The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-13
ALL WORK STOPPED.
Operations ON University Site
Suspended.
AUDITOR CHANGED HIS MIND.
A Commissioner Replies to the Charges
OF Extravaganee-Money Enough
TO Build Well.

The State university commission held meet
Ing yesterday 20 audit bills The amount Is be-
tween sS.ooe and s4.0o0; and OF course no more
money Is being spent, because all work stopped
on saturday.
The members of the board seem greatly disap-
pointed that the WORK should be interrupted
Just when IL WAS wei under way Major James
Il hayosn- the secretary, said yesterday: There
hAs Deem considerable MISREPRESENTATION over this
Wno!e matter. The legislature at il last session
sc ASIDE 100 acres OF the school section north of
the city Tor the state university The land and
building commission was created 10 make the
transfer from tie old site in this city to the new
one We went TO work and scared perfect title
70 the oIc site by getting quit claims from the city
o. Seattle, from A A. Denny ana the heirs OF
tne other original donors OF the property.
ne evident intention OF the legislature was
20 nave this land sold in order 10 pay for the
building on the new site, and whatever else the
proceeds could be advantageously used for. We
accordingly had the tract surveyed and laid oaf
u eignfy lots, 35xi20 feet, with streets running
through to conform with those of the plat of the
eiiy- The law directed net that we must, but
that we might have this land sold. The method
laid down was public auction 10 the highest
bidder, after due advertisement We were ar
ranging to have It appraised, but we found upon
investigation that II the present state of the
naar2et the Land would not bring over $4,000
or $2Oo.e0. The Armory is on several of the
choicest lots, and there is a twenty-five year
lease on these lots, practically nothing
could be obtained Tor them. Sixty
foot lots around are valued as from 1900 to &c.
coo; and we could not get over $3.50 apiece on
the average for those eighty lots. That is
large estimate, and even that would bring in
only So, coo. Then, too, we heard that syndi-
cate Was forming TO buy the land il at es low a
price as possible so there was no prospect OF
getting what the land was really worth.
"The governor aud the board and the state
auditor consulted over the dilemma. and sill
agreed that TO put the land on the present mar
ket would involve serious loss TO the stat;
but If we could hold the land for year, or for
several years, the property would be worth three
or four times as much. 1t would, there orr, be
cheaper for the state 10 Issue warrants bearing
ID per cent interest until the money from ths
land. or from other sourccs, should come in
"The auditor thought that TO issue such war
rants would be perfectly legal and proper and
the interest would be small amount compared
with the loss from Immediate SALE Besides
that. we thought that If ii were deemed advisi-
bic TO hold the land after the next session OF the
legislature. some arrangement could be made
for funding the warrants AZ a lower rate of in
terest. We supposed We were thus adopting the
best course for the state and its university, aud
had we anticipated any trouble over the war
rants we should not nave gone ahead.
''But we or tered plans drawn for a building
and work done in grading ". tn the understand
ing that payment would be made by warrant
Alter We were well under way the auditor an
nounced to Us that be could not issue warrants
because on more careful examination of the
law and the constitution, he found that the leg.
islature had drawn the law so tn t there is
really no appropriation from the university
fund for the ex penses OF the work IL is evident
that the law on this point is not as clear and ex-
piicit as it GIT De. This decision o. the
auditor stops work, unless the supreme court
holds another view.
eve shall gain nothing by selling the present
site, for the money from the sale must 90 into
the university fund; and il as the auditor holds
there has been no regular appropriation from
that fund, then we can't get the money out
even after we have put it in, until the next leg
islature meets. What the legislature intended
l. clear enough, but the auditor holds that the
law Is defccty ely framed, and does not do what
the legislature meant it to do. SO there we rest
until the court acts.
Snow, as to another point Much has been
said about our Using all the funds of the uni
versity for this one building and charges of ex-
travagance have been fully made. People who
utter these charges do not know what they are
talking about We are directed TO make sub
stantial building of brick and stone, but more
than that we want structure worthy OF this
state Though we hope ultimately to sec uni
versity with twenty handsome buildings this
one now contemplated will probably answer all
requirements for quarter o. a century. Ye: it
must be such that the state will not be ashamed
of il hereafter. Ii the money is not forthcoming
we shall not even put up all of this build n.y.
The auditorium, a large assembly hail, can be
left off for the present, and perhaps a wing 1t
should be borne in mind that this is for state
university, not Tor a one-horse territorial
school.
Furthermore, even should we use up all the
money from the sale of the old Site the funds
of the university would not be exhausted 1t
has now go acres of land; also, the govern
ment granted not only the common school
lands and 100000 acres for an agricultural
college, but 10000 more for penal, educational
and reformatory purposes. At least half of this
land should go to the State unive rsity, and that
ought 10 give fund OF at least 5000 600 in a
q very short time-a magnificent endowment
"We are contemplating a fine building, but
no such costly structure some suppose 1t
could be erected in Chicago for $250.000 As for
tesselated marble ceilings, do you know, one
contractor offered to make the whole building
of beautiful Washington marble as cheaply as
OF stone We are waiting now TO examine the
marble and see how il stands tests We are
little afraid IL is not sufficiently durable
''No we are not planning extravaganee We
are simply doing what the university needs
done-and plenty of funds viii be left"