Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-04-25

from the County Clerk. The committee
in that report asked for further time in
which to consider the matter, and
asked that they might be authorized to
visit the jails of one or two other
counties, and that they might report
later as to what should be done with
regard to the matter. Time was granted
by the County Board andthe committee
were authorized to visit some other
jails.
Now in this connection where was
there any false or misleading argument
used? Where is there aay foundation
for the charge that 'hasty action" was
taken?
The County Board adjourned over to
February 18th, and III the meantime
and before the meeting in February the
report of the committee was published
in book form by the County Clerk.
The Court House Committee at the
report and made certain recOmmenda-
tions. Such written report was
presented on February 18th, but action
thereon was deferred until the follow
ing day. Such report may be found on
pages 26, 27 and 2S Of the printed
proceedings of the County Board for
the February meeting. On Feb. 18th
the resolution that the county proceed
to build a sheriff7s house and jail COM
bined, at a cost not exceeding $4,000
was passed by vote OF eighteen to
twelve. Three of the members of the
board being absent and one, the chair
man, not voting. The resolution with
regard to the issuing of bonds to draw
SIX PER CENT interest was prepared by
and under the supervision of the
District Attorney, Mr.. Deming, and
upon resolution to adopt every member
of the board present, except the
chairman Mr.. Smith, voted in favor of
it. THERE WERE THIRTY VOTES FOR AND
NOT ONE AGAINST. 1t was also unani-
mously voted that substantially the
plan of the Monroe COunty'5 sheriff's
house and jail be adopted, which as had
been stated in the report of the COM
mittee, cost the county OF Monroe
$I6500.00
Now, wherein is there ought in these
proceedings to show that there was any
false or misleading arguments used?
Where is there a member of the board
that can now repudiate his former
action and honestly say he was mislead
by any argument that was presented,
that he was mis-infOrmed with regard
to a single fact, or that he acted hastily
and without due reflection and con-
sideration Of the Importance of the
matter in hand?
The question is not one between
''twin cities" and the balance of the
county, nor one between Grand Rapids
and the balance of the county. 1t is
simply a business proposition in which
the whole county is equally Interested.
The present jail is to be condemned by
next July. 1t, and the part where the
sheriff is obliged to reside, are admitted
ly bad and cannot be remedied, then
Why not build this year when every
thing is cheap? Why not build such a
structure as will fully meet the wants
Of this growing and prosperous county
for the next fifty years?
The News says 1.-The amount asked
and voted for the construction OF the
building is outrageous Let us see.
Fourteen county iails were built in
this state during the four years ending
December 31st last, and the average
cost per jail, of these fourteen jails, was
$23400.00. Take out the one built in La
Crosse at a cost of $4,000 and the one
built in Dane county at a cost OF S40UOO,
and the average cost of the remaining
twelve was $19, 100 Of the fourteen
counties which built new iails, only four
built at a cost Of less than $1500000.
These four counties which built at a cost
of less than $4,000 were as follows
Barron with q population of 154l6,
built at a cost of $4,000, and has in such
Jail only eight cells. Bayfield, county
with a population of 1890 built at a cost
county with a population of $500 built
of n oCc+ Of SOSO0 on6 hos tunlva aa1lc
Taylor county with a population of
673l built at a cost of $4,000 and has
twelve cells.
In this connection it may be we'll
also to note the fact that Marinette,
with a population nearl Y the same
as this county, built in 1892 at cost of
$4,000. Ozaukee county with a popula-
ton of 1913 built in 1894 at a cost of
$17500. Remember in this connection
that the population OF this county
according to the last census was 1927
and that the populations of counties
given above is all according to the same
census. 1t is probable at this date,
however, judging from the vote last fall
in this county, that the population of
this county is now about 220O0.
Wherein then, we submit, do these
facts show that the County Board in
voting Sl0UU0 did that winch ought to
be or can truthfully be charged as out
rageous?
Will each Of the members who voted
upon this matter ask himself the
question? What has been done in so
many other counties of the state, We
submit, may be safely taken as a guide
for the action of the County Board of
this county and ought not to be charged
as an outrageous proceeding. If out
rageous, then what have the other
counties of the state, equally intelligent
and progressive with this county, been
doing?
Again, let any one visit any of the
jails recently built, and he will quickly
see that from three-fourths to six
sevenths or more Of the cost of the
whole building Of the Jail and sheriff7s
residence is in the Jail proper; that the
iron and steel work and cages, in order
to be secure, must cost very considerable
sums; indeed, in most cases the cost of
this part alone is more than one-half OF
the whole building.
The Jail of modern days is "a place to
be dreaded' as the News says, but to be
such, 1t must be so situated and con-
structed as to be secure against the
assaults of the most hardened and
desperate criminals and preclude com
municatlon of those confined, with