The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-08-15
WHAT SAY.

The Inter Mountain has interviewed
about a couple dozen of the
three thousand six hundred voters OF
Silver Bow County upon the Court
House bond question. A majority
of these two dozen are reported as
favoring the completion Of the build
ing at the present time for the follow
ing reasons as given by our con-
temporary: 1.-THE Court House is
badly wanted; we can afford to pay
for it on the terms proposed, and
when completed it will be En- orna-
ment to the city. To leave it I'M.
finished would have a discouraging
effect, and would be Interpreted by
every stranger who comes to our city
as an evidence that we have no
confidence in the future of our
mines. We have gone too far to
back out now, and the only choice is
to finish it as the Commissioners
propose and vote the bends"
Against this opinion held by the
few stand the opinions entertained
by the lgreat mass of taxpayers
among them the heaviest property
holders in the county. Boiled down
their views are as follows: They
say Silver Bow county is not
suffering for a court house. It is get
ting along without any inco nven-
fence or danger to III records under
the present arrangement. We ought
not to run in debt even to the ex-
tent proposed by this loan. We will
be in debt $50, 1000 OF SIS, 900 in a year
hence eve if this loan be refused.
According to the Commissioners
own statement 500, 900 wiW not COM
plete the building. When finished
and the heating apparatus is put in
place, for which no allowance for
cost has been made, the best part of
$4,000 will have been expended.
This added to inevitable indebt-
edness will immerse the county in a
debt of about 1925, 600. 1t is the
height of folly for us to incur that in
~debtedness in the present stage Of our
existence. We cannot afford to in
vest in ornaments. They are expen-
sive baubles and impress strangers
with the idea that our peo-
pie r wasteful, extravagant
and reckless in the expenditure of
county funds. And when they learn
that we owe for it and are paying Z
per cent. per annum on our indebted
ness they will lose all confidence in
the ability of the people to manage
successfully their county matters and
refuse point blank to invest a dollar
in taxable property in the county.
We take no stock in the cry that a
of the bond proposition will
be interpreted by strangers as a
want of confidence in our mines"
This is a childish argument.
have the foremost mining camp
In the great West. But our mines
are not taxable. A mine which may
be sold for a million dollars tenor
pays NJ taxes. Our residences,
our business houses, our merchandise,
and our improvements alone can he
,axed and We don't want to pay out.
heir profits in taxes to build an "or-
lament' we can do without and be
ust as happy, just as prosperous and
ust as respectable. We have not
zone too far to back out. We should
top right here and right now. We
ire not called upon to stand by the
oily of any set of men. We have
rs, AIS in a foundation for county
buildings and in the lots upon which
hey are built. Neither will spoil or
'un away. They will be found there
when we need them. We have also
'ought a lawsuit with the property. .
t is the better policy to settle that
uit before We go further on. The
has $50 barrels of good
cement in it to hold 1t together. If +
t be properly covered and weighted ,
Town it will be just as
,ood in five years from now as it
$ to-day. The foundation of the c
'reat cathedral in Albany was laid
our years before a brick was placed
|pon it. It was not warped or in Q
ured. The one here can be as easily O
nd as we'll protected from harm. f
AS far as contracts for furnishing a
naterial not delivered is concerned. G
know of none existing for which s
he county can be held responsible. t
therefore We would better stop right
ere. tits better to let the $25, 478 re-
1ain idle for a while than to sink v
10000 more for a building we can G.
o without. We don't know
hat it will take to finish it L
or when it will be completed even if
e vote the loan. Our Commission
rs were going to build a
ourt house ct acost of $50, 900 or $75,- a
10 at the outside. The. have ex- "
ended $25,47S and now call for $780, n
to finish the building. They had o.
plans before them; one calling u
r a building to cost $655, 900, another -
complete a structure to cost $7O,- pl
No, and the third plan was for a al
lilding and jail to cost 800, 900. ~ ~
Re understand the latter plan ".