The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-03-23
Roberts, Tnayer, Cole, Flower, Dorsey
and Hickey.


and Hickey.
An event that must be considered as
Greatly and truly'' unusual took place
on Wednesday evening last week.
This was the first banquet of record
given by, of and for the "Third
House," the name by which the
officers and employees of the legislature
are known. This unusual and most
successful event was pulled off" at
the Windsor Hotel dining room, and
1 cast no reflection on the membership
of the first and second houses when
l say that the array of talent that sat
down to the festive board on that oc-
casion was very little, if any, inferior
to that displayed in either OF the two
regular bodies. There were bright
young attorneys there, as we'll as
prosperous merchants, we'll known
editors, gray haired old soldiers, ex-
county officials, ex-members OF the
legislature, in fact, the Third House
is most cosmopolitan in its makeup,
and 1 mention the fact as a sort OF
counter-irritant to the many uncalled
for and discourteous filings" that
have found their way into the public
press and aimed at that most excellent
body of men who are proud to be
members of the Third House. OF
course, | needn't add that Pm one OF
'em.
There were several red hot commit
tee meetings last week, nothing very
unusual by the way. However,
couple Of them are worth special
mention. On Thursday and Friday
afternoons the Senate and House
committees on Public Accounts and
Expenditures held joint sessions with
former Public Examiner, S. I.
Johnson, in the role Of principal
witness. The matter under considera-
ton was Mr.. Johnson's last report
of his investigation of the state
auditors department from 1895 to
1903. The House committee, mainly
through it's chairman, Mr.. P. E.
Bowling, with the assistance of two
expert accountants, had gone over
carefully the same records upon
which the famous Johnson reports
were based. The committee had also
had hearings at which former auditor,
r. G. Dunn, and present auditor,
S. G. Iverson, had appeared to explain
the records and to supply verbally
certain facts not contained in their
records. To Judge from last weeks
hearings before committee the gist Of
Johnson's charges is carelessness In
keeping of the records, and it was
substantially so stated by Mr.. John
son. He further stated that he did
not charge either Dunn or 1versOn
with dishonesty and that he did not
think the state much the loser by
their administration Of the Office.
There were numerous remarks banded
to and fro between Mr.. Johnson and
members of the committee that were
at times tart and sharp enough to
enliven the proceedings considerably.
:. !. i.
Another warm time was had at
Fridays meeting of the House COM
mittee on General Legislation of which
Representative T. T. Ofsthun is chair
man. 1t all came about in this way:
The committee was considering a
bill which provides that the board OF
|control shall open all bids to pnblic
where bids are for the construction
and equipment of new state buildings.
A number of contractors and builders
were present to urge favorable action
on the bill by the committee, and
Hon. S. w. Leavitt, member of the
board of control, appeared in opposi-
ton to the measure. One of the pro-
visions of the bill was that proposals
for all bids should be published in two
daily papers, and this is what pro-
voked the storm. Mr.. Leavitt made
the charge that this provision was
plainly a newspaper graft and init
mated rather strongly that the con-
tractors present were grafters because
they had associated themselves with
certain newspapers in supporting the
, Objectionable provision. Immediately
there was blazing of eyes, a clinch-
ing of fists, and under breath mutter-
ings that BODIED no good to the
diminutive Leavitt. Mr.. Gillette of
Minneapolis, threw bouquet of
! tit-for-tat compliments at Leavitt and
there was promise OF something
doing" that wasn't exactly on the
program. Better judgment prevailed,
however, and the exploding point was
happily not reached. The contractors
later expressed their willingness to
have the advertising provision stricken
out but insisted on publicity in the
opening of bids. The committee took
no action, but the majority sentiment
seems to be in favor of the bill.
: The above opens up question that
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