The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-07-17
OGDEN DEPT.
HERHLD sRHNcH OFFICE,
5l3 UTAH LOAN g. TRUST BUILDING.
Ogden, July IL
THAT COURT HOUSE DEAL.


1t looks as though Weber county
is going to have small edition of the
Salt Lake county court tactics, anc
there seems to be no legal way of pre-.
venting the scheme from being work.
ed
For some time, it has been very ap.
parent that the county would re-
quire a new court house room, and
it was the general opinion that the
proper place for a. court house was on
the city hall square
The land could be had there for
nothing because it is to the interest of
the city to encourage such improve
ments as a modern court house build
ing would be to this square, and then
again the city pays four-fifths of the
taxes and it would be a matter OF
economy to donate the land for the
count house and leave the present
county building and grounds free to
be sold and the proceeds put in a
building of modern design and suf-
ficiently large to accommodate the
county business for many years to
come.
thought about it but it was not con-
sidered necessary to do any thing in
the way of building just now, in fact
1t seems to be the universal opinion
that it would be possible to get along
Tor at least two years without doing
any thing, because times are hard and
statehood with increased general eX-
penses to be borne by the county will
soon be upon Us and as a matter of
sound business judgment rigid ecOno-
my was TO be practiced.
The counties have TO provide
place for holding the district court
and the county court house is in no
way fitted for that purpose, but 10 get
over this difficulty it would be pos
Sible to rent temporary quarters at
very low rental per year that would
answer every purpose.
The United States government pays
So 900 per year for the present court
room and offices and that is all right
but when that expense comes out of
the pockets of the tax payers of this
cheaper quarterS will do very
we'll and it would have been possible
to have SECURED a very convenient
court room for $40 per year. Instead
of being governed by the general
wish of the people the county court
has decided to expend $4,000 in the
erection of an annex to the present
county building which at best will be
only a make shift and an actual
waste Of that much public money, be
cause it will not provide what extra
room the county business will require
for three years and then it will
be absolutely necessary to erect
new building.
The interest on the money expended
on this annex at s per cent. per an
mum would more than pay the rent of
a temporary court room where the
would be even better
than this annex will provide.
1t is generally thought that the ma
iority of the members Of the court
were actuated more by selfish nc
tives than a desire to serve the pubic,
when they decided to build this an
mex.
1t is understood that members o.
the court have been supplying the
with material for different
purposes and that in the erection OF
this building considerable more stuff
will be furnished by members of the
court. This is positively against the
law and will certainly be ventilated,
also several other little matters which
have leaked out.