The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1900-03-01
WILL you VOTE
FOR A COURT HOUSE 1?

There Is, TO our mind only two
= questions to be considered
Does Bates county need new court
house?
r l. the amount asked for exorbi-
t tant?
To the first query. The old court
house has been condemned by an ar
chitect, appointed by the circuit
court to examine and report on same.
1t has been vacated by order of the
| county court, and stands a roost for
bats and owls and a menace to hui
man life.
Second. The proposition calls for
$50, 900. Oh that amount 100000
is to be raised by direct levy extend
ing over period of three years, and
the other $4,000 to be appropri-
ated ont of the county treasury. We
do not think that any one will deny
that Bates county, among the first
in population and wealth in the state,
should have n good, modern planned
and built court house and the
amount asked for is very modest.
| We repeat, that those are the only
two proposition which should be con
| sidered by the voter. But other
questions have been raised by those
who are interested in the defeat of
the proposition. Among them are
First. ''Exorbitant taxation
A studied effort has been and is be-
ing made to convince the taxpayer
that the levy proposed would be "a |
great burden. When it is understood |
that it is only 81 30 on the 1000 |
for each year, or a total of $500 for
the three years they will see how ri |
diculous is that claim. A farmer is |
well to do who owns 100 acres OF |
land, well stocked. Eight dollars per
acre is an average assessment in |
most OF the townships, or 81, $50 |
He has a personal assessment of |
$500, a total of 81 $50. His tax for |
each years would be 81 Is or a total
for the three years of $654 Not a |
very burdensome tax for man with |
that much property
Second 'Ifthe $50, 900 is author
lied, then more would be called for to
complete the building"
The proposition is in the form of a
contract If II 40 ppiaa tho ,C,,rt |
have no option in the matter, and
will be limited by law to that amount.
1t will not be authorized to go a
nickel over the $50, 600 and the con-
tractor will have to give IL bond to
complete the building within the ap-
preparation.
Third. "Rich Hill offers to build
the court house if given the county
seat
The people OF that town are per-
fectly safe i'll Offering that or anv
other amount. They only hope to
confuse the minds of the voter to de-
feat the proposition. They hope by
this method to compel the people of
Butler to consent to a division of the
courts in exchange for their votes for
a court house at the county seat.
They will not agree to build a $50
600 court house for that concession.
But it would be only short time be
fore they would be asking the people
OF the county to vote them a court
house, if they could get a term OF the
circuit court
Fourth. Butler should put up
for Il new court house,"
The people OF Butler are Interested
in a new court house only to the ex-
tent OF every other voter and tax
payer Iii Bates county. The assessed
valuation OF the property in Butler
is about one million dollars. the
taxes on which will be 81, 300 wear.
or $4,000 for the three wears. In
other words Butler will pay about
one-tenth of the $40. 900 TO be raised
by this levy. 1t would be unfair and
unreasonable to expect the people of
Butler TO build court house or any
other public building for Bates
county, and the fair-minded. think
ing men of the county do not expect
any such thing. AS well might we be
expected to build the bridges and
keep up the other public improve
ments, Bates county realized on the
sale OF lots around the public square
on which the business houses are now
located By that act she guaranteed
to the purchaser tho r,.r,nar,r,+ -,