The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1906-05-17

some enacted Bonds attempted be issued against
the school fund of the State which had been provided by
Congress as perpetual investment for the benefit main.
tenance of the public schools and State educational in
stitutions They not satisfied to wait until these
could realized they provided for morgagng them
construct buildings at the places where they located
which would be ornaments to the town and furnish job
for some favore. Fortunately the Supreme Court held
this law unconstitutional.
In the last session of the legislature after demand
the part of the people for the erection of capitol
they secured the means peculiar to themselves
of law providing for construction of capitol.
Did this law say how much the capitol should cost? Did
lit fix any mit simply provided that should not cost
exceeding that which might be derived from the sale
o the capitol building lands which had been granted the
Estate by Congress- Now there had originally been 50 500
acres these lands Over had been sold and
the proceeds far obtained used in repairs to the old
capol bonds outstanding mortgagng the future
ceps from these lands The proceeds of these bonds to
the extent of between hundred and two hundred hous
and dollars had been used in the old building Over 900
of the remainder of the lands had not been appraised
the commission who had charge of this matter had
official knowledge of the the amount which would be avail
able for the construction of the building and could not pos
siby fix any limit of COSTS
Part of the lands had been ordered appraised but
when the advertisement for bids issued the returns from
apprasement board had not been made No steps had
been taken to apprase thirteen thousand of these
lands. Now, how could anybody bid ntelgently the
construction of such buildings There further nfor
nation as to it's contemplated cost.
They attempted to mortgage these lands by providing
for the issuance of hundred thousand dollars in cer
Gates Of Indebtedness then the Board issued ADVERTISE
men calling for bids for plans and specifications and the
construction in In other Words instead of pursuing
usual and obtaining plans and specifications
first then submitting them contractors and receiving
bids for construction from each person. Each would
be bidding his plans which would be unknown to
anyone else. This foreclosed any competition. but still
further they limited the time between the publication of
their advertisement and the reception of bids forty days
Architects tell me that building costing anything like
this building presumed to cost would require less
than ninety days for the preparation Of plans and specca
tons and that contract should have at least forty days
additional in which to inteligently figure it's consruc
ton They preudced by this method every architect and
every builder of the ate they appear to have shut
EVERY architect and builder who had not received in
side information that his bid would likely be accepted and
who did not have plans prepared before the issuance of their
advertisement Is not perfectly apparent that they had
selected architect and contractor before that advertise
ment issued! 1t clear to that the law
drawn to fit the advertisement rather than the adver.
tisement to fit the law there law drawn Civ.
ing opportunity for graft and favorsm this such
la law. not charging the members of the commission
with corruption with being corrupt In business
way have implicit confidence in each of them but they
were the kind of who personally Of integrity
but who under the dominion Of these people that
when told to do thing they neither look behind
ahead, but do as they told.
Now, in itself it did not matter much whether
had capitol costing five hundred thousand dollars
million five hundred thousand dollars long there
funds from these lands to complete but the great danger
to the taxpayer of the state lay in the probability Of
building being planned and started and the fund exhausted
before the building completed then the taxpayer would
either that building standing unoccuped and
they would have to pay by direct taxation for it's
pleton
Now, these very few Of the which these
people have advocated and might mention great
Der of these which the people have demanded and which
they have opposed and defeated
Time will not permit suffice it to say, that wherever
there demand for for the relief of the
people and the taxpayer they have almost invariably Oh.
posed it, and in nearly every instance they appear
opposed measures which right and just and proper
and favored those which wrong unjust and improper
They chalange to point any specified misdeed of any
of the officials whom they have named any item graft
Now investigation of state matters only be made by
authority of the Legislature The Legislature pro.
vide committee and the necessary funds witnesses
and the necessary law to compel them to testify. Private