The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-02-19
ST. ITE HOU USE WORK
Tho Architect and Contractor Hit
Hard by the Commission.
IN THEIR ELABORATE REPORT
Expert Goyernmcnt Constructor Pre-.
nounces Their Work a Spar
ody Upon the Science
of Architecture.' A

!. * .l 4.
ody Upon the Science
of fArchitecture.',
The report OF the commission az
pointed last year to investigate the
completion of the State capitol was
submitted to the general assemble on
Monday Of last week. The report
contains very serious Criticisms OF the
work done by the contractors. Nc
Twain Unkefer Co., under the super
vision OF the architect, Frank P. Mil
burn, and the original commission.
for accepting the work. Those mem
bers of the commission who approved
the final report Of the contractor and
Of the architect were: Gov. Nc
Sweeney, Nj. r. Cooper, secretary of
state; Representatives CAN'T and w.
j. Johnson, and the following from
the sinking fund commissions: Sena-
tor Mower, Representative j. Har.
vey Wilson, G. Duncan Bellinger, at
torney general; j. p. Derham, COM
ptroller general; II. II. Jennings,
State treasurer. The governor and
the secretary Of state were also mem
bers OF the sinking fund commission.
The Investigating committees report
sustains the protests made from time
to time by Senator Marshall, which
were not needed by the commission,
and his minority report to the legiS-
lature which brought about the inveS
tigation. The Investigating commits
sion consists Of Senators Robert AL
drich and r. /, Manning, Representa-
tives j. y. Patterson, j. M. Rawlin
son and II. Y Williams, by whom the
report is signed.
THE COMMITTEES REPORT.
After some preliminary statements
the committee says the subject matter
for our consideration is the work done
upon the State House to complete the
building, and the manner of its per.
Torrance. BY an Act of the General
Assembly, approved 18th February,
A. D., 1900, the sum of one hur-
dred and seventy-five thousand dollars
of the sinking fund was appropriated
"to complete the State House." and a
commission consisting OF the Cove
nor, Secretary OI State, one ilcTn beT Of
the Senate and two members OF the
House, was designated with the sinl :
Ing fund commission TO take charge CT
and direct the completion OF the State
House, to let out all work herein ALI
thorized, to make all necessary COLI
tracts, including the employment of an
architect, and to see that the said
work is completed according to tie
contract, and to do any and every act
necessary to carry out the purposes Ci
this Act; provided, that the funds te
used unless contract be entered into
complete the said State House for tie
sum so set apart" AS the last SeSSiCr
General Assembly the said commission
made it's third and final annual report
bearing date 18th February, a. D..
1908, giving circumstantially all that
was done under the Act, and couclud
ing with resolution as follows: IRE
solved, That it does appear to The
commission for the completion of tht
State House that the work is satisfac
tory, and that the contract has beer s
substantially performed" Page 50
majority report. At the time mi
nority report was made by ore member
Of the commission, Senator j. @. Mar
shall, whereby the attention of the leg
islaturc was called to many defects II
the work.
The matters referred to in these two
reports put your committee in posses
sion Of what they had to investigate
The first thing they felt called upon tc
do was to secure the services of com
petent man familiar with this kind OF
work, skilled in his calling, and Of such
eminent standing in his profession as
to entitlc his testimony to full respect
and every consideration. Thereupon
we corresponded with United States
Senator b. II. Tillman, and solicited
his aid in the matter: With his usual
PrOmptnesS and efficiency, he put us
LIN communication with Mr.. Elliott
Woods, superintendent Of the Capitol
vt Washington, who recommended to
: us Capt. S. S. Hunt, chief constructor
or the United States Capitol buildings
and grounds, who he recommended as
"hrSt-claSS contractor, who had over
forty years experience in the erection
of large buildings" etc. Accordingly
your committee employed Capt. Hunt
tat salary Of Sl5 per day, the sum
stated by Mr.. Woods to be his usual
compensation, besides his travelling eX-
penses. He came and examined plans
and specifications of Architect Mil
burn, for the completion of the State
House, and the work done Hereunder,
and attended a meeting of the com
mittee at the State House on the 25th
and Goth days Of May, A. d., 1903,
went an over the building, in com
pany with your committee, and point
cd out separately, and in detail the
dlferent pieces of defective work
all Of which is described i'm his tcSti-
mOny annexed TO this report. Capt.
Hunt impressed your committee as a
conscientious and able man, fully alive
10 the requirments of the work in
hand, and fearless i'm performing IL.
Your committee feel constrained to
report generally that the minority re-
port of Senator }. Q. Marshall is fully
sustained by the evidence taken and
by the visible facts for all to see for
themselves who choose to go over the
building and make even casual exam
ination of it,
More specifically we find:
l. That the architect, Frank p. Mil
burn, employed by the commission
under the Act for the completion Of
the State House, did not furnish suit
able plans and specifications for such
work, notably in failing to specify in
detail what the contractors were re-
CURED to do in many instances, but
leaving the same to be decided by the
architect, thereby vesting large dis
cretionary powers in himself, which
could, and we are constrained to say,
were exercised to the states injury.
Said plans and specification and the
contract under which the work was
done, are on file in the Office of The
Secretary of State. copies Of which ar,
hereto annexed, and sample Of wha