The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-02-02
Public Examiners Report on
the Capitol Commission.
PRAISE FOR THE MEMBERS
Rendered Valuable Service to State
None of them PrOfited From the
Many Contracts.

has made public the report of the state
public examiners examination of the
books and records of the state capitol
commission. The outcome OF the inves-
tigation is most fiattering one to the
commission. Gov johnson accompanies
the report with a statement, and in it
| he says all that can be said on the sub
ject, and nothing more satisfactory could
be desired by the commissioners. The
governors findings and conclusions bas-
ed upon the report, are:
''After having carefully considered the
report of the public examiner, p NJ.
Kerst, to the governor of the eXamina
ton of the accounts and business con
duct of the board of state capitol com
missioners, the same being the only com
plete and exhaustive examination ever
made of the affairs of this department
of the state government, [ deem it but
proper to make statement of my find
ings and conclusions:
''The examination was ordered be
cause no complete examination had ever
been made and the commission having
expended four and half million dollars.
or thereabouts, and their work having
practically been consummated, it was
certainly proper that an investigation
be made that the public might know how
the funds placed at their disposal by
state legislature had been disbursed.
''ln work extending over period of
ten years, and in the disbursement of so
large a sum of money an examination
would naturally reveal something which
might be criticised, and yet my investi-
CATION of this report leads me first of
all to the conclusion that there was no
collision between the contractors and
the commission by which the latter pro
flied to the extent of single dollar.
"The report shows that certain bills
for services by individual commissioners
were approved and paid, which in my
| Judgment were not in accordance with
the law under which they operated, but
these bills having been allowed by my
predecessors in Office, it is not my prov
ince or purpose to criticise their judg
ment and their construction and inter
probation of the law.
| Il have no doubt that each member
of the capitol commission rendered con
| spicuously valuable service, for which
even under the widest possible latitude
he was inadequately compensated. Posi-
tons upon this commission, however.
were honorary, to which no great pecun
larry emolument was attached by the
legislature, and the persons who accept
ed these appointments must have full
| ly understood this fact. Differing from
the judgment of my predecessors in of
flee, l have not allowed similar claims
and will not do so in the future.
"The report shows that no penalties
were imposed for contracts unfuliilled
during the time limit of the contract.
"This at first presented to my mind
most peculiar situation, but closer in
vestigation shows that changes were con-
stantly being made by the architect
which rendered it practically impossi-
| bic tc complete any contract within the
time specified therein, and that as
matter of fact a penalty imposed upon
any of the contractors would have been
an injustice to them, the state not hav-
ing suffered by reason of the extension
of time generally given.
"Some criticism has already been made
of the fact that almost invariably bids
received upon the first proposal were. re-
jected and not awarded to the lowest
| bidder. There would be grounds for SER
ious condemnation of this practice but
for the fact that subsequently the con-
tracts were, with q few exceptions,
awarded at lower price than the lowest
original bid.
"Some complaint has also been made
that the mural paintings and interior
decorations were awarded to individuals
without the usual competition. The high
character of this class of work vindi-
Gates the Judgment and action of the
commission. Certainly a commission
for painting could not well be made
as the result of competition. ieL
"The purchase of fuel seems to me
to have been improperly made, Large
quantities of coal were purchased with
out any contract or competition what
ever, as provided by law, and as the re-
port states, the prices were not as low
as some of the prevailing steam de-
livered prices charged other concerns in
st. Paul. The public examiner person
ally informs me that the closest pos
sible investigation was made of the
books of the fuel companies, from which
this fuel was purchased, and nothing
there reveals the slightest possible sug-