Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-02-24
VIA sen ATok sA,3ENt3 SAID

There haa been IS much written
about the alleged non use OF N innesuta
material in i state buildings that the
following statement ny Senator Sa4eng
wall be Of interest q passing, 1t may
be said that The largest building con:
tract let in Minnesota since thn capitol
was constructed. that for the state pri-
son, involving two millions OF dollars,
provides for Minnesota stone and Mid
nes0ta brick.H!S :i:%';;>: sri: ".:t.;
1T is q natural inference from the
language Of, the majority report that it
has generally heen the practice in this
state to construct public buildings OF
QUITO state material. The facts do not
warrant any language which conveys
pears from the Investigations of the
committee that only very small per
cent Of the total cost of state buildings
erected in the past, or about to be
erected. arises from material purchased
outside of the state. The special occa.
sion. l. believe. for the introduction
ana passage of the resolution providing
for the appointment of this committee
was that contracts were ABOUT to be let
for the constr uction of certain buildings
at the State University, in which, as it
was reported out~of state material was
to be used: It appeared. however. on
investigation that the cost OF the
foreign material which it Is proposed
to use IN the building at the Univer.
sity amounts to only Is per cent of the
total cost of the building. In large
majority of the buildings constructed
by the Board of Control since the crea.
ton of the Board 10 years ago, Mime
sofa brick anu stone have been used ex-
usively. In the much smaller num-
ber of buildings in which outside
material has been used to some extent,
approximately Is per cent OF the total
cost of the buildings can be charged to
material purchased outside of . the
state. It 10 therefore conservative to
estimate that less than Z per cent of
the total cost OF all buildings con-
structed under the supervision of the
Board of Control is chargeable to
material produced outside of the
state. This statement of facts, it
seems to me is sufficient answer to
much of the criticism which has been
expressed relative to the use of out of
state material in State buildings. 1t
appears from this showing that the
policy has been land it certainly
should be) to use Minnesota material
whenever such use IS consistent with
the best interest OF the state and the
necessities imposed by the purposes fol-
which the buildings we're to be used.
To 60 beyond this broad rule, and
either by Legislative enactment or by
any infiexible rule Of any Board limit
the field absolutely to home material.
would not only be Inconsistent with
our policy Of free national intercourse,
but would in the end initiate against
the interest Of the taxpayers of the
state.
That the superior building stone
found In this state have not been used
more extensively IN the construction
of public buildings is matter of
regret, but the fault in my Judgment,
lies with the Legislature which has
failed to make appropriations stuff
cleat to enable. the several Boards to
use this material and still meet the
purposes for which the buildings were
to he ua0d.'