The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-01-26
COMMITTEE rules
BOARD MUST HIRE
ITSOWN ATTORNEY
Denies Request That Counsel
Be Employed With In.
vestigator's Money
STEEL MAN IS WITNESS
Says His Firm Was Kicked OF
Work. Because It Spent
Too Much Money

The North Dakota joint legislative
capitol investigation committee
Thursday refused q request Of the
capitol building commission for en-
ployment of separate counsel when
Attorney George w. Thorpe. Fargo.
appeared to make statement In be.
half of the building commission.
The hearing was begun with Z. r.
Sinkler of Minot acting as committee
counsel and Sen. w. E. Matthaei,
Wells county, as chairman.
As the hearing opened Matthaei
asked II the capitol commission want
ed to make a statement.
Thorpe said he would like to re-
quest, In behalf Of the commission.
the employment OF separate counsel.
permission to cross examine all wit
nesses, a statement Of "rumors" 50 the
commission could know the charges
If any, facing them, and to have his
particular requests put into the rec
ord.
Charles G. Bangert, Ransom coun-
ty, member Of the legislative group,
moved that the request for separate
counsel for the commission to be paid
by funds for the investigation be re.
fused.
He said that. since the attorney
general Of North Dakota was legal
representative Of the commission by
law, he did not believe the extra ex.
pense for separate attorney would
be necessary.
Must Pay Own Counsel
Bangert said In his motion that
the legislative committee would have
no objection to separate counsel for
the commission II 1t did not involve
expense to the state.
He moved that all questions from
the capitol commission be submitted
to the legislative committee first for
approval. Submitted to . vote, c.
Norman Brunsdale, committee menu
Der. cast the only dissenting vote.
If requests come too Often" Ban.
CERT said, the committee may refuse
to answer them" He said the com.
mission could ask questions "provid.
ed you don't make yourself q uui.
sance."
Thorpe assured the committee tho
commission had no intention Of max
ing iteslf a nuisance.
The first witness called was n. 8.
Matteson, who said he was q st. Paul
insurance man, but recently was time
keeper for the Erickson Construction
company OF st. Paul which erected
some Of the steel work on North Da-
kota's new capitol.
He was questioned about q money
requisition presented to the Lundoff-
Bicknell Construction company for
work completed by the Erickson COM
pany.
Employer ON Stand
His employer, Gust A. Erickson Of
st. Paul, was also on the stand. He
said the construction company was
kicked off the steel work" because
Lundoff- Bicknell company thought
he was spending too much money.
On questioning by Sinkler, Matte.
son said he presented one requisition
for money Of $5,241.96 and added,
after questioning. that the state paid
his company more than $4,000.
Matteson said on examination that
Erickson did not sign his contract
until more than a month after he
had started the structural work.
Erickson. then called to the stand,
said that a Chicago company took his
place on the job in Bismarck after
he was discharged by the Lundoff-
Bicknell company.
He said he was originally hired by
the general contractors to do the
structural steel work.
Erickson was asked by Sinkler who
was ION the job" representing the
state to supervise the construction
work. He mentioned that Frank L.
Anders, secretary of the commission,
was around "often."
Bangert asked permission to ques-
ton Erickson further. He asked
whether Erickson,s company was en-
titled to receive the money above the
amount Of $5,245.96 requested, Erick-
son answered mo"
No Bond Put Up
Sinkler asked Erickson II he had
put up q bond as required by the
contract and Erickson said he had
not.
Erickson said he signed the con-
tract for the work after the time
411AAs AOI COAAoU1uCI4Ou VI Tic SVce1 06o
expired.
Anders was questioned about his
experience" He said he was q con.
sulting engineer and had supervised
the building Of q 100000 Fargo filter
plant, a 100000 building for a
Utah mining company, and a ge.,-
eral hospital at IT. Sheridan, ILL.,,
some years ago.
9inkler asked II he had had nue..
experience In structural steel work
and Anders said he had Every little"
Anders said the two state architects
and their employees represented the
state In supervising the work on tho
building. He said the Chicago arrsJ-
tects also had men there In that @.
pacity.
The secretary OF the capitol CONF
mission added he visited the building
daily and that he kept close contact
with the progress OF the work, receiv.
Ing daily reports from the contrac-
tori.
Neither George A. BANGS. Grand
Forks. nor q. "A. Fraser, FARGO. meme
bern Of the commission, vego present
ct the hearing. yred L. Oouklin.
Bismarck. was present
Ihe hearing WIN b resumed q ,
:. y. Friday.