Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-25

appropriating $1,000 for two new buildings
at the Beatrice institute; $4,000 for an adj
ministration building at the Peru Normal;
$4,000 for a new wing to be added to the
Kearney Normal school.
Senator IL well asked to find out what
the total OF a, ,rop ,ations would amount
to, bat the sena IT Il I'm Lancaster had not
figured this out and said II did not make
any difference.
Randall Attacks Kenrney Methods.
Discussion of the Kearney Normal bill
brought from Randall Of Madison an
amendment that the new structure should
not be built out of cement blocks. He
charged that scandal had grown out Of the
erection of the building and when Senator
Majors, who was a member of the board
erecting the building denied this, Randall
asked il a member OF the board had not
been interested in the contract and II the
architect had not had trouble with the
contractors.
Not to my knowledge" declared Senator
Majors in reply. But l do know 1t to be a
fact that the contractors were out about
$1,000 on the contract and that the state
has not a single building erected for $4,000
that is so commodious as this. The con-
tractor. gave a bond for repairs and was
rigidly held to government test of blocks"
Senator Randall asked II Member Gregg
OF the Board of Education was not inter
ested in the contract for the building and
If DR.. Thomas president of the school,
was not owner Of a patent on an appliance
for making the cement blocks used.
Senator Majors said these matters were
not In his knowledge and Senators Oils
and King explained that investigation had
revealed that Mr.. Gregg was a stakeholder
in a hardware company that had furnished
some fixeures for the building and that
DIR. Thomas owned a patent for making
cement blocks which he had devised out
Of the experience, received In construction
OF the school, but that he did not have the
appliance at the time the school was built
and had in fact sod 1t.
The senate, with the exception of Send-
tor Randall, took the view it was not good
business to handicap the board that would
have to build the new school by specify
ing the kind of material that should be
used. Further, Ii was expressed that ce-
ment blocks had been proved a good
building material and should not be con
demned if properly manufactured
The bill was recommended to pass il
the form 1t came from the senate.
Bonding CompanIes' Charges.
The senate did not complete discussion
of S. F. 391. by Bartos. today when II
was brought up in committee OF tn,
whole, because of a question raised by
some of the attorneys whether the stat,
had the right to fix the rate of charges
made by companies of this character TO
bonds. Figures were produced to show
that the companies had evidently b.
agreement raised the premiums on bond,
for state officers in some instances al
high as 800 per cent. He said this wa.
a combination 1t was high time the stat,
should step in and stop. The bill, whicl
had been favored by Speaker Pool in tn
house, gave to the auditor, the a~ttornc.
general and the governor the right TO ii!
premiums.
Finish on senate Files,
Today no senate files will be advance,
in the upper house unless by majorlt,
vote, the senate having agreed to thi
on report of the special joint commit
tee appointed to determine the day T.
stop consideration of bills in the hous
in which they originate. This does no
mean that senate files have been post
poned, but that the work of the siftinI
committee of the senate has stopped, ex