The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-12-25
CADWELL'S VIEWS
AN OLD CITIZENS OPIH1ON OF THE
COURT HOUSE QUESTION
He Makes Some Inquiries Relative To
specifications and the Work of the
Roche Harbor Lime Company i'm De-
feating the Proposition

ber two, not of a volcano, or a taxpayer,
but of a citizen and resident of this coun-
ty for more than twenty years. No cas-
ualties yet, but the situation is becoming
alarming and more violent shocks are
expected at any time.
As the ISLANDER has invited comments
regarding the court house proposition, l
beg room in its columns to make known
the opinion of some of my neighbors and
myself concerning it.
First, l would like to ask the promoters
of the court house scheme why there
were no specifications circulated among
the voters, showing what kind of a court
house $4,000 would erect?
Second, Why is the Roche Harbor Lime
Company the cause of the new building
proposition being defeated and why is the
Lime Company called upen to be target
for the promoters of the new building
scheme to fire their bitter wrath of defeat
against? Why does our legal advisor
from Lopez claim in his letter to the
islander that theHcommissioners elected
Twill not let views expressed before as
suming office control question affecting
the best interests CT the county?'
| consider the present court house far
too magnificent mansion to serve as
shelter from the stormy blasts of winter
for such officials as would work in direct
opposition to the promises made the peo-
pie before election. | have more respect
for the citizens of this county, the Repub-
lican party and the commissioners elected,
to believe that they will labor in opposi-
ton to the wish Of the voters who elected
them to fill their respective positions.
Why are the non-taxpayers credited
with defeating the proposition along with
the Lime Company? Is it not the tax
payer who would have been required to
build the new structure, had the Friday
Harbor scheme been successful?
Last, but not least, why is the editor
not willing to bury the hatchet since the
court house proposition has met with
such grand defeat, for at least two years
more, even though the commissioners
may have the power to levy tax and
build regardless of the action taken by
would meet with great disapproval and
would not occur among officials worthy
of recognition.
Yours very truly,
EDMUND N: CALDWELL.
West Sound, WASH, Dec. IL, 1902.
Mr.. Caldwell is mistaken in thinking
that the ISLANDER has invited COM
ment upon the court house question
since the election. Communications
from reputable citizens upon topics of
public interest are, however, always
welcome if they are confined to reason
able limits and do not transgress the
bounds of propriety.
Mr.. Caldwell falls into the error of
most opponents of the proposition to
erect decent court house in denom-
mating it scheme" using the
word in its more offensive sense. AS
to why "no specifications were circu-
lated among the people showing what
kind of a court house $4,000 would
erect,n the probability is that the COM
missioners did not feel justified in en-
gaging an architect TO draft plans and
speclficatlons for building the erec-
ton of which, if authorized, their sue
cessors would have sole charge of. Ger
tainly it would have been a most un-
Usual thing to do. They believed the
amount suggested sufficient to provide
ample accommodations for public OFF,
GERS, the safe keeping of public records
and the transaction of public business
for many years. The brick court house
in Skagit county, which exceeds this
county many times over in area, popu-
lation and wealth, cost $4,000. The
new and handsome stone court house
st Olympia, the state capital, cost $40,
900. There is no need of great and
imposing structure in little county
like this, but there is great need of a
neat and substantial building, and the
need would be just as great If the coun-
ty seat were on Lopez or Orcas island
instead of here. The rickety old frame
building now in use was erected nearly
twenty years ago and cost less than
81 900. The present commissioners very
likely reasoned that building costing
ten times as much ought to suffice for