Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-05-04
Nebraska
LEE PUTS HEARING OYER
Broom Man Objects to Action in
Governors Absence.
ALSO OBJECTS TO PUBLICITY
Belief is Objection to Employing
Many Convict. viii BE Unsatis-
factory Working Conditions
at Penitentiary.
ALSO OBJECTS TO PUBLICITY
From a staff Correspondent

From a Staff Correspondent
LINCOLN, May 2-(Special. Clinton
R. Lee OF the Lee Broom and Duster
company met the members Of the Board
Of Public Lands and Buildings this
morning 10 discuss matters connected
with the employment OF prise nlabor
under the contract his firm has with
the state. Ever since the trouble at the
prison he has been employing from Is
to 175, whereas his contract calls for
So daily and the state has proffered
him that number. with the exception Of
few days following the trouble. Mr..
Lee has refused to take them, but de-
MES the reason is his company is over
stocked with manufactured goods. It
was to settle the question of employment
that the meeting was called.
At the outset Mr.. Lee, observing the
presence of newspaper men, asked IL
the hearing was TO be an open one
Being informed by Land Commissioner
Cowles. and backed up by the other
members present. that il was. Mr.. Lee
Offered decided objections. The board
members asserted they had nothing to
conceal. but Lee insisted that the news
paper men misrepresented him and his
concern and wanted an executive session.
which the board declined to grant. Then
Mr.. Lee took another tack and asked
that the meeting be postponed until
tomorrow afternoon, owing TO the alb
sence from the city OF Governor Aldrich,
who is a member of the board, and this
was granted. Incidentally Mr.. Lee
fortified himself for the hearing by pay
ing on account of his contract sSo27. IS.
which squares up for January and Feb
ruary, leaving March and April still
due. II is for these latter months that
the controversy arises over the charge
for time of convicts contracted for, but
not used by the firm
Conditions Unsatisfactory.
The hearing did not proceed far
enough today TO develop definitely what
defense the contractor will offer for not
working the men. but from remarks
dropped at the meeting and elsewhere 1t
is thought his contention will be that
conditions at the prison render 1t i'm
practicable TO work the full force and II
is also understood that he will claim the
present officials and guards. by reason
of their inexperience render II unsafe and
that he cannot get foremen TO supervise
the work and that working conditions
are therefore unsatisfactory. The board,
however. insists there has never been a
time in tn ehistory OF the prison when
discipline was better or as good and
there has never been so capable set of
officials. taken as a whole. as now, and
that this is particularly ture Of the
guards. upon whom principally lies the
responsibility for handling the conviots
while at work. Board members say they
will insist on compliance with the terms
of the contract. not only to safeguard the
financial interests OF the state, but for
the good OF the prisoners.
Another matter. which is taking the
attention OF the board at presest is the
proposed action Of the state against
the bondsmen OF the contractor for the
building erected at the Norfolk hospital
for the insane. The state was compelled
10 take over and finish the work and
the cost Of this. added TO what was paid
the contractor. was approximately $4,000
more than the contract price Of the
building. Former Treasurer Brian and
Former Secretary Of State Junkin, who
we're on the board at the time, have
been at the capital this week assisting
the present board to figure out the
amount the state is out in order that
the suit may be brought.
The Board of Public Lands and Build
ings is advertising for bids for the cree
ton Of large barn on the state expert
mental farm at Curtis.