Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-10-18
THE CRYING NEED.
The New Court House an Abso.
lutte Demand.
PRESENT INADEQUATE QUARTERS

The Committee on Public Expenditures on
the suhject-The DeplorabIe aud Unit
Condition Of the Present County Build
incs-An Appeal to the Taxpayers for the
Sake of the County's Pride and Good
Name.
The DAILY ARGUS of last Saturday
contained review of the report
made by the committee on public
expenditures of the board of super
visors at the conclusion of it's labors
on that day. The committee, which
is composed of Supervisors Ford,
Case and Oberg, devoted itself main
ly to the county property, and the
actual situation that confronts the
county as regards the present made
quate and depIorable condition of the
buildings in Court House square.
The fact that should the proposition
to erect new court house fail to
carry through any possible means
and it can only be defeated by the
| neglect on the part of the citizens of
the county to vote on it on election
day-means vast expenditure of
money to put the present buildings
in shape for use. and then they will
only answer the purpose of q
makeshift. is convincing argument
in favor of the proposition to be sub
mitted to the people of the county
on election day to issue bonds for
$125.OOO to erect new building
That the project be successful, the
pride and dignity of the county de-
mands, to say nothing of the imper-
alive needs as the committee finds
them, the report of which speaks for
itself, and is therefore given in full
1t should be carefully read by every
citizen and taxpayer in the county.
1t follows:
To the Honorable Board of Super
visors.-Your committee on public
expenditures respectfully reports
that in view of the fact that your
honorable body has heretofore re-
solved to build new court house,
and have submitted the proposition
to be voted upon at the coming cleo
ton, to issue county bonds to raise
the necessary money to build said
court house; and particularly in
view of the absolute necessity the
county will be under, in event that
| said proposition to issue bonds
should at the coming election fail to
carry. it, your said committee, has
made personal investigation of the
needs and requirements of the coun-
ty in such contingency, and find the
following conditions and require
ments exist, to-wit:
Offices In the New Building inadequate.
The Offices of both the circuit clerk
and the county clerk, and more par
ticularly the vault room of each, are
absolutely inadequate for their use,
and will have to be enlarged by the
building of an additional story to
their offices; and the safety of the
| priceless records of their respective
Offices, imperatively demand that the
same be furnished with fire-proof
furnishings. And in this connection,
since the extension of the office room
and vault aforesaid. will necessitate
the building of a second story over
at least part of the building now oc-
cupied by said clerks, it is your COM
mittee's opinion that arrangements
| had better be made at the same time,
for the erection of second story
over the entire building now occu-
| pied by the said clerks, so as to pro-
vide a court room for the county
court, and an office for the county
| Judge, neither of which are provided
for now, although the law positively
requires the same to be furnished by
the county, through your honorable
body. Notwithstanding the present
and growing needs of the county
court, its extensive and varied juris-
diction, its probate jurisdiction alone
requiring that substantially all the
property of the whole county pass
under it's supervision at least once in
every generation, and necessitating
the constant appearance before it of
all classes and conditions of our peo-
pie; its large criminal jurisdiction
its jurisdiction in insanity proceed
ings; in special assessment cases; in
a large class of civil cases, and many
kinds of business too numerous to
mention; yet it is provided with nc
court room of its own, and has to flee
from place to place, to hold court the
best it can; in the cramped, dirty
and miserable room known as the
supery isors' room, when the board il
not in session; and in the circnit
court room when it is not in session
and when both are in session, as hap
pens several times a year, being
without a habitation entirely, nc
matter how pressing the demand fol
its services. Furthermore, the coun.
ty judge is at present required to oc
cupy the same Office as the county
clerk, which subjects both him and
the people doing business with him,
to constant interruption and con.
fusion from continuous stream OF
people around him, not only depriv.
ing the Judge and the people de-
manding his attention, of all privacy
which is so often desirable, but rem
dering it well nigh impossible to
transact the most ordinary business,
not to say anything of business re.
| 0uiriur UrQat cora ouss oftautiop