Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-03-17
PUBLIC BUILDINGS SCORED
Senate Committee Finds Construction
at Fault.
INVESTIGATION Is TO FOLLOW
Architect BerIinEhOf Comes I'm for
Censure, Though His Name is
Not directly Mentioned, for
work at Norfolk.
lErnm q 100 Correspondent. !,

LINCOLN, March 1e-(special telegram
Further criticism OF the state architect,
George A. Berlinghoff, is contained In the
report OF the senate committee on public
lands and buildings. sent In yesterday,
and II Is definitely stated that an investiga-
ton OF his work will follow Immediately.
Berlinghoffs control over the construction
Of the Norfolk asylum was literally oritl-
cised by the house committee on asylums
when the members visited there, but the
blame was not so definitely placed as 1t Is
by the senate committee.
The senators do not name Berlinghoff in
their report, but concluded with this state
ment:
I'm view OF the conditions as the COM
mittee found them at the different state
institutions visited, we have no criticism
| to offer in connection with the manage
ment of any OF these institutions except
the Boys Industrial school at Kearney'
but we cannot find words strong enough
to express our Indignation in connection
with the architectural construction and
business management in the construction
OF the new buildings which were visited,
and Il is the unanimous opinion OF the
&C mmittee that there is something rad
lically wrong and some steps should be
taken at once to place the blame where Il
properly belongs as there has been a
frisbtful waste of public money and this
Legislature will not be doing its duty TO the
people Of the state II some investigation
is not commenced at once TO find out who
is responsible for the disgraceful condi-
lions that exist in connection with the new
buildings as found by the committee"
The report Is signed by Reagan, chair
| III.
ming, McGrew, Tibbets, Warner.
On describing the construction Of the
new Norfolk buildings the committee says
Something is radically wrong there and
some Of our state officials are either
| guilty Of great incompetency or extreme
neglect" -- a--..,r fl.
On the Hastings hospital the verdict is:
! ut was the unanimous Judgment OF the
! committee that 1t is the poorest planned
! public building that they ever saw con-
| structed for the purpose for which It was
| intended and for the money invested"
The buildings Of other institutions visited
are not so severely criticised, but the
school at Kearney is pronounced to be
very badly managed, and abolishing It is
suggested as a better plan than the present
| condition.
The committee says
I'VE found a most deplorable condition
existing in this institution. Sanitary con
ditions Of all the buildings were very, yer.
| bad The different departments where tn,
boys were supposed TO be working wer
very poorly equipped, and nobody SCENE,
to be gaining any advantage or training
whatever with the exception of about
half a dozen boys who were laziy puttini
in time while the committee was looking
at them, 1t is the judgment OF the com
mittee that the school as It is conducts
at present is of no advantage or help I
the boys who are sent there. The com
mittee recommends that IL conditions can
not be improved or remedied and the stat
cannot get better results for the mona
appropriated for this institution, that
would be for the best interests of both I'll
boys sent there. and the state also, for tn
school to be abolished and some other ar
rangements made for the training and edu
cation OF the boys"