Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-30
PAY FOR WORR IN ADVANCE
Normal Board Adopts sOheme to Save
Building Appropriation.
AUDITOR WILL NOT ISSUE WARRANTS
state Omcers Have All Returned
from Their Vacations and Air of
Life Pervadea the Capitol
Building.
CFrom a stan CorrespondentJ

(From a Stan Correspondent)
LINCOLN, Aug. %. - Especially - After
holding intermittent meeting all day. agree
ing on various plans, only to change them
at the next sitting, the State Normal board
finally, late this afternoon, decided to APP
prove vouchers for the payment to the
contractors Of the remainder OF appropria-
tions for permanent Improvements for
work yet to be done on the normal schools
at Peru and Kearney. This was upon the
recommendation of Attorney General Nor
rls Brown. who in n written opinion filed
with the board held that It would not be
contrary to the constitution or the statutes
90 20. X" these vouchers He recon-
mended that the board protect itself and
the states money by entering into an
agreement with the contractors that the
warrants were to be held by the auditor
until the work was completed and the
board ordered them turned over to the con-
tractors.
Auditor Searle announced TO the board
that he would refuse to issue the warrants
and suggested that the members bring
mandamus proceedings against him in or
der to get the matter before the courts.
This will be done. Mr.. searle said no
would Issue no warrants unless the vouch-
ers specified that the work had been done.
State Treasurer Mortensen refused to
act with the finance committee In making
the recommendation in accordance with the
attorney generals ideas because he did not
want his future action in the matter ham
pered by any action at present.
The vouchers which the board approved
wero as follows George A. Berlinghof.
S,e52O7; Joseph A. Sparks. s6lS2.65; Dussell
& Son, SsO7.75; Kuntzen Isdell, Ss,2S4S2
Il is presumed tho samo action will bo
taken by the Board OF Regents of the
State university.
Before noon the board rejected the sug-
Auditor searle said he would not issue
gestion Of tho attorney general because
tho warrant until the voucher showed the
work had been done and decided to change
the contracts, which provided that but 15
per cent Of the contract price shall be held
by the board until all work is completed.
Attorney General Brown was called in TO
30. K" this proceeding after noon and
told tho board such a scheme was abso-
lutely foolish and the worse thing the
board could possibly do. To change the
contract he said, would be to release the
bondsmen of the contractors and to leave
the state without any protection whatever.
BY paying the contractors the 10 per cent
retained the board would have just about
wiped out the appropriation. as that is
practically the amount due the con-
tractors.
state Omcers Return.
The state house has again assumed the
appearance of a real state capitol, all OF
the state officers who have been away on
their vacations having returned and set
tied down to work. Governor Mickey and
Secretary of state Galusha returned last
night from Portland Land Commissioner
nd nd
Lindsay, clerk of the supreme court, re-
turned from Spearfish this morning. Every
one of them came back feeling robust and
looking good.
Those state oflcers who went to Portland
were delighted with the exposition and
Nebraska's part of 1t and especially were
they pleased with the courtesies extended
TO them by the New York commissioners,
who turned over their building and annex
for the Nebraska day exercises. Secretary
Galusha said Governor Mickey, delivered
a splendid address that took we'll. Enroute
home Governor Mickey was taken Ill just
after leaving Seattle and at Spokane a
physician was called to the train and soon
Strengthened him out, The governor Is feel
ing all right now though he shows that he
has been through a strenuous experience.
Adjutant General Culver returned late
this evening from Sea Girt, N. j., where he
has been with the National Guard team.
want to Save Costs.
Attorneys for the Bankers Union OF
the World, which has been refused a IL
cense by the insurance department, and
the insurance department have been spar
ring today over proposition TO submit
their case to the court without trial and