The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-05
FIRE OF QUESTIONS
CHAIRMAN sEABURY, OF THE CAP
ITOL COMMISSION, ON THE
STAND
NEW BILLS ARE CONSIDERED


the Meeting of the Committee by
Invitation and Receive Light on
Matter of Doubt What VIII BE
the Outcome.
8. f. Ill and S. +. 125 introduced in the
senate by Senator Morton, and passed
by that body, were under consideration
by the house committee on public build
ings last evening. The bills are what are
known as the capitol bills, and amend the
present law in two particulars. The first
one, S. F. Ill, repeats that part Of the
law which requires the commission to
retain 10 per cent of all contracts and
allows the commission to use Its own
judgment as to the amount to be held
back.
The second bill, s. F. 125. provides fol-
extending the levy until the amount rails
ed reaches the 100000, and the issuance
of certificates of Indebtedness by the
commission In anticipation of the oollec-
ton of the annual 2-10 of a mill tax pro-
v1ded for by the law of 1893, with the
proviso that the state shall pay the In
terest on the certificates so issued
Messrs Seabury, Graves and Corliss
members Of the commission, appeared
before the committee and answered sew
eral questions put to them by Mr.. Sta
pies Rep.), Of Dakota, and Mr.. Jacob
son tRep0, Of Lac qui Parle. Neither
of the two house leaders are members of
the committee on public buildings, but
as they both opposed the bills on the
floor of the house they were invited to
attend In order to satisfy themselves
that there was nothing wrong withaathe
measures and listen to the explanation of
the commission. .si-;s-.
Regarding S. F. Ill, Mr.. Seabury said
the retention of 10 per cent of the con-
tract awarded to the Butler-Ryan COM
pany was a pretty heavy sum consid-
ering that the contract bond amounted
to 100000, and the firm had given a
surety bond In the sum of $3.50, 600 He
thought IL the commission was given
charge of the expenditure of $4,000, 900 it
surely ought to have the say as to the
amount of money to be held back on the
contracts.
Mr.. Jacobson questioned II the modifi-
cation of the law would not make the
surety bond void To meet this objec-
ton the bill was amended so as to pro-
vide that the surety company should
consent to the change. Mr. jacobson
wanted to know If the building could be
finished within the 100000 provided in
the law of 1896 and what the commission
had done up to date in the expenditure
Of money
Mr.. Seabury then explained In detail
the work OF the commission to date the
amount expended and the estimated cost
OF the work to be done on the building.
The commission, he said, were working
on the plans and estimates submitted by
Cass Gilbert. the architect, which called
for the expenditure of $1,5OO,00o for the
building, exclusive Of the grounds, for
which 100000 had been allowed, and 500.
600 for all other incidental expenses.
The estimate of Mr.. Gilbert had been
A,472,0OO and every contract SO far had
been on the basis Of that estimate. The
estimate gave $709, 341ss for the construc-
ton of the building proper and the con-
tract with the Butler-Ryan company was
Tor $6S0,OOO which was slightly under the
estimate for that part Of the work. Tt was
shown that up to Jan. l, 1899, SIT, 200 has
been spent, and the balance of the contract
due the. Butler-Ryan company on the con-
-tract-was s427 900. To this would have to
be added $4,000 for walls and terrace
around the building, s45,37S for entrance
and steps, $4,000 for dome, $3.50, 533 for
minor contracts and $4,000 due the arehi.
tect. This gave a total of 81, 95S, 2O6 and
was about $4,000 within the appropria-
ton of s2,000000.
1t was the plan Of the commission to
push the building as fast as possible and
for this reason $350.0O0 of the 100000 In
certificates which were authorized in 1895
had been issued.
Mr.. Jacobson inquired If the commission
did not intend to pay the interest on the
certificates issued under the 1897 act He
also questioned If 1t was the intention to
have the state pay the interest on GER
tificates which 1t was proposed to issue
under the proposed bill.
Mr.. Seabury replied that if the commits
sion had to pay the interest on the $3.50, 0OO
certificates already issued or on any of
the certificates it was proposed to issue
the work In the interior of the capitol
would have to be cheapened Just the
amount paid out for interest. When. the
law was passed in 1893 it was supposed
that the two-tenths of a mill tax levy
would in ten years raise the s., 600, 600 this
had turned out to be mistake and but
$650,O had been received and at the pres
ent rate but little over s., 200, 600 would be
received from the tax levy in the ten
years In which 1t was calculated the S.
600 would be raised This meant that
there would be a shortage of about
$500, 600.
There was but two things to do allow
the commission to issue certificates and
go on with the work or as soon as the
present contract was completed board up
the building and walt for the money to
come in. At any rate the levy would have
to be extended as in ten, years the amount
would not be within $800,O of the 81, OO0,-
900.
In concluding his talk, Mr.. Seabury
said that it was impossible for any man
or set Of men, to figure out in 1898 Just
what would happen in six or ten years.
The commission had done the best 1t
could for the interest of the state, and
while the estimates, as made at the time,
were lived up to, the price Of materials
and labor was advancing, and it was i'm
possible to say whether the cost Of con-
struction might not exceed the estimates
made three years ago. The only thing
the commission could do was to go on
with the work, and if a saving was to
be made 1t would have to be on the
minor contracts for the interior Of the
building. ~
Mr.. Jacobson was of the opinion that
1t would be better to stop work for three
or four years rather than pay $500 II,
interest on certificates.
Commissioner Corliss said either the
work would have to be stopped or the
legislature would have to provide way
of securing more money. When the pres
ent contract was completed the COM
mission would have expended all the
money which would come In under the
law Of 1898. which provided for a levy of
two-tenths Of mill for ten years. 1t
was no fault of the commission that the
valuation Of property in the state had fall
len off from what the legislature Of 1893
estimated. The commission was the SER