Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-10-03
PULLMAN REGENTS
BUY IDAHO STONE
Action Stirs up Washington Guar
ry Men-Assert Native Prod
uct Is as Good.

the Washington State College in speci-
tying Idaho stone, taken from quarries
near Boise, for new buildings to be
erected on the Pullman campus, has
brought a flood of protests to admins
tration officials from Washington quar-
ry owners and stone cutters, and indi-
cations are that the next two or three
weeks Will see the line squarely drawn
either in favor of or against native
stone for state buildings.
When the bids for the Pullman
buildings were opened, it was found
that the tenders of Washington quar-
ry men were below those of the Idaho
quarry men. There is, of course, the
stiffest kind of competition between
the quarry men of the two states and
when the Idaho quarry men agreed to
duplicate the Washington figures, the
contract was awarded to them.
This was done, it is claimed, on the
showing of the Idaho bidders that the
Boise stone is of uniformly better col
or than any stone quarried in this
state, notably Tenino stone. There
seems to be no argument as to the
wearing qualities of the two stones,
but the Washington quarry men Wig
orously resent the statements made re
garding the color of the native product
and the leaning in favor of stone from
another state. In fact, the native stone
is pointed out to be in every way equal
to the Boise stone, and proof is offered
that its wearing qualities are superior.
The state capitol building here is Of
fered as an example of what can be
done with native stone, as are also
number of new federal buildings in
various cities of the state.
Now that the damage has been done,
the Pullman regents indicate that they
would do differently another time, and
it is possible the specifications will yet
be changed and Washington stone spec
flied. The newest subject of cOnten
ton on this score is the new state ar
mory at North Yakima, for which the
contract is to be let within the next
week or ten days. 1t is understood
that the architect has specified Boise
stone for this structure, but the pro-
tests which are coming in are evidence
that Boise stone must make stronger
showing that it has thus far to crowd
out the native stone.
Governor Ernest Lister, himself a
building contractor, has made many
years study of the building stone stu
alton in this state, and has taken the
matter of discrimination against ma
tive stone up with the various boards
and commissions by which new state
buildings are to be erected in the near
future. The governor has urged these
boards and commissions to proceed
with the utmost care and to favor ma.
tive stone wherever possible and where
it can be demonstrated beyond doubt
that the native stone will return equal
value and wearing qualities to the
state, with any of it's competitors from
outside.
1t Is stated at the capitol that there
are one or two new Quarries of white
stone being opened up In Western
Washington at the present time which
promise to revolutionize the quarrying
industry in Washington and settle for
ever any argument as to superior color
or wearing quality for stone quarried
outside the state.