The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-02-22
SOME NEW POINTS.
IN THE COUNTY SEAT REMOVAL AND BONDING
MATTERS
How Paw Paw Game be County Other
ime.

for almost 60 years, and yet there are
some people who pretend to believe there
is no need of new and more modern,
commodious court house. Think of it!
A $1,000 court house, nearly so years
old and built to accommodate 1000
people, living in new country,
inhabited by savages, infested by
wild beasts and nearly all an unbroken
wilderness, still in use by and claimed to
be sufficient for wealthy and prosper
Gus people numbering nearly "a 900
and occupying the very garden spot
of Mchigan The idea is prepos-
ferrous and it's mere statement carries
with it its own refutation.
But in discussing this question we
ought to take into account not only the
necessity for more commodious and con-
venient quarters in which to transact the
peoples business, bat we should also
consider the safety Of the files and
records of the courts and the preserva-
tion of the records in the Offices of the
register of deeds and county treasurer.
There is not public Office at the
present time that is roomy enough to ac-
commodate the public business that
must needs be transacted therein.
In all the Offices in the county Office
building, the records and files are piled
to the ceilings in wooden file aud record
cases. The rooms have wooden floors
and each room contains stove for heat
ing purposes, and there - a constant
danger from fire.
1t would be calamity indeed to the
county if the files andrecords of single
one of these Offices should be burned,
but the loss of them all would be ap-
palling.
There would then be DO possible way
of establishing titles except by reference
to set of private abstracts, which OF
themselves are OF no legal force.
1t is well understood fact that the
title of all real estate passes through
these several county Offices every few
years and that such titles depend abso-
lutely on the safe keeping of the
records of such Offices, and the destruc-
tion of the records in either of the
offices would be an irreparable loss to
the people. How much greater would
be the loss should they all be con-
sumod
What the county needs and by all
means should have, is new court house,
with fire proof vaults to hold all its pub
lie records, and thus remove them from
all danger of destruction by fire or loss
by burglary.
Let us ask the voter who is doubtful
about the bonding proposition this one
question: Would you not rather pay your
small share of the tax--only about 515
cents per year ON hundred dollars of
assessed valuation--needed to provide
modern court house and Jail and so pro-
vide a safe repository for the public
records, than to take the chance of hav-
ing such records destroyed, and face
possible lawsuit over the title to your
farm or home, and pay the expenses at
tending such suit?
OF course every voter favoring remov-
al to South Haven will, if consistert.
vote in favor OF the proposed loan, for IL
| the county seat Is moved neD buildings
aDitl haUe 10 be bztin.
! On the other hand every voter who
| is opposed to a removal of the county
seat should, as a matter of the safety of
1.-The public records, to say nothing OF his
pride in his own county and the neces-
sity of new buildings, vote "yes" on the
question of bonds.
Regardless of where the county capi-
tai shall he located, let us at all events
have new county buildings.