The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-10-17

NJ and supervising construction. They
er were told by the governor that the
= former contract had nothing to dc
with the present plan, and that as
long as he was governor, and had any
Il thing to say in the matter he would
Of men five per cent of the cost of
a building that would certainly not
o cost less than a million dollars. That
. plans and supervision for such an
undertaking should in no event cost
more than three per cent and that
, was the extreme limit to which he
would go.
When this information was impart-
ed the method that is somewhat pc
| culiar to Oklahoma was invoked.
Some of the closest political and per-
sonal friends of Cruce were appealed
to and they were INDUCED to see the
governor and have him alter his opin-
ion. They used every possible argu-
ment without effect. Finally the gov
ernor was told that these architects
had contributed literally to his cam
/ paign fund, when he was a candidate
! for office and were therefore on
! titled to special consideration. The
governor replied that the taxpayers
were not paying his debts and that |
if he owed these gentlemen anything |
he would personally settle the ac-
count, and there the conference ended. |
Cruce then called Col. Chas Colcori
into conference and induced him to
help supervise the work and assist in
finding competent architects. A Mr.
Wells, who had prepared plans AMI
supervised the construction of some
of the largest. best and most costly
buildings in the state, including the
Colcord building and the Interurban
Railway building of Oklahoma City,
was sent for. He was told by the gny-
ernor what was wanted, and that the
limit of price would be three per cent.
After considering the matter, he ,
agreed to accept. Again the Oklahoma
method was called into play, and !
threats were freely made to the effect
that if the present firm of architects {
was not employed, the pending propo. |
sition would be rejected by the legis T
lature SO thoroughly alarmed dill I
some of the people of Oklahoma City {
become that a meeting of the Cham {
ber OF Commerce was held, and a
committee was appointed to call up&n I
the governor and ask him to relieve a
Col. Colcord from his promise to aid o
him. A further conference was held G
between the governor and Mr.. Col =
cord. the result of which was that n
Mr.. Colcord undertook to iron out the
He later reported to the q
governor that he had gotten an agree- T
ment among the architects by which n
both firms would prepare plans an1 r
the work. for a commission f.
Of three and one-half per cent. This Il
was declined by the gov fl
arnor. for the reason that he had a q,
to do the work for three r.
per cent, that it was not worth more +,
han that and he would not pay more +,
Finding that the position of the gov q
,rnor in the matter was fixed, inter @,
,st in beginning work Immediately Il
yaned, and the matter was allowed TO h,
est until the legislature convened. y
The bill creating the capitol com y,
mission took the matter entirely out fo
# the governors hands, but he had 4 o,
onference with the commissioners, w
ter they were appointed, and gave
hem the above history, The commits
ion. however, finally entered into a ou
ontract with Layton and Smith, en- dis
aging them to prepare Plans, for 81
'hich they were to receive three and "a
half per cent commission, but de- We
lined to pay them the one and a half m.
er cent for supervision. Instead SCI
ley very wisely employed MIR. an
oyd. who has long been in the ser in
ice of the federal government, in tt,,eo
lie construction of public buildings. ina
tiff
Fifty-two thousand five hundred dol ma
RS ,was not enough to satisfy the eir sHi,
,sires of Layton and Smith. Theyi n,
i'll longed for the extra $22 500. The Of
lblic remembers that a rumor wa W W'
rrent some time last ,all to the the
feet that two of the members of off
e commission were to be removed. dSSr
here was basis for the rumor. The jud
eaker of the house and the prcs!- of
mt protein of the senate met in
ilahoma City and insisted that the 26-
ntract must be made or the remoN-
would take place. The members =,
ected applied to the court for a tc
straining order. and when this he '' =