The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-18
GRAFT CHARGES ARE
MADE IN COMMITTEE
leavett and Gillette Make Free
Use of Term Over
Flower Bill

Because the Flower bill requiring
publicity in the award of building con-
tracts by the board of control contains
provision that notice of bids being
wanted must be published for two
weeks in two daily newspapers of
Minnesota, S. w. Leavett of the board
of control declared war on the print
ing graft of the state yesterday.
Mr.. Leayetts sensational statements
were made before the house committee
on general legislation yesterday.
Scarcely less sensational were the re-
plies OF G. Nj. Gillette of Minneapolis,
who favored the bill Mr.. Leayett was
arguing against the Flower bill when
he broke into an invective against the
alleged power behind the bill. He was
reading circular letter sent out by
the builders exchange to members of
the legislature. wheD he said:
What is responsible for all this
howl against the board of control. L
can trace the attacks to the CRATER, for
we have tried very hard to cut him off
from his graft whenever we have
found him. I'm not accusing you of
peing grafters- Wait till l get through.
re1er TO the newspaper graft and the
printing graft. This bill provides that
notice of bills for every contract must
be printed for fifteen days in at least
Two daily newspapers of the state.
There's the graft and the woodchuck
in this bill. The builders have allied
themselves with the newspapers and
relied on their omnipotence to put the
Dill through the legislature, but the
day is past when they can influence
legislators"
Aren't you oversensitive on this
h % ftaaa
committee asked Mr.. Leavett. and p.
V. Williams of the builders exchange
demanded to know how much the adj
vertising would cost.
What Printing Costs
TT would cost the state $4,000 to
carry out the provisions of this graft"
Mr.. Leavett replied. He read an edi-
torial from St. Paul newspaper head
ed, Turn on the Light" and said that
IL the ADVICE were carried out to cover
all supplies it would cost $4,000.
The state auditors report shows
what the state has saved in cutting of
the old printing graft" the board
member continued. The last report
shows that for $4,000 we received
what had cost when there was but one
real bidder 100000. That graft is
gone and must be restored in some
way, SO we read what the newspapers
nave " SOY VI the. DOdIQ VI CODlIOi.
We tried once to obtain blanks from
another house than the one supplying
us at that time. The attorney general
held that the contract belonged to the
old firm. Our figures from an indie
pendent bidder were $500. The con-
tract figures were $1,317. Let me
print the blue book at the figures II
cost two years ago and 1 will not ask
Tor any salary for the next two years.
Two years ago there was a bill to
compel the state insurance commits
sioner to publish statements of insur-
ance companies. The newspapers went
after that graft" Mr.. Leayett read a
copy of a letter written, he said, by a
st. Paul newspaper publisher to news
paper men in the country, advising
them to urge their senator's to support
the bill, but to keep 1t dark in their
newspapers. They ask publicity" he
said, for our department, but there
they wanted. the truth suppressed
Mr.. Leavett argued that IL the board
of control consented to making public
the bids for building contracts it
would have to do the same for all sup
plies, and this he declared impractical
and would result in losses to the state.
He insisted there was no demand for
the law and that ii came through two
or three disgruntled contractors In st.
Paul. He defended the veil of secrecy
that surrounds the board of control do
ings by saying that the boards books
were open to the governor, the legisla-
ture and the public examiner.
Gillette Takes Issue
George NJ. Gillette, the Minneapolis
ironworker and former member OF
the legislature, replied TO Mr.. Leavett.
He handled the bellicose board mem
Der without gloves.
MIR. Leavett has not talked to the
BILL" he declared at the outset. He
has talked about merchandise. He has
made a play on that and has pretended
to assume that this bill is intended as
an impugnment on his personal integ-
rity. Laws are enacted to prevent
abuses. / resent his imputation of
grafters. We are not grafters, and il
i'll becomes man who stands for star
chamber sessions that would, II he and
his board were dishonest, produce
graft, to charge these gentlemen with
being grafters. I say it comes with n
bad grace. The same standard OF
morality exists in the board of control
that prevails elsewhere. IL / wanted
a law drawn that would permit the
preparation of frauds on the state I
would frame the law as you now
have ii. If I wanted to prevent it /
would frame a law such as is offered
in this bill. And while we are discuss
that practically all the contracts for
iron and steel awarded by the board Of
control in the past two years have
gone to company OF which brother
of the architect of the board is secre-
tary"
Il must protest." interrupted DR.. ].
III. Dorsey OF the committee, you
must talk to the BILL
Wants to Hear More
"Oh, let him co." said Sherman
Smith. "Leavett has handed out some
pretty hot shot, and let Gillette pay
him back in his own coin"
This tin is to prevent graft now or
in the future" persisted Mr.. Gillette,
by the board of control will not sit
in my seat and let Mr.. Leavett throw
mud at these gentlemen under the plea
that his personal honor is impugned."
A. L. Cole demanded to know more
of the particulars of the iron contracts.
Mr.. Leavett said that the bids had all
been competitive, and II a st. Paul
company got the work 1t was because
ii was lower in it's prices.
The committee took no action yes
terday. At the hearing were repre-