The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-16
LEGISLATORS PAY A VISIT
TO THE SITE OFFERED BY THE
DAKOTA COUNTY
CAPITAL.
1T CANNOT BE SURPASSED
Judge Hicks, of the Committee
Wakes Quite Enthusiastic Over
the Attractions.


statement made by Judge Hicks, who.
as one Of special committee Of the
legislature, spent the best part of yes
terday afternoon inspecting the site
offered by the city Of Hastings for the
location of the Fourth hospital for the
insane
The history Of the contention arising
over the work of the commission in
first locating the site at Hastings by
a unanimous vote in December, 1895,
and then ten days afterWard reconSid-
ering the vote and locating it at Anoka,
is familiar, not alone to those directly
interested, but to the general public
The matter came before the legis-
lature early in January last, on a
minority report from the commission,
signed by Messrs. Smith, Bondy and
Carlson, three Of the seven members
of the commission, who protested
against the action Of the commission
in first locating the site at Hastings
and then reconsidering this action and
locating the site at Anoka. The
minority report sets up that the site
offered by the city of Hastings is the
best site offered the commission; that
the site afterWard chosen at Anoka
is not well suited for the needs of a
hospital for the insane; that, if the site
at Anoka, for which $4,000 had been
expended by the state, had any weight
with the legisla ture, they should take
into consideration the site offered by
the city of Chaska for 81, and which
was superior to the one chosen at Ano-
10 n,,+ fx,r ~ rs4- %I,ok h.
site selected is a most undesirable one,
and if the legislature should inspect
the same it would refuse to permit any
more money to be expended upon the
site finally chosen by the majority Of
the commission.
In addition to the minority report Of
the commission, the mayor and city
council Of Hastings also called the
attention Of the legislature to the mat
ter and asked that a committee be
appointed "to examine the records Of
the entire transactions Of the commits
sion in order that the best interests Of
the state may be conserved and the
good name of the state freed from faint
and dishonor.'
The petition Of the mayor and council
Of Hastings called the attention of the
legislature to the following facts for
consideration:
All the sites offered by the different COM
munites were duly examined and inspected
by the commissioners personally, before any
vote was taken to indicate their judgment.
Public and special notice was given in
the newspapers, and by letter, that the COM
missioners would meet at the State Capitol
in st. Paul Dec. 10, 1895, for the purpose of
selecting a site for the Hospital, and that
ferent sites offered. They did meet on said
day, and gave audience to the delegations
then present in the interest of the various
cities which had made propositions.
At this meeting, after hearing all present,
and having all the facts before them, the
commissioners unanimously voted to locate
the Hospital at Hastings.
The commissioners the next day after locat-
ing the Hospital at Hastings, visited the St.
Peter Hospital in body, for the purpose of
better considering building plans for the new
hospital
After having visited the St. Peter hospital,
they visited the hospital at Rochester for the
same purpose.
The commissioners after a lapse of a week
or more, still oStensibly for the purpose of
considering plans for the new hospital visited
Fergus Falls.
At this meeting held at Fergus Falls, with
out notice, or intimation to the people of the
state. or even to three of the commissioners
themselves pretended to reconsider their
previous well considered action in locating
We ask. what new light did any member,
or members. Of the commission see at this
meeting to lead them to change their judg
ment?
If these facts can be shown, do not the
honest people of Minnesota want more light
in a matter of moment and great concern to
the state?
An honest minority Of this commission de-
nand hearing from your Honorable Body,
that they may have the opportunity to give
an account of their stewardship. Surely the
Of no n; Cr,ith
Bondy and Carlson, who have not changed
their minds, should be entitled to at least
as much credit for honesty Of purpose in this
matter as the majority Of the commission,
Messrs. Eastman. Block Merriman and
Hopper, who have mysteriously changed their
votes. and without giving any satisfactory
reason for the change.
We believe the great State Of Minnesota
ought not to permit an injustice condone
wrong to its unfortunate and helpless
wards
A motion was made at the last meeting of
this commission, that the records and min
uteS of the proceedings OF the commission
be made part OF the commissioners report
to the Legislature. This was voted down by
vote of four to three. This refusal of itself
gives rise to suspicion that some wants
to hide something from the Legislature.
Why should this commission suppress it's
own records and proceedings? Is the major
ity, ashamed-or afraid-of what their rec
ords will disclose?
The legislature, on the strength of
mission and the petition of the mayor
and council Of Hastings, appointed a
committee Of eleven to investigate and
report. This committee consisted Of
Senators Culkin, Young, Potter and
Sheehan and Representatives Staples,
Kendall, Shell, Barta, Hicks, Dare and
Douglas. This committee were given
authority to make a complete investi-
cation and commenced their work last
Thursday by visiting the Anoka site
Yesterday afternoon ten Of the eleven
members Of the committee, the only
absentee being Representative Douglas,
boarded a special train on the Milwau-
l1ee road and visited Hastings. The
delegation, in addition to the 1egisla-
tive committee, included 7. A. Caswe1l.
Of the Anoka Herald J., c.. Norton. o.
C1aussen, w. H. Burk and Judge J. G.
Chandler, Of st. Paul The Hastings
delegation comprised Mayor Parker.
John Heinen, E. A. -Whitford. r. G.
Lilly, John F. Norrish Gen. U. LIE Due.
Otto Doebler and Senator Albert Schal-
Ter h.r
The party left the union depot at st.
Paul and thirtyfour minutes later were
on the ground which had been first
selected as the site for the location Of
the asylum. Here sleighs were taken
and the legislative committee and the
other members of the party were driven
over the tract which the city Of Hast
ines had offered for the hospital.
The tract embraces 653 acres on the
bank of the Vermillion river. OF the
total acreage $40 are tillable and fertile
land, three-fourths Of the ground being
on a plateau from rs to 100 feet above
the MississinDi overlooking the valleys
of the Mississippi and St. Croix, one
Of the most ma gnif cent views possible.