Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-16
GAVE |H[A A SCARE
Supervising Architect Causes
CONSERVATION Among the
Iowa Congressman.
Thought the Act Ceding Juris-
diction Over Public Building
Sites Defective.
Would Have Delayed Work Two
Years--.But the Law Was
All Right.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to TimeS-Republican.
! Washington, June 16.-Two-third OF
| the Iowa delegation in the house were
in panic the latter part of last week
over supposed mares nest discovered
by the supervising architect in connec-
ton with the public buildings to be
erected in Iowa, for which appropiia-
J tions have just been made.
Congressman Conner touched off the
mine which paralyzed for couple of:
days the Iowa representatives. The bill,
providing for public buildings having
been signed and duly recorded as
Statute, Judge Conner thought it would
be q good plan to get the work under
way at Boone. He called upon the SUI
| pervising architect to ascertain what
steps would be necessary to get the
building started, and was informed
that Boone appeared to be the only
| town in Iowa in which a public build
ing could be erected this year; that a
meeting of the Iowa legislature would
be necessary before any steps could be
City, etc. The supervising architect
pointed out that the act of cession, by
which the state relinquished all rights
in the sites for the proposed buildings
in the various cities in Iowa, had not
been properly drawn and that as it had
passed the Iowa legislature it was de-.
fective. He said the bill relating to
Boone was all right and that bids
Il
Judge Conner conveyed this Interest,"
ing informa ton to his colleagues inter-
ested in public building enterprises in
Iowa, and then CONSERVATION did reign.
1t developed that the paragraph re-
lating to cession which was supposed
to have passed the. Iowa legislature
was drawn by Chairman Mercer. of the
committee on public buildings and
grounds, in accordance with the exact
requirements of the government. The
only way it could be figured out was
that in some manner the phraseoiogy
had been changed slightly. yet suffiN
GENTLY to make it unsatisfactory to the
government.
Officials in the state house in Des
Moines were Immediately telegraphed
and requested to furnish the exact Ian
guage of the act of cession.
In the meantime there was lost
vast amount of perspiration in Wash
ington. Interested members fretted
and stewed and remarked. If it should
develop that the act was defective, in
fact, then the jig was up for two long
years. Not a spadeful of dirt would be
thrown until two years from this
spring, after the state legislature had
met and rectified the error.
However. the worst did not happen.
The eagerly expected wire from Des
Moines arrived and the exact language
of the act of cession was given. The
telegram was Immediately shown to
the supervising architect, who smiled
and told the Iowa congressman to be
of good cheer; that the language of the
act was exactly in accordance with the
government requirements. and that he
would forthwith order bids to be ad-
vertised for for all the Iowa towns in
cluded in the appropriation. Ali Of
which is, of course. very gratifying,
and. incidentally. illustrates the need of
exactness and infinite care in the
Of matters involving gov
action.
1t was the worst scare the Iowa dele
cation has had this session.