The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-07-28
DEFENDS HIS OWN ACTS

DEFENDS HIS OWN ACTS
Asserts Complaint Inspired by
church's Failure to Garry
Out His Own Ideas
nelson Sauvain, chairman Of the
state board Of administration. Tues
day addressed an open letter to w. J.
Church. former board member, In
which he denied charges levelled
against him BY Church two weeks
ago.
Sauvain asserts that Church at
tempted, before leaving the board, to
olnd Its actions In certain matters
which were rightfully the duty of the
new board to decide. Two members
OF the present board took office july
l, succeeding Church and r. B. MUIR
ply.
Sauvain's letter follows:
Mr.. w. J. Church,
Bismarck, North Dakota.
Dear MI. Church:
l have Just taken time to 70 over
With some care the statement Won
recently gave out for publication.
owing to the essential parts of the
statement being misleading and false
and to comply with some requests. I
am giving out q few facts to satisfy
those who are asking what It is all
about. In doing 50, I am limiting N.Y.
self to the important subjects referred
to IN your letter and will not indulge
IN any further exposure Of your rec
ord at this time.
Denies Undue Delay
First: Your statement that I am
responsible for undue delay and for
exceeding my authority as q member
OF the board In the matter Of the Az
ricultural college power plant is
wholly untrue. You are aware that
the appropriation for this power
plant Improvement, as well as that
Tor the new power house at Grafton.
was not available until July LIST, To
gain time. we arranged with the Fuel
Economy Engineering company. a
firm recommended by you, to furnish
plans and specifications, which. If
found to be satisfactory, could be
made the basis Of q contract to be en-.
tered into after July 1st. When these
plans were submitted, it was discov-
cred that prospective bidders. other
than the firm furnishing the plans.
could not bid under them because
they were so drawn as to practically
1oreclose competitive bidding. When
l discovered this situation, to avoid
delay. I invited the Pills
oury Engineering company to submit
new plans. subject to the approval of
the board. This wa done and the
plans were duly approved on
July LIST. and notice for bids were adj
tor July 25th. It should be
for me to remind YOU,
That, had the board accepted the
plans OF the Fuel Economy Engineer.
ing company. we would not only have
acted against the public interests. but
would have violated the law (Chapter ]
1875, Laws 1929, which requires free {
and fair competitive bidding In all {
public building contracts.
For ON unexplained reason. VOL I
showed q feverish anxiety to bind the !
board to contracts with the Fuel ]
economy Engineering company on ]
both the Grafton and the Fargo !
9ower pant projects before the ex- ]
o1ration OF your term OF office. g
Outlines Housing Situation X
second: Your charge that I caused
1elay IN the removal Of the state Of c
IN rented quarters to the re-
nooe!ed north wing Of the Capitol,
thereby caused an unnecessary ]
entail expenditure Of $2,0O0.OO, is also
'ntlrely false, as you well know. You
lre perfectly aware that I have con-
lstently favored making office ar
angements on q basis Of reducing our \
entail costs to a minimum, while YOU. 8
n the other hand, consistently IA \
'ored committing the board to q writ r
ca lease for q term Of two years and h
he hotel quarters at a rental of q
100000 per month, which, If it had
zen done. would have bound the q
. . 70 . rental liability Of thousands +
: dollars In excess Of the ~appropria- n
lon for that purpose. You know that
70 could not house all Of the offices s
ocated In the hotel quarters (for G
mich we are paying 100000 per c
month"; either In the north wing, or E
q the other rent-free quarters, until 8
% were able to avail ourselves Of the n
Tier OF the county commissioners Of 81
surle1gh county to occupy space IN G,
new court house, which was not
osstble until the present month. In I
ccordance with U plans. long l
nown to you. We are now moving
hese Offices into the courthouse aud
he north wing. and thus reducing our
1onthly rental costs nearly one-half,
ut had we followed your repeated 8
recommendation In these matters, We y
Iould have obligated the state to at 9
9ast 2 100000 In unnecessary rental v
oSts during the next two years. q,
Third: As to the opening of the ~
ids for the reservoir ct Grafton. that =
rs done with the help 81 the state
ngineer and with the approval az .
Majority Of the board. I had told yuu
week beforehand that ! expected 70 3
. theFe tor that purpose. and sng- ~
ested your nejng thero also. M
Fourth: ~ - tho opening a the
~ hdk. nearly III bldding compo- =
- WeTe Sepgosente4 when ~ cpoGodt3
t0cofluaed - paGe sev1nA Z,