The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1919-01-02
MANAGER FOR =. l..
STATE BUILDINGS

Bismarck, Dec. 26.-One Of the first
measures the legislature will be asked
to pass when it convenes January 6
will be a bill providing for the ap-
pointment of manager of all state
institutions who will be responsible
under bond for the repair and upkeep
of all state buildings. This recon-
mendation will be made by the budget
board as the result of it's recent in
spection tour of the educational and
other state institutions in the eastern
part of the state, it was announced to-
day by Auditor Carl Kositzky and
representative Anthony Walton, chair.
man of the house committee on fin
ance, and members of the board.
During the inspection trip made by
the board every institution visited was
| given a thorough examination from
cellar to ceiling with view toward
finding out how to stop the small
leaks which in aggregate have hereto
| fore added enormously to the overhead
expenses.
The manager plan, according to
Auditor Kositzky and Mr.. Walton, was
evolved when it was found that all in
stitutions had asked appropriations
for repairs ranging from $4,000 to
$4,000.
"In checking up the repair work
asked by the various institution heads
we found that in practically every case
had the repairs been taken in hand at
the proper time, few dollars would
have sufficed where thousands are now
required" said Mr.. Kositzky.
"When damages occur to any build
ings there is no one whose special
duty it is to see that repairs are made
Immediately. We cannot expect the
heads of our educational institutions
to continually police the buildings
hunting for spots that need fixing;
and the board of control can not pos
sibly visit them all sufficiently often to
insure proper upkeep.
''It is the plan of the board to have
the legislature provide for a state in
stitution manager who should have a
thorough knowledge of buildings and
who ought to be given plenty of au-
thority to order repairs made and en-
force various economies in the light
/ ing and heating of the buildings under
| his charge. Judging from the requests
made for repairs and the many waste
full methods now being employed in
the general upkeep of the buildings
which came to the attention of the
budget board such an official could
save his salary and travelling expenses
more than 100 times during the BIZ
ennial period"
The duties of the manager of state
institutions would consist of contin-
i~i+ HI hill Il of
day, ordering repairs made and super
| vising the work. He would also have
power to regulate the consumption of
electricity, fuel and water. In one
institution visited by the board the
members report that they found lights
burning in unused rooms and other
rooms throughout the day when no
artificial illumination was actually
needed. The light bill for the last
month at the same place, was over
81, 200. Economic use of light power
under the supervision of responsible
head would cut this in half, is the
opinion of the board
'The chief object in the recent work
Of the budget board has been to dis
cover how to effect as many econo-
mics as possible by the stopping up of
small leaks without stunting," Repre-
sentative Walton said. eve are try
! ing to keep the taxes as low as posi-
BILE and within the usual bounds in
face of the rising cost of maintaining
the various penal, charity and educa-
tional buildings.
! every place we visited the heads
Of the institutions told US that this is
the first time the budget board or any
Estate elective officials have made q
| thorough examination of the entire
plant. It was customary, they said
for past boards to walk into the office
| talk things over with the individual II
charge of the general work and ther
take the next train out of town."
1t is generally felt by members BY
the board that if the economies they
recommended are effected, in part al
least, and cuts in the appropriation:
asked for the educational institutions