The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-09
AN EXPENSIVE PILE
Auditor Winters Gives the Past and
Present Value of the Court House.
REGARDING ITS INSURANCE
r e Writes Another Interesting and
readable Letter to the County
commissioners on the M
portant subject.

n " dpportlon among the resident agen
e OF suite the insurance on the count
s buildings. and after the work had bee
: completed to their satisfaction the DO
n icies were sent to County Auditor Wiz
ters Tor examination and approval NJ
s winters has had a great deal of expe
. | rlence In insurance matters and an ey
!, ANIMATION of the policies soon con
! WINGED him that they were very fault
and did not insure the county 70 an
great extent, so he returned the poII
cles TO the commissioners yesterda
. accompanied by a characteristic com
. inunication In which he says:
nave had the distinguished homo
or reviewing, with interest and pleas
ure. the result Of your able delibera
t,ons on the insurance question, 1 fee
the necessity, however, of RETURNING
the product without action, and ash
Tor your further consideration
without any desire to criticise the
insurance talent portrayed in the pre-
scr1ption of the schedule which is at
tached to and forms a part of the vari-
Gus policies covering on the county's
| magnificent buildings, / am compelled
| TO express the belief that this docu-
ment is a thing well worthy of Bill
| Nye's successors most sincere consid-
Grafton. 1 have seen a great many hu-
morous attempts at burlesquing a pro-
fession, but this attempt at underwrit-
ing WdlkS OH with the prize.
In the first place. gentlemen, this
insurance does not insure but a por-
ton of the. insurable property situate
on the county's patch. In the next
place, the items covered are covered
by an amount far in excess of the
present cash value thereof. In maxi
ing this assertion, / do so with the be-
lief that / can demonstrate to you by
fact and figures, that / am right nv
reference n n of
sioners' proceedings during the year
1882, / notice that the commissioners
had advertised for bids for the con-
structfon OF a court house. / also no.
tice that various bids had been re-
ceived from responsible bidders and
opened and read by the board. I notice
that bid for about SIS, 900 had been
declined by the commissioners as being
excessive. The commissioners how
ever, proceeded to build the court
house on the plans submitted by the
sS5,OOO bidder, and completed the build
ing according to the contractors spec-
ifications. and with the presumption
that 1T cost much less than SIS. 600 II
is also fact that a few years Ia ter a
new jail was attached to the court
house. costing about 900 therefore
conclude that at the time the buildings
We're built, they might have reason |
ABLY been worth. or at least might /
have cost in the neighborhood of 500 |
900. From this amount we must figure |
the depreciation of 10 years wear. and |
the reduction In the prices OF material !
from that to this time. and we will
clearly arrive at the present cash value |
or our very much over-rated valuable
''The possible original cost Of build
ings, 100000. From this amount we
must deduct 2h per cent. per year for
l3 years wear. s32. 500. Deduct 2B Der
cent. Tor chree years wear during the
three years life of the present policies.
1880. Deduct from $4,000 worth Of
contained in the building. as
per cent. as a reduction I'm the price Of
material $4,000 Total deductions.
$500. Present cash value of build
ngs. $40, 800
1T must be remembered that. IN case
N loss by fire. the companies will usa
his method of estimating the loss and
will under no circumstances nav more
nan the present cash value OF the
buildings destroyed, and they will also
ieduct the value OF remaining rem
lants from the cash value I therefore
you'd suggest that the amount cover
ng on the first item OF the policy. as
vrfoten' be reduced from $50. 900 TO
42,500; or the present possible casb
'alue of the property up to the date of
xplration of the present policies.
me item covering on the clock fs
$50 excessive. This clock can he re-
laced for about $1,000. II has heen In
Sc Tor several years and its present
ASH value will not exceed $500. 7 would
uggest that this item be reduced FROM,
1000 to $500 The amount COVERING, on
ne third item is also excessive. TT
overs $4,000 on set of furniture thar
an be replaced. from new etocl, AZ
oout $4,000 ! would suggest that this
EN- he reduced tn $4,000 The amount 2
'vering on the fourth item is Excess
We The property specified in this
en- IS not worth $50. and is insured r
IF IL is absolutely necessary for tho
'unty TO carry insurance amounting
SloOOOo' / would suggest that about +
le-half or the amount he placed on
"a record books contained in the vari-
IS ofhces n by fire the vaults were p
Iecteo ana the records damaged. II
oulo cost more to replace them than
would to build two court bonses
nder the present brilliant form tbe +
CORDS are not insured. The heating
'pafatus and boilers are not insured
he plumbing and electric light f1x
res are not insured; in fact. as
we already said. the policies do not
VET nan OF the property. and the u,
ms covered are excessively covered
"a II fire should occur. the whole
sh would be arrested on suspicion. Il
ereIore suggest that you reconsider Pc
IS matter In more ways than one"
me commissioners took the returned
hcles and Mr.. Winters suggestion.
der consideration.
me commissioners have sent applica-
ms 10 the Orphans home at Twin
ldges Tor the admission of EIGHT o--
ans from Butte and until an onsu,ar Pc
received on those Applications NO
'ther action will be taken In regard
the scheme Of running a children's Pc
me In this city.
large number of claims were AL
we'd and ordered paid by the COM
sslohers yesterday. among them the
* the poor house during March +
Grsn nd orr
-ou choice Of any R1,t.n IN