Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-11-29
County Press Fayors New Court House
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perity are noted in five counties of
this state, which took steps last week
to build new court houses. In con-
sentative old Grant county steps were
taken like her neighbors TO build a
safe deposit for her valuable records,
the vaults having been condemned by
committees from the cities of Platte
vile and Boscobel alike; Lancaster
quite, conservative. The beautiful
park with its soldiers monument,
registering the names of so many
brave men who helped to make this
nation great, belongs to the county,
and is worthy of better, more mod
ern and safe building for the use OF
this commonwealth. The country
will not know it in ten years.
Grant County Witness: The time
has come when it appears to be ne
cessity that Grant county should
build new court house building
The subject has been under discussion
at the County Board for several years
but not until at the session just closed
have any definite plans been agreed
upon. 1t appears TO be the almost
unanimous conclusion of the board as
whole that as matter of pubic
safety, as safeguard to every cltl-
zen OF the county, whether he be
property holder or not, that suitable
building be provided that will hold
absolutely safe the almost priceless
archives that must remain under that
roof
The Witness is in n position to
know that in the conclusions so far
reached by the board that Lancaster
and its representatives have strictly
kept .shands off, in the matter. In
fact Lancaster and its representatives
have refrained as far as possible in Of
fering advice or counsel in the matter
except only when pressed in the mat
ter Not that Lancaster and its rep
resentatiyes are adverse to the plan
proposed-they are in favor Of it the
same as every interested taxpayer
should be-but in the matter OF urg-
ing or even proposing the scheme or
even in accepting committee appoint
ments they have showed commendable
delicateness which only under pres
sure they have been obliged to recede
| from.
The real pncolored and unvarnished
facts that exist are thus:
Grant county's original court house
is something like sixty years old. At
the time it was built it was large
enough to meet all practical require
ments AS the business of the county
grew additions, and enlargements OF
vault room were made. The vaults
the very places which of all places
should be sacredly kept safe from rob-
bers and from the destructive foe Of
fire are entirely inadequate for room
and one of the poorest excuses in case
Of fire that one can imagine. No bus
mess man would take the same chances
with records of like value as Grant
county now takes with her almost
priceless records, now on file in the
offices of the county Judge, the regis
tee of deeds. the county clerk and TIE
treasurer.
This matter is one in which the
public cannot and mu st not defer to
their own judgment. Their repre-
sentatives on the county board ought
to be and must be the sole judges as
to whether the court house is needed.
We believe the county board as
whole is very conservative body,
BODY that looks after the welfare of
the taxpayers of the county in very
conscientious matter. They know or
are in a position to know better than
anyone else what improvements are
necessary-they are elected for that
purpose.
Hundreds of dollars are and have
been spent annually for repairs, addi-
tions and Improvements on the pres
ent building, and still the accommo-
dations are inadequate and insuflici-
ent. With the present building the
same conditions will exist year after
year and should any catastrophe oc-
cur. and Providence only knows when
it may occur, the taxpayer will be the
unspeakabe loser in the matter.
With the plan that is suggested, but
which as yet has not been perfected,
the paying for the new building will
extend over series of years Were
the taxpayers not to know that new
building were being paid for, they
would not feel the tax IN the least, so
small will 1t he year by year-the cost
will not even be noticed when one
thinks that the entire county will as
sist in the levy. To be frank it will
be so small that only the habitual
kicker and those opposed to any pub
lie improvements, will be the only
ones to be heard from in opposition to
IT,
The editor of the Witness made a
personal survey of the matter. Our
Judgment is no Better than that of
any membe of the board, but we ven
ture the assertion that leaving the
matter of sentiment aside, no business
man-no person who takes any inter
est in the safety of the title Of his
property or any public record that is
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