The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-02-19

and counciled the construction of on
that should do credit to the county. MI
Krcmer, of Danville, stated that hi
people would concede the need of
new structure and knowing that il mus
come, would not object to its commence
ment now. Mr.. j. b. Swan, of LAX,
Crystal, who has recently returned iron
the east where he took pains to examin,
various court house, addressed tn,
meeting and gave a long list of statistic
of the cost of erecting such buildings
and compared the assessed valuation o
Blue Earth county with that of various
counties in Ohio, and demonstrated tina
our rate of taxation is much lower thar
in that part of the country. He dednceC
from this that we are in a far more
favorable attitude to take up the burden
of paying for public buildings than they
are in older and apparently richer coun
ties. His opinion is that we should not
complain if the amount required 500,
600. Mr.. J. 7. Williams asked the speak
or for information concerning the prob
able rate of interest should bonds
be negotiated for the amount.
Mr.. Swan thought there would be nc
difficulty in securing bonds at 5 per
cent Chairman Diamond explained
that the levy of $40, 600 made this year
does not increase the taxes as much as
most people think. J. T. Williams ex-
pressed himself in favor of borrowing
the proper funds on as long time as pos
sible. He believes in letting the young
of to-day help pay for the benefits we
found for them. lie went on to show
the necessity of a new structure in order
to place the accumulated records of the
county, which are invaluable, in safety,
and stated that he holds the opinion
that when taxpayers see il in this light
they will not object. He urged the ne
cessity of beginning right and securing
the services of competent man to
superintendent the work. lie gave
some of his Own experience to show
that high priced mechanic to do this,
would he the most economical invest
ment of the work John Klein declared
that we cannot build suitable structure
with less than $4,000, and expressed
himself in favor of dropping all talk Of a
less amount. Mr.. Pass called up the
matter of the ACCESSIBILITY of putting the
Jail in the basement, and chairman Dia-
mond called for opinions. Mr. Williams
thought il advisable to settle the matter
of building first. He thought, however,
that it would be semi-barbarous to put
the jail in the basement. Mr.. Herman,
of Shelby, took exceptions TO Mr.. Will
Jams bonded debt theory and advocated
the cash system. Mr.. McMahill advised
care in submitting plans with estimated
cost and not overreach these estimates.
He thought it better to make the max
lmum amount sufficiently large in the
outset and keep within that sum. Mr..
Geo. Maxfield believed that the MAORI
ty Of the people would not favor the
cash theory. Mr.. Diamond differed,
and thought the majority of farmers
would favor paying rs we go. He ex
planned that the Commissioners were
not authorized to bond the county with
out legislative enactment, and that their
only alternative was to levy tax. Mr.
Greenwood of Garden City took the floor
and expressed surprise that the question
of building court house was, as he I'M
derstood it, a foregone conclusion, and
1t was determined to do so at all hazards
He thought 1t an utter disregard of the
sentiments of the people in the south
ern part of the county. He declared
warrant such movement, though the
county as whole is amply able. He
whether the Commissioners
had had the old building properly eX-
amined to ascertain whether or not it is
unsafe. He was assured that
the Board was satisfied rs to that fact,
beyond peradventure.
At this time recess of half an hour
was taken and after call to order several
who were here to submit plans
for examination appeared before the
Board and after an hour spent in dis
cussing the nature ofthe competition and
other features an adjournment
was taken until yesterday morning at
eight o'clock, when, it was determined,
each architect should he heard private
" and alone, in regular order.
The builders present were Messrs
Geo. Pass, +. Thayer and Henry G. Ger
ZACH, of Mankato, Haley x Allen and
Geo. w. Lori. Minneapolis; Wilcox 4
Johnson, st. Paul F.. $. Jennson, Chi
cago, and w. K. Mcpherson, Indianap-
oils.
Geo. Pass, of this city has unique
and lastly constructed model of COM
plete court house before the commits
sioners. As we 90 to press the commits
sioners are still investigating the plans
before them.