The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-03-06

gathered and submitted to the public within
q short time. IT may be stated, however, as
to the cost of q suitable courthouse, that
while no exact sum can at present be named,
the most reliable data now at hand would
seem to justify the opinion that 1t will not be
less than 600 nor In excess Of SIS, 900.
Every sensible man certainly will say, If q
courthouse is to be built at all, let it be one
that will be adequate to the wants of the
people, not only for the present but for all
time to come. To build a cramped, incon-
venient, or insecure courthouse for SIS, 600
or less, when by the addition of few more
thousands building such as the population,
enterprise and wealth of the county demands,
would not only be poor economy, but would
be criminal. The proposition is to build g
good, substantial, convenient, freproof struc-
ture, not for show but for service.
WHAT TAXATION IS NECESSARY?
There is now an amount Of surplus funds
in the treasury, that may be devoted to this
purpose without at all crippling the several
funds for which taxation Is required, equal
to the sum OF $4,000. A large portion Of
this has been accumulated by a small levy
each year, for the last few years, for build
ing purposes, called Building and Repair
Fund" The first levy for this purpose was
made ON the duplicate Of 1878. This levy
was intended to meet the expense of extern
sive repairs on the present courthouse,
which was at that time thought to be neces-
sary and practicable. A careful examination
of the building, however, convinced all par
ties concerned that 1t could not be repaired.
Every room in it, with the possible exception
of the courtroom, was too small with no
ventilation at all. The foundations had beea
reached by the frost and the brick and other
materials had become decayed and unsafe.
This levy has been continued until now. In
this way this fund has been accumulsting,
and is now a good round sum to commence
business on. But this leaves SIS 600 10 he
raised by taxation taking the outside esti-
mate. A few statistics will show how this can
be done: The present duplicate valuation
for the entire county is S17. $50 597. 1t is
safe to say the next duplicate will not be
less than SIS, 600 900 and that is half a mill
ion less than some former valuations. But
to be within bounds, calculating for the cost
of collection and delinquencies, let US put
the product of one mill levy at SIT 5000,
This is perfectly safe estimate. Upon the
present duplicate Q levy is made Of four
tenths Of mill for building purposes, so
that the increased levy Of six-tenths of a
mill for two years will raise the s35 900. This
would be sixty cents on each thousand dol
lars valuation for two years. Each voter can
take his last tax receipt, foot up the columns
of valuations and make the computation for
L.,
for other funds can be diminished enough to
balance the increase for courthouse purpos-
es, SO that no increase at all would be neces-
sary, except for 1850. This is owing to the
healthy condition of the county finances. or
the entire valuation of the property upon the
duplicate, s2,413, $50 is bank and railroad
property, and will pay at least one-seventh
Of the entire cost of the courthouse. It
would seem prudent to make the levy while
such valuations remain upon the duplicate.
A movement was once made to distribute
railroad valuations pro rata among the
counties of the state, and not to the several
counties through which the railroads pass, as
is now the case. Whether such will be the
law or not no one can tell. If 1t should,
Lorain would lose nearly IL not onehal Of
her railroad valuation, and an increased bur-
den be thus thrown upon other property.
These data are not given for the purpose
Of convincing the public that this court
house can be built without the levy Of tax
which the property of the county must pay,
but to show just how great the. burden will
be.
1t is proposed to locate the building just
in the rear Of the old courthouse, and near
the center of the back park. A better locs-
ton eau never be found. 1t will be so far
removed from all other buildings that there
will be no exposure OF fire from the outside,
and as the building is to be of ire-proof ma
terial throughout, all danger from this source
will be averted. s. aaH -.
There are some other facts worthy of con-
sideration, but space will not admit of further
comment now. .r
E.G.