The age-herald., 1899-03-14
COMMITTEE WILL REPORT FAVORABLY On New City Hall At Next Meeting of
 the Council. TEAR AWAY ALL OLD STACKS And AdOrn City Property With Hand-
 some Building IS THE COMMITTEES PLAN The Question of Adding Another Story to the Badly Crowded Jail Build ing Will Be Considered in the Report.
COMMITTEES PLAN

The special committee of tho city council will report Wednesday night that 1t thinks a new city hall is badly needed. The com mittee will go further, and say about how much money will be needed, and what the probable rate of interest will be.
 The committee held meeting at the city hall yesterday afternoon. and went over the ground thoroughly Mayor Evans met with the committee and gave the members his plan for raising the money and the benefit of considerable information that he had gathered. He said that the old struc- ture was disgrace to a growing, prosper ous city. Besides being an eyesore, 1t was not large enough to accommodate the city officials The building was dangerous. At the outset 1t only cost $1o,ooo. having been constructed on a cheap plan. There was no foundation. A hole was dug in the ground, and the brick work was started from the bottom. This was proven from tho fact that the building came near tumbllng down before it was actually completed. The people knew, he continued, that a new city building was needed, but some of them feel that the city is not financially able to begin the work now. The plan he suggested would not cost the citizens one cent in taxes.
 Right to Borrow Money Under the new city charter the city had the right to mortgage It's property to bor- row money. The city owned one-fourth of a block on which the city hall, market house, fire department and jail now stand. This could easily be mortgaged for money enough to make the improvements at a rate of interest not higher than per cent. Out of the market rents the interest could be paid, and a sinking fund could be estab- lished for the principal. Consequently the citizens could have a new city building and not feel the burden.
 The mayor suggested to the committee that the matter of improving the city jail might be taken up at the same time. The jail was in good condition, the only trouble being that there was not room enough. An other story could be added and provision made for the chief of police to have an of- flee in the city hall building. The present office of the chief was very inconveniently located in dirty alley.
 The question was then brought up as to the size of the new building. It was first suggested that only the city hall proper be rebuilt.
 Make Clean Sweep
 Alderman Kerr did not like this plan He said that the city should make a clean sweep, and tear away all of the old build- ings with the single exception of the jail Let the first floor be devoted to a hand some market, the market to extend from the corner of Fourth avenue down to where the building occupied by the fire department ends. This would make tho market much roomier and throw it all to- sether. The building would have a front age of 40 feet.
 A majority of the committee agreed that this was the better plan.
 Mayor Evans said that he had already received letters from a number of outside architects and had been approached per- sonally by several local builders. The gen. eral opinion expressed by them was that the city could erect a handsome three- story structure at a cost of $50.O00.
 The committee then agreed to submit report in writing favorable to the building of a new city hall. It had been suggested, said one member of the committed, that work should not begin until new admin istration came in. 1t was argued that part of this administration would hold over, and that the work was so important that it should start just as soon as possi- ble It was hoped that the new building could be completed during the coming sum- mer.