Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-01-24

soes " 49, a1ussstS s8aaS w PSssSA
Ia the matter, yet ! claim. - : propcsi-
ton Of Law, that before this honorable
board OF County Commissioners should
certify to the towns their intention 70 du
90, they must form that intention them
selves % honest County Commissioners
Of the County Of Oxford. I claim that
TO BE- The proper poeltiou 20 b taken 10
this case, although great many ol
those who are advocating tho measure
and who stand upon my side would say
that the County Commissioners, having
been asked 70 do 90 by respectable por.
tlon OF tho citizens Of the county, should
submit the question TO the people In any
event. With regard TO the construction
and meaning OF the statute here, that
course does not commend Itself to my
Judgment. Although, ~ ] say, II may
not help my side Of the case, lclaim that
this matter ~ to the needs and require
ments OF this county II one for the decl-
sion Of the County Commissioners, under
section ii OF the statute which provides
that they shall provide and keep In 70.
pair suitable fre-proof buildings and
other things In connection with them
and think that, under the evidence and
the circumstances Of the case, you should
be we'll convinced 10 your own minds
that the averments Of this petition are
true before you submit II to the county.
The next allegation IL, "rhst II would
he uuwise to expcnd any moro money on
the buildings as at present located"
Now thst IL my candid opinion In the
matter. Other men have different 0pin'
Ions In regard to It. Each man IL en-.
titled to hold his own opinion upon that
question, and to prevail upon his neigh
bOrs to coincide with him In his opinion
u he can. Nv Judgment comedies with
that expressed by Mr.. Fassett, that any
expenditure, that IL. mny considerable
expenditure,-and considerable, in my
Judgment, would be required to meet the
present demauds Of the county, for pub
lie opinion has been aroused aud demands
more than It has demanded during the
past few years. say that any consid-
cradle expenditure upon old buildings
always proves unsatisfactory. In nine
cases out OF ten, yes, In nineteen out oil
twenty, you always find When you get
through with expenditures Of that kind
that you have expended two-thirds Al
much In repairs rs It would have cost
to erect new buildings, and you
have not got what you want when
the work Il completed. 80 thai
my experience and Judgment leads
me to the belief that II Ii unwisc to ex'
pend any more money upon these build
ings as they exist at the present time
And, II we are going to expend con-
siderable sum, q sufficient sum to erect
new buildings, which I claim the needs
and requirements Of the county demand,
II would, In my Judgment, be more
reasonable and proper TO erect them nj
some point easily accessible from the
railroad.
The next allegation Is, "rhat the
present financial condition OF the county
warrants the erection Of new, safe, CON-
modious and convenient buildings, at a
moderate and reasonable cost"
Now, In order to have something to
show, to give your Honors some Idea as
tn what could be procured at reason.
able cost, the committee have obtained
from Mr.. COombs q draft Of some county
buildings that could be erected ut q
reasonable cost.
Judge Wilson then submitted and ex.
planned to the commissioners the plans
drawn by Mr.. Coombs, and continued:
Now, our directions to the architect
were to draft plans for such buildings as
could be completed for the sum OF
$50, 900. In this connection I have 4
paper which will read:
AUBURN, NE, Jan. Is. isao.
To THE sourH PARIS COMMITTEE:
Gsntiemea.-In compliance with your request
county buildings at south Paris. 1 viii BULL
the buildings complete %, per sketches and
plans furnished by @. NJ. Coombs, Architect, for
bond for the faithful performance Of the work.
j. A. GREESLEAf.
Mr.. Greenleaf Is gentleman well
known, n large contractor who 10 per-
fcctiy able to substantlate any OF his
statements.
Now, gentlemen, we have introduced
thls plan. They might say about that,
at Ia good-looklng picture, but Il
costs sixty or seventy thousand dollars"
We wished to Introduce something to
you that would be tangible. There Is q
court house Of sufficient capacity; n jail
and jailer's house of sufficient capacity
and Offices of sufficient capacity, fire
proof vaults and everything In the most
modern style, and 1t can be furnished to
this county inside Of the sum OF $50, OOc.
Mr. Greenleaf offers to give bonds to
furnish 1t to this county for the sum OF
$50, 900.
Mr.. Swasey-Are there any speclflca-
lions ACCOMMODATING the bid!
Judge Wllson-No.
Mr.. Swasey-Are the flre-proof vaults
Included?
Judge wilson-Yes.
Mr.. Swasey-For all the offices!
Judge wllson-Yes; everything, Just
as Il pretends to be.
Now, we Introduce this In answer to the
allegations which have been circulated
throughout the county, that we desire
to run the county Into great expense
that all these things could not be furnish
ed for that sum of money. We published
a cut Of the court house mt Pennington.
have heard quite number OF the
Judges and others say that they consider
ed that court house one OF the best In
the state, that II, so far as convenience
Is concerned, and that court house as
we are we'll aware,-the statement has
been published and has never been con-
tradicted. all II, furnishings, cost
a little rising $4,000. have letter
from the county treasurer which he sent
me, which will show that this ]. all they
paid for It. This does not include the
jtll. Now, II this building Is held to be
sufficient for this county and can be fur
nlshed for the sum which Is named In
that bid or guaranty Of Mr.. Greenleaf-
and there Is no doubt about that, because
competent men stand behind to gusran-
ty lit does away, In great measure,
with the cry OF great taxes aud great
expenditure. !,
or course you cannot raise and expend
$50, 900 unless somebody pays It.; but
that IL not raising and paying out $751;
600, or $4,000, $4,000, or 100000. IL
Il Just what the figures indicate II to be,
namely, $4,000. Now We can easily
base our estimates and our calculations
upon that In connection with the yalua-
ton OF the county aud the financial con-
dition of the county. Taking all these
things Into consideration that we have
proved to you, conclu'ively think, that
our records are In q very unsafe cOndi-
ton at the present time; that our jail
needs large sums expended upon 1t, and,
rs Brother Blsbee has Indicated In his
considerable sums must
be expended upon the court house; also
taking into consideration the fact that
we can procure what we call suitable,
safe and convenient county buildings,
all complete, for. tho sum OF $4,000,
located near the railroad station, ! say,
taking NIL tl,o.e things Into considers