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6. NEWIBUSINESS (Cont'd
<br />has nothing to do with it. The point is: the work has been
<br />completed."
<br />Commissioner Wiggins said Mr. Madison has a point with timing
<br />here. "I think if you could see that you had a problem, Dick,
<br />you didn't have to start the roof. You could have let the
<br />roof as it was, until you found out whether it would be ap-
<br />proved, couldn't you ?" Mr. Madison said, "Yes, but it only
<br />required a limited amount - -on a contract percentage basis - -it
<br />was just a limited amount that we were dealing with, and, there-
<br />fore, rather than delay the completion of the contract, I went
<br />on and completed the work as it was to be completed in accordance
<br />with..." Commissioner Wiggins interrupted, "You see, what we
<br />are debating here is not principle, we are debating degree, and
<br />the principle is that you don't start it at all. Now, if it is
<br />just a little bit--is a little bit of sin a less sin than a lot
<br />of sin ?"
<br />In further defense, Mr. Madison said, "There has been - -the pre-
<br />cedence has always been, that if a roof may not specify exactly
<br />how much is to be taken care of, it has to be brought up to
<br />Code, so, therefore, that responsibility..." Commissioner
<br />Wiggins said, "This is not the argument, Dick. Had you come
<br />to this Commission and presented to us that it required more
<br />material than was in the specifications to get this job done
<br />and to do it properly, we would have been perfectly willing to
<br />listen to you; and without any question, I feel, we probably
<br />would have acceded to your request, but the problem here is that
<br />you did not come to this Commission and say, fellows, we got a
<br />problem and this is what it takes to resolve it. You resolved
<br />the problem and then you come to us after it is done, and you
<br />say, 'Hey, Guys, I had a.problem and this is what it took, and
<br />I did it, and now will you pay for itV When our regulations
<br />strictly say - -and these are the regulations that you should be
<br />aware of, because you headed this department up at one time
<br />[Director of Rehabilitation], in this respect, and it says you
<br />can't do that, nor can we approve it, and if we approve the
<br />money and our auditors say you can't do it, whose on the hook?
<br />We are! At the moment, you're on the hook, and you are asking
<br />us to take you off, but we can't take you off, without climbing
<br />up there in your place. Do you see what we are into ?"
<br />Mr. Madison said, "There has been leniency extended in matters
<br />similar to this situation, and it is just my feelings that - -even
<br />in the past - -that the Commission has allowed the continued com-
<br />pletion of the work." Commissioner Wiggins said, "We have, when
<br />we were advised before the work was done. We have not conducted
<br />any prior to. You see, it's a question of getting a cart before
<br />the horse here. If you had asked us at the right time, we could
<br />legally - -and properly - -and without much question, would have
<br />done it, but we are pretty well bound by the rules and regulations
<br />from doing it at this point." Mr. Madison stated, "I just can't
<br />see it; I think there is a moral obligation involved and also
<br />a contractual obligation in accordance with the statutes." Com-
<br />missioner Wiggins said the "contractual obligation was on your
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