The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-15
KICK ON JAIL CONTRACT
ACCEPTANCE OF PAULY PLANS
STIRRED UP LOCAL BUILDERS
AND OTHERS
BUILDING TRADES RESOLVE
They Regret the Action of the Board
OF County COMMISSIONER, and
Urge a RecOnsidera-
ton.

Contractors and representatives Of the
local building trades to tho number OF
100 met last night at the Reardon block
| to protest against the action of the board
| of county commissioners in accepting the
| plans of the new Jail submitted by the
Pauly company, of St. Louis.
| The deliberations of the meeting result
ed in the adoption of the following reso-
| luton:
| Whereas, The county commissioners of
Ramsey county, at a meeting held on
Aug. 1S, 1900 by majority vote gave the
! contract to the Pauly Jail company, Of
! St Louis. Mo, for plans and specifica-
! tions for the proposed new county Jail;
/ be 1t
| Resolved, By the contractors assembled
! that we regret their action in giving this
| contract to a foreign Nfirm in opposition
| to home architects, which is contrary to
| the policy Of protection to home indus
! try.
| Resolved, That we respectfully ask the
! county commissioners to reconsider their
action and adopt plans and specifications
! or st Paul architects.
! The contract has not vet been approx
| ed by County Attorney Bigelow, who re-
4 turned from his vacation but yesterday,
and there is possibility, it is intinated.
| that Mayor Smith will refuse to a1Iix his
| signature as chairman.
Mayor Smith says: 81 do not know
| whether 1 shall sign the contract or not
I think it an injustice to our own people
4 Mr.. Pauly appeared before the board ard
stated positively that his estimates " ere
for a structure to cost not more than
! 100000 In the draft of the contract
which I have seen, $125,e00 is the figure
| named. l have asked the county
! attrney to withhold his approval of the
| form until tomorrow afternoon, when I
will again bring the matter up"
The Pauly plans were adopted In the
| face of protests from Mayor Smith and
/ Commissioner Powers, who favored &C
| cepting the plans of some one Of the loo
! al competitors. 1t was pointed out that
attached to the Pauly plans was a pro-
viso that in case contract for the con-
struction of cell work should be given the
! st. Louis firm the usual compensation of
1 2 per cent on the contract price would be
/ waived. This, 1t was urged, was in the
nature of a bride.
| John Jacobson, Of Jacobson & Buech-
ner, yesterday called on Mayor Smith and
| the county auditor and stated that If pos
! stble an order would be secured from the
court restraining them from signing the
contract.
| The Commercial club IS opposed to the
Pauly Jail plans and also to erecting the
| proposed new jail upon the site Of the
/ present jail.
| This was the decision reached by the
/ board of directors at meeting this af-
ternoon. 1t was urged that local archi-
tects were not fairly dealt with in connec-
ton with submitting plans, and that the
! Pauly company is granted concessions not
conducive to the best interests Of the tax
| payers, In that the company, if given the
| contract, will be granted the right to use
certain patented devices against which
4 other competitors cannot bid.
The objection to the present site is that
! 1t is not suitable for a jail such as the
needs of the county demand.
To formally present these protests to
| t14e proper authorities a special commit
| tee consisting of H. A. Boardman. w. s.
/ Fiynt, w NJ. Carson, B. H Schneider.
/ John Caulfield and c. P. Slime was ap-
pointed. The committee visited Mayor
Smith, County Auditor Johnson and Coun-
! ty Attorney Bigelow.
The mayor agreed with the gentlemen,
| and said that he would cooperate with
/ them. He was not, and never had been,
/ in favor of the award on several grounds.
i The committee went to the county COM
missioners entirely in an informal way,
and of course did not obtain any satisfac-
ton of an official nature. However, they
|
which VIII probably be in the course Of a
| few days.
Another matter taken up was the pro
posed Disagreement Of the city han lawn
| by putting a permanent structure on the
| Fifth street side.
! The legal aspect of that step is under
! investigation. 1t has been discovered
| that the city hall square. not including
| that portion at present occupied by the
building Itself and the jail-that Is, the
! the remainder-is equally owned by the
| city and county, so that II any of 1t Is
to be appropriated for any purpose what
soexer the consent Of both parties will
| be necessary. This leaves to the county
! the power to alter or rebuild the present
| Jail, but if the new jail Is to extend even
two inches further than the old one the
city's consAnt must be obtained before the
| property is taken.
The new jail is being built because of
the small accommodations afforded by the
old one, so, as the matter stands, before
| the county commissioners can legally
! let the contract for the work on the new
Jail the city must approve.