ST. PAUL — “There is slightly better than a 50-50chance the legislature will appropriate a requested $173,000 for a Department of Natural Resources building near New Ulm.”

That was the appraisal of one of the senators who may make the decision, Richard Fitzsimons, GOP-Warren.

FITZSIMONS, who spent 10 terms in the House before being elected to the Senate last fall, is one of 10key members who may serve on a conference committee to reconcile differences between House and Senate on the DNR appropriations.

He was one of several lawmakers contacted by a four-man New Ulm delegation in the Capitol Wednesday. The quartet came up to lobby for rein-statement of the $173,000 appropriation withdrawn from the bill by a Senate sub-committee on finance last Thursday.

First stop was to the office of Nicholas Coleman, Senate majority leader, who had been contacted by William O’Connor, New Ulm DFLer and assistant county attorney.

“The money was taken out because of the money crunch up here,” Coleman said. “Empty spaces at the Southwest State College in Marshall, the prospect of vacating the Lower Campus in Mankato and leaving the State Security Hospital St. Peter -those voids haunt us.”

RICHARD SALVATI, New Ulm city manager, told Coleman that using buildings built for schools and hospitals might seem like a saving, but remodeling costs could wipe out the gain in short order.

D.J. Warta, Brown County commissioner, and Henry Somsen, president of New Ulm Industries, pointed out to Coleman it would be a breach of faith by the legislature not to fulfill the project.

New Ulm and Brown County combined to provide $85,000 to buy a site on the Cottonwood River south of New Ulm and give it to the state.

A PREVIOUS appropriation of $125,000 would be canceled if the supplemental appropriation falls through.

Coleman told the New Ulm four frankly “I am not sure everything will go well for you.”

Then he added:”One of my favorite cities is New Ulm, and the issue will ultimately be decided in conference committee. The appropriation could come back to life.”

New Ulm Daily Journal

May 1, 1975