The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-06
NEW COUNTY BUILDINGS.
What the View County Commis-
sioners Think Of Their Need.
Ex-Chairman Alien and skerIa Me
Graw Favor the Pres<ss Loe.-
h%rPrspesea shes.

prisoners there now. and il il ouf al
the question for me 10 whifexAsh the
walls and clean the place out with that
number OF prisoners there / have to
more most Of them into sDe temper
airy Jail while the cleaning Is done.
The eounsy should build new iaii al
once. and want 10 see the PcsT-Ty-
TxLLSsxECER keep mp the discussion
until some action Is taken. $
Don't yol favor q new courthouse.
ECO, Mr.. McsSraw ?s'
"Why. Of course do knox that
new courthouse IS badly needed,
and one certainly ought 10 be bniit
without any unnecessary delay. 4
would favor having ali the county
Offices. the sheriff : included. In the
courthouse. with q large. airy and
well built Jail underneath. When
King county puts mp . courthouse it
should be worthy OF the county. and
this penny wise, pound-foclish policy
should be thrown aside should be
IN favor OF the county purchasing the
remainder OF the block on which the
county buildings now stand Thecify
would then v2cate the alley and we
would have solid block admirably
situated Tor the purpose. The block
owned ~ the county on top
of the hill should be sold
and the proceeds. which ought 70
amount 10 Sz4 coo. could he used la
the erection OF Jail. One objection
urged against buying the other bali
OF the present BLOCK is that il has been
improved wiih Costly buildings, and
that the owners OF these buildings
you'd ask exorhiEant prices for their
property. They say that the Turn
fseresn society would be ayerse to CIV
| ing up is property, including rs large
building, that cost ia the neighbor-
| hood OF 5000. without being REIN
oursed for their outlay. do not
i think that this difficulty is insur-
TnouEtable, as the building could be
moved 10 other property. AT the
/ tine the block on the hill was bought.
* sheriff, and tried my bsst TO
get the county commissioners 10 buy
| this hall block instead; but they APP
/ pearsd 10 think it Was best to buy on
| the hill | think that thar place
| is TOO far out, even If cable line is run
past il. The city viii probably build
The new city hail on the block east of
! the present court house and that is
another strong point ia favor Of the
/ present site, as il is o matter OF public
convenience 10 have the city and
county buildings close together In
my opiaion the present site is the
Q66st eligible one and | hope that the
Board OF commissioners viii decide
upon il.
There would be no trouble about
raising the tax. When the proposition
| to build new county buildings was so
overwhelmingly defeated by the people
! IL few years ago. il was simply because
men who would have favored the plan
under more favorable conditions.
fought it with all their influence and
| power. When the old building over
| the jail was burned down six wears
| ago, the present building was pat in in
/ its place, merely as q makeshift 1t
was constructed IN the cheapest man
ner possible, the idea being TO put UP
substantial building in very short
/ time thereafter. The building Is en-
iirely inadequate. the jail will not
serve even as an apology, and the bus
| mess OF the county demands better
buildings. | hope that the present
board viii take action in the prem.
ises. ;,
FAgoRs THE HILLTOP.
Il think new Jail is needed very
| badly, said e1-Ganmissioner Wilkes,
but in nav opinion The courthouse
will do for some time. II Jail il
built right away the present site Is the
best place for it. and all the county
buildings should ne kept where they
| now are until such tine ~ there is a
cable road 10 the county : property on
| top Of the hill. That will eventually
| be the best place for the county build
| iugS, however. as Ii Is slightly place
aud near the ceiter Of population. /
want TO say again that The present
I jail is y shame and disgrace to the
rich county of King. Every grand
| jury that has met for years back has
condemned 1t; the board of commits
sioners condemned il and the people
| OF the county have condemned IL. Our
board Was very anxious ta build new
one, but couldn't under the law limit
Ing the amount OF Indebtedness.
Then more room is needed for the
auditors Office. The old board Sc.
cured plans and Specifications from an
architect for another building OF the
same size as the present one, to be
joined 10 il an the west side We tried
hard TO build it. but didn't have the
money"
wASTB FINE COURT HOUSE.
Alex. Allen, ex-ehairman of the
board OF commissioners, when APP
preached on the subject OF new county
buildings said: N
81 told the new board yesterday
morning when they stepped in and
Com missioners Wilkes, Mess and my
SELF stepped out. TO 20 ahead and con-
denim the east half OF the block on
which the present county buildings
are located. They should secure this
property whether the owners wish 10
sell or not They can commence con-
demnatory proceedings have the prop
erty appraised and get it at reason
able figure. Then they should 90
ahead and build. NV idea would be
TO sell the lot on top of the hill. we
want no court house there.
The new board, ii il follows my ad-
vice. viii call for a special election,
submitting The proportion OF bonding
the county for 10000 for new
county buildings at once. The cleo
ton shoald he held in the spring or
early summer, so that the tax lew
could be made for that purpose when
other taxes are levied. Then they
should build AT once, and the buildings
should he worthy of the weaithiess
county in Washington. | am sure
that the people viii support such a
prapo ,iiion ii it II submitted 10 them. I"
Chairman 5asch OF the new board OF
commissioners, after paying visit to
the jail, said.
II believe we viii have to take some
immediate aesion about building new
jail tt Is expensive and wasteful TO
have such 4 Jail as the present one.
The jail has undoubtedly outlived its
usefulness; but the court aouse Is a
different matter. 1t il large enough
now for conrt purposes, although,
must admit, all the Offices are
crampea."
MY idea is 20 commence bRiIding
jail now and make il the foundation
Tor the court house OF the future |
wouldn't favor building ON the pres
ent site unless the remainder OF the
block could he bought The great OBJ
lection have 10 the present site Is the
amount OF stone foundation that
would be required 10 build up from
the hollow TO The street level "
NOR SURE ABOUT COURT HousE.
Commissioner Taylor said; My
opinion Is that the comfy needs new
jail. bat do not want 20 say anything
about the coart house vet OF course
better office and iaI facilities are