The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-04

ton of secretary nor has either the en-
dowments that should go to make up the
secretary of the great state institutions
of Minnesota
Architects Get Hard Rap.
In the matter of the state architect
too, there has been much heart-butaing.
AS the bill was first drawn it provided
for state architect at salary of $1,000
with an assistant at $780, This, it was
suggested, might look like political lob
and section eight was amended to read
that competitive bids would be received
for all buildings and repairs to cost over
$500. The intention of the amender was
to obtain the best possible work at the
lowest price and give all chance but
the very strange Interpretation given this
section by the board is being sharply
criticised. When Olof Hanson. of Maui
kato, a clever architect who had design
ed for the state schools several times
applied for specifications for the state
cottages at Faribault. he was Informed
that he could not bid on any of the work
unless he bid on all.
This was of course absurd. for the work
amounted to something over a million
dollars. All the small officers were cut out
and only the largest could attempt to
bid. The result was utterly foreign to the
intention of the amenders and creating
the very monopoly the amendment was
designed to destroy
Another mistake, in the opinion of those
who have some inside knowledge of
these things was made when the board.
at it's first meeting, before they had famil-
iariZed themselves with the workings OF
the institutions, assured the superintend-
ents that they would not be removed
except 'for cause" Minnesota has good
reasons, in the majority of cases. to be
proud of the men who are at the head
of her institutions, but there are some
exceptions, and while the board might
well have acted in accord so far as pos
sible with their announcement, it is point
ed out that it was an error of judgment
to bind themselves to all these officers
until they had learned more of the con-
ditions. TO get rid of a merely incom-
petent superintendent after having made
such a pledge might prove a difficult
task, more especially where he might be
a highly estimable man but a poor Of
fcer. Under such circumstances, the
necessity of dismissing an otherwise ex-
celent man with the stigma of for
cause" is both cruel and unfair, and the
announcement seemed premature and over
hasty.
Some of the heads of departments in
the institutions are complaining That red
tapeism Is carried to an eXasperating de-
gree, and that nothing can be purchased
without thirty days notice to the board.
This they assert is very annoying in some
cases, as for example if some of the shop
machinery breaks down suddenly. the
head of the department has no discretion
airy power to have any repairs made or
to replace anything and must wait
thirty days.
There is undoubtedly some much-needed
work for the legislature in amending the
board of control bill next session, and
here are few changes that the legisla-
tors might consider in the meantime.
First and foremost, that section relating
to Minnesota products might be made a
good deal more stringent; second no
more secret methods, bills, accounts and
sessions, all must be open to the public
and every taxpayer should have the
right, as under the old state boards, of
seeing all and any OF the accounts, and
the prices of the successful bidders pub
lished if required and, third, that sec
ton relating to the state architect so al f.
tered that any architect may bid for some
of the work, as for example for all the
work at Red Wing, or at st. Peter, or
Owatonna, etc, and not be compelled to
bid for all the work for every state in
stitutions in Minnesota. With these
amendments the bill creating the board
of control would be much improved.