The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-03-24
GOVERNOR REFUSES
REQuEST10DNAY
CAPITOL BUILDING
Shafer States His Stand Def.
niteIy In Letter to Percy
N. Hansen
TO GUARD STATES INTEREST
Stutsman Group Asked Execute
tive Not to Order a Special
Election

Al CLIlpllAVlC tGIINS 1OVeIIlOT
George F. Shafer Tuesday told the
Logical Capital City association,
sponsors of q movement to change
the seat Of government from Bismarck
to jamestown, that construction Of
the new state capitol building at Bis
marck win proceed with reasonable
diligence and without undue delay"
Governor Shafer made his stand
known In q letter sent Tuesday to
Percy M. Hansen. jamestown, secre-
tary OF the removal group.
MI. Hansen, In q recent letter in
behalf Of the executive committee Of
the Logical Capital City association.
asked the governor to refrain from
calling a special election on the re-
moval question, but to allow the mat
ter to be submitted to the voters at
the regular 1882 presidential primary.
The governors reply follows close
ly the appointment Of the capitol
building commission. The three mem
berS Of the commission were named
Monday and plan to organize next
week In preparation for making plans
for constructing the building at Bis
marck, as provided in the law enacted
by the recent legislature.
In the letter from the jamestown
group, the governor also was asked
to prevent the capitol commission
from mourning any needless expen-
ditures prior to q statewide election
on a constitutional amendment to
change the seat of government to
jamestown. Petitions have been filed
with the secretary of state for the
initiation of such an amendment.
Gives No Assurance
Governor Shafer. in his reply ia
MI. Hansen, stated that under the
circumstances. ! cannot give you any
assurance that either request can be
granted"
He stated further that the obvious
intent of the legislature, In passing
the capitol commission bill, was that
the commission should act without
unnecessary delay in this emergency"
Il can assure you that the capitol
commission will function" the COVER
nor continued, with due regard to
the best interests of the state at all
times, and that it will not sacrifice
the states interests for the purpose
Of facilitating the program Of your
association"
In concluding his letter, Governor
Shafer expressed the hope that the
executive committee of the Jamestown
group will not adopt any course Of
action calculated to obStruct OF delay
the construction OF the new capitol"
Calling attention to the removal
groups "undoubted legal right to re-
sort to the courts, or to a referendum,
for the purpose of delaying building
operations" the Governor stated 4'you
are under no compulsion to do 50, and
should you decide to exercise that
privilege. you should expect to as
sumo all public responsibility for the
results.
The governors letter to MI. Han
sen follows:
This will acknowledge your letter
Of March 18th in which, in behalf Of
the executive committee Of the Logi-
cal Capital City association, you re-
quest me not to call a special cleo
ton OF the capitol removal matter,
but instead, to allow that issue to be
submitted to the voters at the regular
March. 1882. presidential primary;
and also asking me to prevent the
capitol commission from mourning
any needless expenditures prior to
the next state wide election at which
the removal question may be deter
mined.
To Guard States Interest
Under the circumstances, I can
not give you any assurance that either
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