The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-02-20
CAPITOL Commission
IN HEAP Of TROUBLE
TROUBLE OVER CONTRACT FOR DE-
CORATING NEW CAPITOL
BUILDING.
Secretly Closes Contract With New
YORK Firm Without Connective
b1ds-Twin City Painters Up in
Arms-Get Restraining Order From
:. Court, and Now Trouble is on
Fa1nters Claim Home Workmen Are
Competent.

ST. Paul, Feb. 18.-Argument on the
restraining order against the state o.
pltol commission in the matter of LEFT
t1ng the contract for decorating the
ne" state capitol to an outside firm.
Wal be made Monday Much interest is
shown here in the proceedings: It is
salo that Minnesota painters would be
appeased were they given an opportun-
lty to bid on the job. They claim that
tney nave journeymen painters thor
oughly capable to do the work There
IS law requiring all work to be let
uhoer competitive bids. One of the
most prominent painters in the state
said yesterday:
The law authorizing the building of
IN me state capitol provides that ali ma
Teri eerial or labor in said building that will
mgst be ddSentisoG the Of $780, all bids
ttgte papers IN general circulation in this
state, for fifteen days. and all bids.
Mnether Nee mel accepted or rejected. shall be
requires that the contractor shall Ale
WITH the commission bond in the sum
OF .G Gne-half the amount of the contract.
state capitol, the commissioners saw
flt to ignore this law entirely, and
entered into secret contract with Ell
mer E. Guarnsey, of New York, to paw
a JOB that ought to be done and couli
be be done under competition at the out
side figure for $4,000, and they did not
TgaulrG Tbe 3,ho1 Guarnsey to give any bond.
or Guarnsey and the architect This
contract was kept secret until the work
was started, and when we asked for a
until we threatened to go to law. then
they finally gave our lawyer a copy Of
it. it; Is this the way public business
snnondaaa sn0uld De gone T,a and the public money
up to- justify their illegal actions IS
that there are not men or contractors
IN this SECTION of the country who are
tlstlc work they desire done. This
statement is absolutely untrue, and is
an insult and injury, to our contractors
tractors and workmen in the Twin
Cities, WHO are as capable of doing this
work as Guarnsey or any men he can
the Twin Cities almost from coast to
coast and the many public buildings,
churches, theaters and private rest
dences, stands witnesses of what we
commissioners is not only an insult to
those in that business, but will prove
an injury to the business of citizens
of this state who are in the decorating
"since we have brought legal action
the commissioners have been called to-
Essesfh aes6 ssae Rs4adzs Gaas Sd
from New siIices the mSetfnR.
one Of their members has stated that
If they are compelled to do so, they
will advertise for bids, throw them all
out and give the work to Guarnsey, just
the same: They can do this, and de-
feat the intention of the law and rob
the people Of this state of thousands
of dollars
"While this action is pending in
court, the commissioners saw fit at
their last meeting, to pay Guarnsey
that he be paid $4,000 when certain
sketches are presented. They also paid
Edwin H. Blashfield, an eastern artist;
$3,000-nO one knows what for. Why
are all the actions Of the commission
ers in this matter kept such a secret
when they are spending $125,000 Of the
states money? Remember this is only
for the decorating: There is another
$125,000 set aside for picture painting.
making s250,000 for the decorating Of
the capitol
eve do not claim the picture or
figure painting. If they wish to get
La Forge, Blashfield, Simmons or any
other noted artist to paint them, we
will not object The Guarnsey contract
has nothing to do with them.
Another peculiar thing about this
case is that the states attorney. who
is supposed to prosecute all violaters
of state laws is defending these peo-
pie in violating the law.
"The contract was signed with
Guarnsey Sept. 29th, and no one knew
anything about it until work started
late in December"