The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-03-10

suitable building for said norma
school, with an estimate OF the cost there.
OF. and upon the approval OF tho plan:
and specifications, the board Of educatior
shall advertise for bids for the construc-
ton OF said building. and by and with the
advice and consent OF the governor Of the
) territory. shall contract for the construc-
ton thereof. The said building to be con-
structed under the supervision of 4
skiliful architect who shall see that the
building Is constructed In accordance
with the said contract This Is further
legislation OF the same class heretofore
condemned except that the limitations
here are still more uncertain. Whether
or not any contract on behalf OF the tor
ritory should be made I'm excess OF the
appropriation therefor. even though the
statute may directly authorize II, Is a
question OF law which We do not care 90
discuss But II any such contract may be
entered into tnen this contract Is auth
orized by law. although In our judgment.
not In the contemplation OF the legisla-
ture enactlng the statute That Is. pro-
viding the building is a suitable building
and 20 this we cannot yield our assen {
The building is situated In a sparseiy
| N'AttNA 'RAhAlN anu a 'huNlig AbNs WitNr
development is not rapid and where the
surrounding conditions will not probably
for many years develop population
which will fiji the capacity OF the institu-
tion contracted for. The evidence upon
this proposition shows that while there
are considerable number OF students
in attendance upon the northwestern nor
NAL school that their average Is such as
does not Indicate that they are In fact.
normal students but that the institution
is really a public school for little more
than high grade work The building actu.
ally constructed will cost I'm the neigh
borhood of $4,000 to furnish with appl
ances. fixtures and furniture while the
| contract for the construction OF the oul-
ding itself Is nearly SS6.OlS0O, making a
total cost for the school Of N1l,OlS00. a
| sum so vastly out OF proportion to tho
cost Of the Institutions In the moro
| thickly settled portions OF the territory
as to raise at least a suspicion OF tho
good faith OF the contracting parties ant
| to have entered into a contract for tho
| construction of this expensive building
when It was known to the board at the
| time OF entesrg into the contract for
the construction that by reason OF the
contract being so vastly in excess Of any
provision made for its payment that the
| cost Of the construction was increased
| by over 81. 1000. would seem as an addi-
| tional reason why prudent men. looking
carefully to the financial interests II The
territory as well as to the dem 1Gs ara
necessities for the institution woull mt
have entered into such a contract. Dids
by responsible parties for the construe-
ton OF this institution but used upon a
| cash consideration were by the board. ro-
| iected simply because they called for a
cash consideration. and the bid actuai'S
accepted was for a sum OF $4,000 mora
| than any other bid. thereby increasing
the cost of the construction about one
sixth. II is therefore our conclusion .hal
! the building actually constructed or c1l-
tracted 20 be constructed was not suit.
able when considered In connection wit1
the provisions for the payment there ":
when considered in connection with the
| demands and necessities OF the ssction
| sought TO be accommodated thereby.
when considered in connection with tie
ability Of tho territory to pay therefor
or when considered IN connection with
the fact that there Is at least a twelve
|
ment for VIII ch the territory in fact. gets
no considera ion. When by awaiting the
| action Of subsequent legislatures, Inn
provements could have been made tn any
building or additional appropriations.
made sufficient TO make the building meet
the demands Of the future
| SCHOOL LAND MANAGEMENT.
| In regard to the conduct and manage
ment OF the school lands office, your com
mlttee. neither by itself, nor Its experts
were able TO form definite conclusion
further than the management OF the Of
flee Is In the main In accordance with
the requirements OF the rules and seems
20 be regularly and accurately rUnduct-
ID. The most important violation OF the
rules Is that permitting the retention OF
the monies received from the lesses by
the governor as elsewhere cited. Youi
committee finds only one instance in
which the office could not produce a
voucher for any monies paid out or ;ne
fund, and that is in he case OF check
No. A. payable 10 H. s. Cunanshi a,
} $500 %: dated August i3. 1897. We find
p that the board keeps a record book ~
what purports to be the minutes OF the
iNaflohS meetings. YET llltnt ilANhAN' i"fN
been In any instance signed by any officer
: Of the board and there is not In any meet
e ing the approval Of any of the minutes
Of that or any other meeting so that y
is Impossible to determine from the roc
e ord that the board ever recognized thli
book as containing a correct statement
Of its official acts,
SecOnd-The employment Of the attor
= ney general OF the territory by the schoo
{ land lease board and the payment to hin
, of fees In the matter Of services claime'
D to have been performed by him IN col
: lectng school land lesses's notes Tn
II statutes Of the territory do nos preven
s. the attorney general from taking an
e private business that may come befor
e him as an attorney other than that iIn
y piled by the office Itself which alway
y requires that the officers first duty
, IN the office and the personal interest
J. must be secondary. The attorney seneri
le OF the territory IN our Judgment WI
N therefore authorized 10 take any priyai
r business that might come 20 him as q
= attorney and the only question LETT the
n 20 solve Is whether or not the coNecti0
"a Of the school land iesse's notes was
ID any proper sense private business :
We whether II. as such business as u wa
lis his duty 10 attend 10 It for the &C.
rs ritory.
n DUTIES or ATTORNEY GENERAL,