Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-02-25


took the duties assigned him by the COM
| mission, under the contract which they
| made. which they accepted. and which
he understood to be a contract at | per
| cent. for the preliminary work of making
the plans and specifications prior TO the
erection of the building. He went with
them into other states and there exam
ined with them hospitals and institutions
of like nature SO as to be enabled to
| embooy in his draft the most approved
| ideas with regard to modern insane hos
pitfalls. He had been for many years in
| the employ of the trustees of the insane
hospital across the river here at Augusta,
| and had been the architect of all the re-
cent additions and wards which had been
built over there. So that at the time
they employed him. he was a man of ex-
perence in this particular kind of bust
ness. He set his. draughtsmen to work
and went to work himself. and he tells
| the committee that in the services of
draughtsmen and expenses paid out by
| him in making and perfecting the plans
| in accordance with his contract with the
commissioners, he expended over $1,000
and anyone who saw the plans when they
were exhibited here at two sessions of
the Legislature, will not doubt the state
ment. Those plans were presented to the
| commissioners and accepted by them as
| the resolve provides. and approved by the
Governor and Council as the resolve pro-
vides. and then became the property of
| the State.
If am correct. the commission found
| it desirable to purchase an additional lot
CT lanu more tnan was contempiated
! when the original lot was purchased. and
owing to the limited amount of the APP
preparation. they told him that out of the
| appropriation they would be able to al
! low him only $500. But both the COM
| missioners and Mr.. Coombs testified that
| 1t was the expectation and belief and I'M
derstanding of all the parties that that
same commission was to continue the
work of building the Eastern Maine In
sane Hospital. and that whenever the APP
preparations were made. as they expected
| they would be made, then the matter of
| the balance of the compensation would
| be made up to Mr.. Coombs. They did pay
| him the $500 out of the first appropria
| ton. as it was understood they should
do. Now those plans and specifications
We're here at Augusta in 1891. They We're
| before the Legislature and examined by
| everybody. They We're here again in 1893
and Mr.. Coombs was called before the
committees who had the matter in charge
| as the architect of the commission. and
made such explanation and suggestions
| in regard to the plans as seemed to be
| called for. he. expecting and believing as
| the commission did. that they would be
| continued to do the work for which they
had been appointed. But in 1888 the
Legislature passed Il resolve appropriate
| ing S1!0.O00 authorizing the appointment
| of Il commission and Il new commission
was appointed The new commission
after their appointment. ! think without
| consulting Mr.. Coombs at all, advertised
| for architects to put in their specIfica-
| tons. making it a competitive examine
| ton, so to speak. Mr.. Coombs who had
done this work for the State, and whose
plans had been accepted by the State
wrote to the commission calling their at
| tcntion to the fact that plans had been
| prepared and accepted by the State and
| offered If the new commission saw fit to
| continue the architect who had already
| been engaged, to make any changes or
| alterations. or new plans or specifications,
free of expense. They employed another
| architect and the other architect did not
pay him, but that should not affect Mr.
| CoOmbs. He has done precisely the work
authorized by the Legislature of this
State, he did precisely the work which
another architect has done since in diff
| ferent way. and got his pay for it. That
is the position from the testimony before
| the commission. and on the part of Mr..
him and the commission who had au-
| thority under the resolve. and the work
was done under that contract. That be-
ing SO. It seems to me there is nothing
| else to do but to pay our bills. If other
| commissions have not seen fit to utilize
! the work of Mr.. Coombs. that is not Mr..
Coombs' fault Under the contract which
he made with the original commission. he
is entitled to one per cent. and the APP
preparation is for the balance of that one
per cent over and above the amount
| which he has received from the State.
Mr.. Billings: wish to say that from
the explanation made by the senator
from Androscoggin. it is evident to my
mind that a contract was made In good
Il
ties representing the State. That he full
filled his part of the contract that he was
/ their adviser and architect and the man
they talked with in 1885, and at that time
the change took place. i feel myself
that the State of Maine cannot go back
on its contract although l think it is a
pretty hard trade for the State OF
Maine. l think that the case presented
here by the senator from Androscoggin
is plain and concise. l. for one, feel that
this matter has been thoroughly looked
into. ! understand better about it and
understand that the principle that lies
right back here Is the honor of the State.
For who would make contract with the
State of Maine hereafter If the subse-
4 quent commission can break that con-
tract and do them any damage.
The resolve was then given its second
reading and passed to be engrossed.
On motion by Mr.. Merrill of Andro-
ScOggin. the resolve to secure the proper
enforcement of the Inland Fish and
Game laws and to aid in the propagation
of inland fish and game, was taken from
the table.
/ Mr.. Merrill: Mr.. President-I only ask
the courtesy of the Senate for one mo-
ment while explain my position in re-
gard to this matter. At the time when
this was tabled, the order calling for the
. amounts appropriated for various pur-
poses had not been complied with. l.
in company with others, felt that it was
: unwise for this Senate to enter upor
the important matter of voting apprO.
: priations sblindfolded and some OF us de-
cided that we would table every appro.
/. priation until this information were gver
us. One week ago we got the FIRST
schedule, Today we have another