Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1910 [PAGE 225]

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1909]

PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

187

URBANA, J u n e 11, 1909.

President Edmund J. James, University of Illinois: No a p p r o p r i a t i o n h a s as yet been m a d e for t h e f u r n i t u r e for t h e N a t u r a l History building addition. I do not consider t h a t t h e stock, f u r n i t u r e m a n u f a c t u r e d by t h e State Board of P r i s o n I n d u s t r i e s is satisfactory for t h e general f u r n i s h i n g of this building. They could possibly m a n u f a c t u r e f u r n i t u r e of a special design from our specifications, b u t t h i s would involve a needless expense on our p a r t a n d would probably r e s u l t in t h e furnishings costing a good deal more t h a n they would if selected in t h e open m a r k e t , in addition to necessitating a m u c h longer t i m e for t h e i r manufacture t h a n t h e r e is between now a n d t h e opening of school n e x t fall. We h a v e t r i e d to get w o r k done according to our plans a n d specifications on at least two occasions and t h e delay in filling t h e orders h a s invariably been very serious. ti We have about sixty rooms to furnish in t h i s building, aside from the general a d m i n i s t r a t i v e offices of t h e University. Of these, about, t h i r t y , besides t h e general a d m i n i s t r a t i v e offices will require some general office furnishings, which should include desks, bookcases and filing cases. I a m advised t h a t t h e State Board of P r i s o n I n d u s t r i e s m a n u f a c t u r e s no filing u n i t s , a n d as it is desirable to h a v e all of t h e f u r n i t u r e in a n y one room h a r m o n i z e in design, it seems to me we should be p e r m i t t e d to buy t h e bookcase u n i t s so they can be built up into sections w i t h t h e filing u n i t s . I t seems to me • it would be unreasonable to expect a State Board of P r i s o n I n d u s t r i e s to m a n u f a c t u r e as h i g h a grade of f u r n i t u r e as can be purchased from m a n u f a c t u r e r s employing t h e . best skilled labor obtainable, a n d whose factories a r e equipped w i t h t h e most m o d e r n machinery. T h a t they a r e unable to compete w i t h t h e r e g u l a r dealers in quality h a s been conclusively proved by our experience. I do not t h i n k t h e r e is a single desk oh t h e campus m a n u f a c t u r e d by t h e State Board of P r i s o n I n d u s t r i e s upon which we have not expended from $1.50 to $5.00 in r e p a i r s , in order to m a k e t h e d r a w e r s and t h e roll top operate a t all satisfactorily. Considerable f u r n i t u r e will have to be built into some of t h e rooms in t h e building, a n d we should be free to place t h e order for t h i s f u r n i t u r e w i t h firms who will g u a r a n t e e us a t i m e delivery upon it. If t h e w o r k is placed w i t h t h e State Board* of P r i s o n I n d u s t r i e s , we m u s t abide t h e i r t i m e for t h e delivery of t h e order, a n d if t h e m a t e r i a l is not satisfactory when it comes, our past experience shows t h a t t h e r e is. no recourse. Under these circumstances I feel t h a t we a r e justified in u r g e n t l y demanding a blanket release on all k i n d s of f u r n i t u r e for t h i s building, which we have n o t found by experience to be m a n u f a c t u r e d satisfactorily by t h e State Board of P r i s o n I n d u s t r i e s . I t would be well to also include t h e Physics building, t h o u g h t h e r e is far less f u r n i t u r e of t h e stock design required in t h a t building, b u t the office f u r n i t u r e should be of a h i g h e r g r a d e t h a n t h a t catalogued by t h e State Board of P r i s o n I n d u s t r i e s . Yours truly,

J A M E S M. WHITE,

V o t e d , o n m o t i o n of D r . D a v i s o n , t h a t approved. O n m o t i o n of M r s . B u s e y a n d b y t h e f o l l o w i n g vote t h e s u m of $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 w a s a p p r o p r i a t e d f o r t h e p u r c h a s e of s a i d f u r n i t u r e : Yeas, Governor Deneen, Messrs. Abbott, Davison, H a t c h , Grout, Mrs. E v a n s a n d M r s . Busey;~ n a y s , n o n e ; a b s e n t , C r e b s , B l a i r , M e e k e r , M o o r e a n d Mrs. Alexander. 12. Recommendation from the supervising architect, Professor J. M. White, for needed repairs, etc., in the University buildings, which should be made in t h e course of t h e present summer."

Supervising Architect. s a i d r e c o m m e n d a t i o n be