Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-26
KERN Is CALLED TO LINCOLN
II Irregularities Exist GOvernsr Will Ask
Contract Be 0ancslled.
CANDIDATE WILLIAMS At HEADQUARTERS
state Committee sends Out n Revised
List of speskins Dates for George
l.. sheIdOn-BrOwn in john
son County.
fFrom a STAN Correspondents

LINCOLN, Sept. &-(SpecisL )-Superin-
tendent Kern of the Hastings asylum Is
expected to come to Lincoln shortly in an
swer to a summons from Governor Mickey
who requested that the superintendent
'axing with him the contract between the
ATE and Earl Westcott for the construc-
ton Of food elevators at the asylum.
should the investigation show irregular
tiles IN. letting the contract the governor
says he will ask the Board Of Public Lands
and Buildings TO cancel the present con-
tract and make a new one. Failing to get
the consent OF the board to do this he will
in all probability report the matter to the
next legislature along with a number of
other contracts for an investigation.
Secretary of State Galusha has not yet
returned from out in the state, but in the
Journal this morning he is quoted as say
ing work out there had not been dlscon-
tinued either on the elevators or the
porches. Both Governor Mickey and Mr..
Mortensen requested work be stopped and
It is presumed to be.
The contract for the construction OF the
porches is another case of the board dele
eating authority to the superintendent.
Mr.. Mortensen was present at a board
meeting when the matter came UP and he
opposed IT. Later, during his absence, the
board gave authority to DR.. Kern to have
the porches built. The cost will be be-
tween 5000 and s6,00O so II is understood
by the governor
At the present time the maintenance fund
appropriated by the last legislature for the
use of the asylum amounts to about $50, 0OO
This sum has to run the institution until
the appropriation OF the next legislature is
available. Should the cost OF the ele-
vators and the porches be paid out Of this
fund undoubtedly there will be deficiency,
and this Governor Mickey insists he will
not permit.
Governor Mickey will ask the board and
Dr. Kern TO meet together and go over the
matter, though It is by no means certain
that the governor will be invited to attend
the meeting.
williams Now a Farmer.
J. A. Williams of Pierce county, who
sold out the republicans OF his county in
order to secure the republican nominal ton
for railway commissioner, called at the re-
publican state Headquarters today. He in
formed an official OF the committee that
he was now farmer and was harvesting
his clover this week. \
Il use my farm In illustrating my little
speeches." he said. exhibiting a fake re-
form smile.
During his residence In Nebraska Mr..
Williams has been, besides a chronic officc-
seeker, school teacher, a lawyer and now
q former. One who knew him and went
to school with him in Wisconsin had this
to say of him:
williams is like weather vane. You
never know where to find him. He goes
-sgith the wind. When he first came to Me-
braska he. tried to practice law in Omaha
Then he moved into Pierce county and the
next thing l heard he had given UP the
law and was school teacher. Then I
learned he had given up teaching school
and had gone back to practicing law He
managed by some way to get elected
county Judge, but I understand he was
badly defeated for re-election. He is SO
changeable there is, no dependence to be
placed in him." eff
Whether the state committee will dare to
allow Williams to go before the people to
preach honesty In government and talk re-
form remains TO be seen.
Dates for sheldon.
The speakers bureau OF the republican
state committee has revised the dates fixed
for George L. Sheldon, making a few
changes from the announcement of yester-