Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-04-13
A NEW COURT HOUSE.
The Subject Being Discussed BY Busi.
ness Men, and Apt to Come Before
the Voters Next Fall.

Those who are deeply interested in
the protection and safety of the proper
ty of the county, and consequently in
the erection of a new court house, have
been discussing the subject considerably
Oflate, and it is not at all unlikely that
the proposition will come before the
voters of the county next fall for set
tlement. The!reasons advanced are so
obvious and are so well defined in the
following letter of Mr.. Ben Bear to the
Board of Supervisors at their session
last week, that we will publish it with
out comment at present. Our columns
will be open to any who wish to ex-
press their views on this question as
far AS our space will permit.
To the Board Of Supervisors Of Win
nesheik County, IO,od:
Gent men, as a citizen and taxpayer
l respectfully request you to submit to
the voters of the county whether or
not it would be advisable at the present
time to erect new court house, and /
will herewith give you my reasons for
making the request.
1t seems hardly necessary for me to
inform you at any length of the illpro-
lection and lack of accommodation the
present court house affords the public
records.
The building is unquestionably too
small to accommodate the volume of bus
iness which increases from year to year
and though it might have been the
best which architecture could devise at
the time of its building, yet, at the
present lime, it is far below the stand
ard of modern improvement.
Outside of the vaults, which barely
hold some of the most valuable papers
and securities, there are vast stores of
legal and probate papers; papers of
suits in law and equity and public doc
uments of various kinds, absolutely
without any fire protection.
The plan of making new additions
has been tried again and again until
the patch work. which has been both
expensive and unsatisfactory, seems
now unworthy of q county like Win
nesheik.
You can better imagine than realize
the mischief which a fire would oc-
casiOn, into what confusion it would
throw the public when papers which
could not be duplicated, documents
effecting the real estate of all citizens,
and papers on which depend their for
tunes, happiness and security, are lost
beyond recovery. Nor does this effect
alone the wealthy aud those who have
extensive business interests, but the
humblest citizen in his little cottage,
for which he has toiled so hard and
which he calls home; the farmer, the
mechanic, in fact all are involved
alike.
In the face of these dangers 1 cannot
but cry out and ask that you heed and
remedy this as you only can. OF
course 1T will cost, but the cost of
new court house is Insignificant with
the risk the public runs in the old one.
The estimated cost of fire proof court
houses, ordinarily, ranges from $780,
900 to $75, 900 which can be provided
for by the sale Of long time bonds, at
the low rate of about per cent. per
annum and what at present may seem
a hardship will prove a future benefit.
The safety of the property of thousands
depend upon it, the security of your
homes demand it, common sense die
tates it, and on you rests the RESPONSE
bility. Will you do it?
Respectfully Yours,
BEN BEAR.
Decorah, Ia, March 7th, 1898.