The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1915-03-25
MINNESOTA MATERIAL
State Board of Control Very Strongly
in Favor of Using Home Ma
terial in Public Buildings.

years represented an investment of
81 ,862,7 68; and the gratifying feature
of it all is that better than 70 per
cent of the material used and the la
Dor employed was Minnesota product
Answering a demand made by the
Minnesota legislature few weeks
ago for information relative to the
use of Minnesota building materials
and labor in the enlargement and i'm
provement of the various state insti-
tutions under the jurisdiction of the
state board of control specified forty
one improvements and of the 1862
768 invested it was able to state that
$1,318,7S9 of the amount had remain
ed in the state.
Of the total 70.8 per cent had been
invested in building material and la
Dor bearing the Minnesota stamp.
Only 1872 per cent had gone outside
the state and this was because of the
fact that the material required could
not be obtained in Minnesota or that
there was such a marked difference in
bids that the board in justice to the
taxpayers of the state was compelled
to accept the outside offers.
All things being equal or in meas
ure so, Minnesota contractors, deal
ers, and manufacturers and even la
borers are given the preference by
the board of control in all expendi-
lures relating to the various institu-
tions. Only on one or two occasions
has there been any attempt at a COM
bine and these were quickly dissipat-
ed when the board gave notice of it's
independence and called for new ap-
preparations or went abroad for it's
wants.
Recently additions were made to
the Power plant of the Anoka asylum.
The amount of the contract was $14,-
ia. Of this amount over $4,000 was
invested in local material and work.
At the same institution service
building was erected at cost of $685.
498, and of the amount, $22,636 COW
cred Minnesota materials and labor.
Of the forty-one improvements
made by the board and included in the
list submitted in answer to the de-
mand of the legislature better than
majority show a decided preference
for home material and labor. Because
of lack of development and the cost
involved in its manufacture some of
the Minnesota building materials are
considerable higher than those of out
cid foc f, 111f
fed just the same and in the propos-
ais made, the specifications for the
buildings or improvements under con-
sideration are often remodeled in Or
der to meet them.
How Minnesota material and labor
figure in many of the building con-
tracts let by the board can be seen
from the following:
Boys dormitory, Experimental sta
ton, Crookston: Amount of contract,
$26,296; material and labor in the
state, $$22,175; outside the state, $4,-
121.
Boys dormitory, School for the
Feeble minded, Faribault; amount of
contract, $28,275; Minnesota material
and labor, $2O,397; outside state, 49,
388.
Infirmary and cottages, Hastings
insane asylum: Amount of contract,
$94, $50; invested in Minnesota, ST.
805; outside state, $16,825. .
Power house, Rochester insane hos
pital: Amount of contract $43,427;
Minnesota material and labor, $27,-
448. Only 81 per cent of this contract
went outside the state.
Service building, power house, etc.,
State Sanatorium, Walker: Amount
of contract, sos, 1923; portion invested
in Minnesota material and labor, $685.
955. Outside the state, $35,56S.
In the matter of construction work
at the state university which has been
particularly heavy during the past
three years the percentage of invest
ment in favor of Minnesota material
and labor has ranged from 60 to 70
per cent. In these structures much
steel and other material not manufac-
tured or produced in Minnesota have
been necessary and naturally outside
purchases have been compulsory. One
of the largest investments here was
the chemistry building, the contract
price of which was $268,922. Of this
amount nearly $175,00O remained in
the state.
The contract price for the School of
Mines building at the university was
$114,286. 1t was built by Mime
sofa contractor and $81,S76 or II per
cent of the entire amount went to
Minnesota material, men and artisans
Many materials entering into build
ing construction are not produced or
fabricated in this state. These ma
terials consist of Portland cement, re-
inforcing steel, structural steel, steel
sash, slate and tile roofing, vitreous
finish floor tile, wire fabrics, metal
lath and about a dozen other articles.
OF fifteen materials that can be
enumerated and which are not pro-
duced in Minnesota twelve are neces-
sary in the construction of the aver
age building.