Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-01-06

3sHtTucte0 VIII NOT De less tHan 3lHe SLOi-
lowing scale indicates: Il. ss .l
Rents for 80 rooms for county Of
ices and court rooms, 1000 per
year for four years. y. I. q. y. J. $32, 600
Rents for vaults during same per-
Tod q. 4. 4. \. Is, 900
Fitting up quarters . \. \. 5000
Moving d. 4. .(t 4. 200
Moving prisoners on hand when
III work begun. I. 1. !. !. /. ~. 1000
Transporting prisoners to and
from jails, where confined dur
ing time Of building 5000
Removing present building 1000
Extra guards necessary for Of ~
Extra guards Tor prisoners 4. e. 1000
5 s6s, 200
Is The prices given are based upon act
lal estimates submitted by men who
have the room for rent, and the only men
In many instances who have the rooms
that could be used. The estimates for
the expenses for vaults are less than
the average price paid for vaults in the
city and SO per cent less than the price
the county would be compelled to pay.
II The items Of transportation are based
on the regular prices for railroad pas
senger traffic, 8 cents a mile, and cal
tculated on distribution of the prison
ers in the nearest jails. As a matter Of
fact they are altogether too low. We
have an average OF SO prisoners In the
Polk county JAIL While the court house
was being constructed on the present
site, 1t would be necessary to rent jail
room in adjoining counties, If possible,
and to pay for the transportation OF the
prisoners to and from these jails as Of
ten as there was any examination or
trial of them. Guards would have to
accompany them and their railroad fare
would be the same as that of the pris-
Ioners. AS the personnel of the prison.
ers changes substantially after each
term Of court. four times year. it Is
evident that the transportation charges
will be repeated as often as there Is
change Of prisoners. The estimate for
this purpose is under rather than over
the amount that will probably be re-
sQuired. II a temporary jail should be
rented in Des Moines and fitted up So
as to be secure the expense would be
very materially increased. But there Is
no building in the city that could be
used for such purpose, so that feature
may be dropped from the discussion.
All parties. both those favoring the
retaining the present site and those
working for the river front, are agreed
that the expense Of rents and prisoners
during the time the court house Is be-
ing erected will be $4,000, or more We
believe it Will be considerably more, and
think we have demonstrated it. But
granting that it will be $4,000, there
would then be an expense equal to the
amount expended for the new site and
the county would have but one piece Of
property instead Of two. The building
will cost the same, practically, whether
ot< "a in a
on the river site will mean a saving OF
at least $50.0O0 in first cost and twice
that before the building is completed In
the Increased valuation that would be
placed on the property from West
Fourth to East Fourth streets and the
increased taxation that would follow.
But that is only q small part Of the
economy that would be apparent from
the selection Of the river site. The
present court house square can be sold.
No lawyer. no judge. nor any other man
who investigated the matter believes
differently.
Years ago the board Of supervisors
had this question Investigated imparti-
ally, without any reference to the loca-
tion OF the court house site. but simply
to ascertain the exact rights OF the
county in the property. The examina-
ton was made by the regularly elected
attorney OF the county. He found that
the county had an absolute right to sell
and prepared resolution authorizing
the board to sell II there should be a
majority vote in favor Of the PROPOSE
ton. At the same election the Leader
and Register conducted independent
examinations on the same subject and
arrived at the same result. advising
their readers that the county's title was
unconditional and that II the board de-
cided to sell they had such right.
That proposition Is settled. Any man
who votes for retaining the present site
on the plea that the county cannot make
title to the court house square will vote
under a mistake. It can be sold and
there are plenty Of customers in the
market for it. The committee, who are
men whose word could be taken in any
business transaction by any men in
ty that they have ready for presenta-
ton to the board. when the proper time
arrives, an offer Of 100000 for it. Ac-
?companying the offer Is q bond for $780,
900 for its fulfillment. The proposed
purchaser has had the title examined
and, as an inducement to the board to
sell and because his examination of the
title has convinced him of the entire
sufiiciency of the county in this regard.
is willing to accept quit claim deed.
What is a quit claim deed in this case.
q transfer Of whatever title the county
has, but without any warrantee to de-
fend that title.
All parties. the friends of both sites.
are agreed that the square can be sold
for public purposes. as expressed in the
deed from the commissioners. The
board of park commissioners will give
500, 600 for the property for park pur-
poses, which is for public purposes. If
the board shall conclude that they can
not sell the tract to an individual for
private use they can sell 1t for public
purposes. and for more money than will
be required for the purchase of new
grounds, and leave very respectable
sum for the building fund.
Taxpayers should consider this ques-
tion in the light Of the facts presented
in this article, facts which are undis-
puted. True economy consists in selling
the present site and building on the riv-
err front. Not only, will the large
amount necessary for paying rents be
saved but there will be a large sur
plus from the sale Of the present pro-
perty to pay on the construction of the
new building.
n IL you want to pay So, 900 in rents for
offices for the use Of the county while |
the court house Is being constructed,
vote for the present site.
II you want to pay from $4,000 to !
10000 for Jail rent, guarding prisoners I
and railroad fares for prisoners and
guards during the time the court house
Is being constructed on the old site,
vote to retain 1t and not to sell 1t.
\ II you want to have the river front
In the exact center Of the city. left in