The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1886-10-21
A Clear and Poroibls Statement By s. B. Riggs Of
The Proposition.

mine whether we could sfford to vote the
bonds asked in the proposition submitted
by the county commissioners. was re-
quested by that meeting to formulate the
figures and give them to the voters Of the
county through the public press, which
accounts for this communication.
To satisfy everyone that the basis OF
my statements IL correct 1 submit the
following certificate of Mr.. Lakin, oul
very efficient county clerk:
STATE OF KANSAS,
Lyon County, )sS
/, Roland LAkin, county clerk of said
county. hereby certify that the valuation
Of Lyon county, for the year 1886, as re-
turned by the several assessors and
equalized by the county board OF COM
mlssiOneTs, is O., 735, 367.76.
In witness whereof, / have hereunto
attached my hand and the official seal Of
said county, this 18th day of October A.
D. 1856. ROLAND LAKIN,
County CLERK.
To any one at all familiar with the
records OF the county 1t is unnecessary to
say that with the exception OF . tolerable
protection in the oaace of the register OF
deeds there is no safety whatever against
fire, for any of the records In the other
county offices-not so much as a tin box
in the Office of the clerk of the district
court, and very insufficient aud unreliable
safes in the offices of the county treasurer,
county clerk and probate judge. The
loss by burning of the present
building, of the records, aside
from those IN the register OF deed's Cffice,
would be incalculsble and produce
tive of an endless amount of lit
| igation aud immense expense to
the citizens OF the county; that there Is
great danger OF such calamity is eve
denced by the fac3 that no less than three
times in as many years has the present
court house been on fire but fortunately
| discovered in time to prevent serious
damage. The interior construction Of
the building is AL lath and plaster par
titions with no brick or stone walls, thus
affording excellent facilities for the rapid
spread OF fire once fairly under way.
In addition the building has been
shored on tbs outside 10 try TO prevent
the further spreading Of the walls which
seemed likely, a few months since, to
bring the whole structure to a mass Of
ruins.
Added to this is the further fact that
the jail, underneath the building, is q
most thurman place in which to conflne
human beings, whatever be the occaalon
OF their finding temporary abode with
in its damp and uDhealthful confines.
Men and boys, zane and insane, the
vicious AID the unfortunate, are all min
gled together. Male and female with
scarcely any semblsnce of separate
apartments.
This place as prison has been con-
demned as utterly urfi led for It's pur-
poses and disgraceful to civilized CON-
munIty, by physicians, ciergymen, phil
anthropIsts, judges and grand juries, and
ID foul blot upon the reputation and
civilization of our county.
Inspections, with view to the RENEE
| dying OF these difficulties and DEFICIENCIES,
have been msde with no other results, in
the minds of candid men, 1 think, than
that a new building or buildings Is ne
cesssry.
In tnis view of the case several meet
ings, largely attended, Of the citizens
were held at the court house and,
after fun discussion, it was
decided TO petition the board Of county
commissioners to submit proposition to
the voters OF the county to make pro-
vision for new court house and jail, In
compliance with which they have sub
mitted proposition which substantially
asks the voters of the comfy to say by
their votes on the 21d Day Of November
whether the board Of commissioners Of
this county shall be authorize to issue
the bonds of the county in a sum not ex-
ceeding $50, GOO, to draw interest at . rate
not exceeding five per cent, to ba paya-
bic not sooner than ten nor later than
twenty years after date, aud with the
proceeds thereof to construc. and COM
piete a new court house and jail for Lyon
county.
The necessity, or even ACCESSIBILITY q
these buildings admitted, the next ques-
ton is, can we sff ord II? 1 have no ar
gument to make here with the voter who
; is opposed, on principle, TO voting bOuds
for any purpose, further than TO say that,
row mOnsy st four or five per cent in.
terest per anuum to pay for q needed
article, than to sell property that is earn
ing me ten or twelve per cent and use
proceeds 10 payment.
It is the opinion of good finarciers tina
the bonds of Lyon county, issued for
such purpose, can be sold at their pa
, value II drawing only four per cent. Oul
, refunding bonds drawing five per cen
interest, were placed without difficulty
, some years ago, and this class Of Sc.
curities are in demsnd at lower rates o
interest now than then.
: 10 my statement at the meeting re
( feFred to, said that the assessed
E value of the property In Lyon count,
e for the year 1856 was, in round numbers
: S7,740, 90. 90; for the purposes Of the AZ
s gunent call it (Ss, OOO, O00.0 0) eight mil
= lion dollars. With series Of bonds Q
$ (Ss0, 100000 eighty thousand dollars
y drawing interest at the rate OF per cent
z the annual interest payment Woul
II amount 10 GA ,00O) four thousand dollari
70 and at four and one-half per cent {
/, o, 800. A levy Of One-half OF one mi
e on the dollar OF taxable valuation, cal
Of ing It eight millions, would place In q
p treasury four thousand dollars per Al
A. mum, sufficient to meet the interest Q
d these bonds at the highest rate named
n the proposition.
ne Estimating, for the purposes Of the 3
In gument, and think the experience
the past will justify the estimate, that
ep the next { n years the taxable valuAti'
Id Of this county win reach at least (e11
Ok 900 OO0) weIVs million dollars, and '
Id ind that levy Of only one mill on 0
he dollar Of tsxable valuation, beginnil
I'd with 1896, win be Sufficient to meet 6
- interest on the bonds and retire eve
he dollar Of the principal debt In abo
eight years. II the interest shsll be 70