Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-10-23

80
one year and a new court house
erected besides. If one of the rec.
ords in the register of deeds Office
should be entirely destroyed, no
one can estimate the loss to prop
erty owners.
Inc farmers, as a rule, do not
take good care of their deeds, re-
leases of mortgages, ETC., and their
only protection and the only way
they can prove title to their land
Is by the records in the registers
Every city or village is liable to
have fires, and the old building
used for a court house, with it's dry
and rotten timbers, if once caught
In one Of these fires, would surely
be destroyed.
A fire-proof building and more
vault room is absolutely necessary
at this time for the protection of
the records.
In case the proposition for a
new court house and Jail is voted
down, it will be necessary, anyway,
to build new vaults and enlarge
some of the Offices, and the present
old and rickety building, which
will last but few years longer, is
not worthy of improvements, and
repairs on it are simply useless ex-
penditures of the county funds.
The county has no Jail and is at
present renting a building for that
purpose which will cost them three
hundred dollars per year. This
amount with the repairs that are
yearly put On the present court
house would pay the interest ON
the proposed bond issue. Besides
it is almost certain that in case the
proposition is not carried. the
Judge of this circuit will consider
a Jail necessary ADD order one built.
A substantial Jail and sheriff's
residence would cost perhaps $10,-
600. II a court house and Jail is
voted it is intended to make the
Jail a part of the court house build
ing and so save the cost of a
separate Jail building.
The County of Day can well
afford a good court house and Jail.
The County of Day is one of the
largest counties in the state anC
no county is i'll better financial
condition than Our county, We
have no outstanding warrants and
have $4,000 in the county funds
to meet the current expenses and
pay the $4,000 outstanding bonds
that are payable next year. s
The valuation of the county for
the year 1902 is nearly $5,000,O00,
and this valuation will increase
from year to year, so that a levy of
eight tenths of one mill is all that
will be required to pay the 81 per-
cent interest on the proposed $780,
600 bond issue and will pay the
principal when due.
The question of the increase in
taxes if these bonds are issued has
caused considerable discussion,
The average taxpayer will not
notice the increase in his taxes.
On a quarter of land assessed at
S7O0 the tax would be increased
Sc cents per year; if it was valued
at $500 the average valuation ola
quarter of land in this county, it
would be increased GA cents, so the
amount of tax for the average
farmer would not be noticed if his
attention was not directed to it.
On the other hand, the railroad
company, the elevator companies,
the nonresident land owners, the
hanks and those who have large
property interests, are the ones
who will feel the increase in taxes
and who will pay a large percent
AGE of the interest and principal
of the bonds.
The valuation of the c., M. q
st. P. Railway in this county for
the year 1902 is S346,642; eight
tenths of one mill tax levy on this
,o,,Id maka a tax of