pany, in reply to the charges of General
Hogg, had letter read from Architect
Meyers, commencing the changes. Mr..
Price also said:
81 would like to make few remarks
about this work to your excellency, for
your consideration, and as l am deeply
interested, I think you will admit l am
not out of order.
Now, governor, if you were about buy
ing valuable watch, and wished to get an
opinion as to its reliability, would it be
doing Justice to yourself or the maker of
the watch, if you went to a blacksmith,
butcher or attorney for said opinion? l
think as a practical man you would go to
good Matchmaker in whom you could
put reliance for such an opinion.
Now, sir, that is just the position we
stand in, in regard to the opinions given
by these gentlemen, who know nothing
whatever about the work, except as they
have been "filled" on the outside by par
ties prejudiced against US, such as men
discharged for incompetency, ETC., etc.
If Attorney general HOg2 and General
Hardeman are capable of passing
an opinion on my work, when am
l capable of deciding perplexlDg
question in law or military tactics and
backwoods trigonometry.
If am able to do this, then have
Attorney-general Hogg and General
Hardemanslived their lives for nothing
If Generals Hogg and Hardeman are
able to pass practical opinion on my
work, then have I lived my life for moth
ing.
I think yourself and every member o.
the board will see the justice of these
remarks. If you are not satisfied will
our work, repeat my request that yoI
get some honest, intelligent man or mel
who are thoroughly posted in this par
ticular branch and are entirely un
preiudiced one way or the other, let then
hear both sides, and then if they decid
that we have done bad jos, we ought t.
suffer; if the contrary, then we ought Il
get justice.
In conclusion, 1 would say that Will
the opinions are heard of parties who know
nothing practical about the work end ar
prejudiced against the same, or who ar
trying to make political capital at on
expense, justice will neither be done tn
state of Texas nor the contractor.
In this connection it may not be amis
to state that when the change was mad
from limestone to granite that section L
of the agreement was as follows:
ut is hereby agreed and understood b,
and between the parties hereto that tn
finish of the woodwork OF tire building
shall be redrawn to conform to the mool
fed style and design adopted by this con
tract; said plans to be prepared unde
the supervision of the commissioners ant
agreed to and signed by the commits
sioners and contractor"
This modified style" was TO reduce tt
woodwork $4,000, but the change wa
never made in the plans aud specif