Morris tribune., 1883-02-21
MIR. EDITOR:-

| MIR. EDITOR:-
| The legislature recently passed an
act authorizing the county commits
sioners of Stevens county to issue
! bonds in the sum of $40, 900 ''for the
purpose of purchasing a site for, if
necessary, and erecting court house
| and jail.' Having a specific amount
to expend for the building of court
house aud jail, it would seem that the
proper action to be taken by the coun-
ty commissioners was very plain, viz:
to secure from some competent archi-
tect such plans as reflected their views
of the best Requirements Of the county,
and contract with some responsible
party to erect the same in accordance
with the plans and specifications
adopted. At the recent meeting of the
board, however, we were surprised to
find that that body, supposed to be
constituted of men of sound practical
sense, were seriously considering the
advisability of hastily awarding the
contract for three steel cells at $1,000,
an amount so extravagantly dispro-
portionate to the amount of the fund
to be used for court house and Jail pur-
poses as to provoke smile from out
siders whenever the subject was men
toned. But the advertisement in the
Pioneer Press for bids for building the
Stevens county court house and Jail,
and FURNISHING the same, signed by
"the building committee" is the great
est adsurdity yet developed in the
whole affair. Under these bids archi-
tects, who are as essentially a profess
sional class as lawyers or doctors, are
invited to contract for the buildings
and gratuitously furnish their plans.
1t is doubtful if any honest architect
can be found to bid upon the plans furn-
ished in this way, but if one should be
unearthed let us see what the effect
would likely be. The architect, know
ing that there is certain fund of, say
$14, 900, to be expended, will draft his
plans and specifications for buildings
actually worth, say $11 600, in such
beautiful and captivating manner
on paper Qike the L. F. & D. r. r. Co.
Autographed their bonds) that the
county commissioners, who are not
practical builders, would readily bite
at and accept them. In other words,
the architect and contractor being one,
and the contractor being aware just
how much money there is to get, he
will figure for all the profit possible
and will exercise his double ingenuity
as architect and contractor in adroitly
drafting his plans and specifications
and building under the same, to blk
the county out of large sum.
Another thing, the commissioners
undertook, according to the terms Of
the advertisement, to withhold $4,000,
for the ostensible purpose of purchas-
ing three cells which should in no
event exceed an expenditure of 50, 900;
and they call for a court house, Jail
(less the three cells) and sheriff's resi-
dence to be constructed AND FURN-
IsHED for $4,000. Now the legisla-
ture authorized the county to appro-
pirate $4,000 for the sole and specific
purpose of purchasing q site (Which
through the generosity of the Manitoba
r. r. Co., cost us but $3.50 and erect
ing court house and Jail, and the
commissioners have no more right to
divert part of that amount to the
purchase Of furniture than they have
to expend IS 900 of it in the ornamental
ton of the court house grounds. Then
why can we not have our county
buildings erected in the usual business
like way and stop all this three-steel
cell attachment nonsense?
JOHN SMITH.