The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-28

with, however. and the house has dem
onstrated more of a spirit of fairness
towards the administration than has
the senate during the entire session.
Any plan of revenge must take the
house into consideration before being
executed, and the result there is almost
sure to spell failure.
Gov. Johnson said in his veto mes
sage:
The Governors Message
Hon. Ray w. Jones. President of the
Senate-Sir: During our entire period OF
statehood the governor as the chief exec
utive Of the state has by law been the
custodian of the state capitol and he Is
responsible for the general order and weIl
being of the same.
The new capitol is sufficiently completed
to be occupied by the Legislative. judicial
and the different departments are dom
iciled here by right of law and not as
tenants Of the state board Of capitol COM
missioneTs created to construct the build
ing.
Senate file No. 4, "a bill for an act to
provide for the care and maintenance Of
the new capitol and TO appropriate money
therefor" would take from the governor
the power properly vested in him as GUS
todian of the new state capitol and vest
this power in the board of capitol COM
miSSiOnerS. a board created not for the
administration of state affairs, but Gre
ated for the purpose of erecting and con-
structing the new capitol building. 1t is
essential for the due and orderly admin
istration of law that the governor be
placed in charge of the new capitol build
ing. and public policy demands that the
capitol commission be required TO COM
plete the work OF construction at the
earliest possible moment, and be made to
render an account of their stewardship
to the proper authorities without delay.
Senate file No. 4, should il become a
law. directly invites the capitol COM
mission to delay the work of completion
for at least two years. when. a mat
ter of fact, there is no reason why this
completion should not be effected within
a few months. II has been the policy or
the state TO lessen the number of sep3-
rate and distinct boards and to concen-
trate the management of the several de-
partments into a more central power and
in my judgment there is no reason at
this time for departing from the policy
to widen the scope of influence and au-
thority of the capitol commission by en-
1arging its field of operation and contin-
uing 1t In a line Of work not originally
designed TO be duty or function of said
board.
For these reasons and for the further
reason that cannot acquiesce in the i'm
pIication that the governor of the state,
chosen by a majority of the people OF
the state, is Incompetent to discharge the
duties of his Office as applied to this par
ticular instance, i am constrained to
herewith return senate file No. T. "A bill
for an act TO provide for the care and
maintenance of the new state capitol and
10 dppIOpflSle money InefeiOr without
my approval. l would recommend that
the legislature provide a sufficient appro-
priation to cover the cost and maintenance
OF the capitol; to provide for the appoint-
ment by the governor of a superintendent
OF capitol buildings and grounds, and au-
thorize the governor TO provide for such
other employees as may be necessary.
would especially urge in this connection
that for all employees where technical
knowledge. and ability IS required that a
civil service rule be provided in order
hot 4, ,fa IL.
changed with varying administrations for
political purposes
L beg to remind you again that pro-
vision must be made for the care and
maintenance of the old capitol building
as well as the new, and that there should
be no divided authority as to the custody
of the state capitol property. Yours re-
spectfully, john A. Johnson.
Governor