The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-05-19
AS REGARDED
BY VISITOR
JUDGE HENRY SPEAKS or COURT
HOUSES.
TWO DISTRICTS POORLY Off
Good Public Buildings Are An Abso.
lutte Necessity and Should
Be Provided.

JuuSe FRANK Henry OF the Sixth
judicial district, comprising the coun-
ties of Park, Carbon and Sweet Grass,
was in the city yesterday on his way
to Red Lodge. He took advantage OF
the time intervening between trains
to look at the new city hall and ex-
anime it's interior arrangement. In a
conversation with The Gazette he re-
ferred to the lack OF adequate public
buildings in his district, particularly
as regards the court houses that the
three counties own. Neither one, he
said, had what could be termed re-
spectacle court house, although all
had expended almost enough money
in repairs and alterations to give them
such buildings as they needed and
ultimately would be compelled to er-
eGt.
The trouble is" he continued, that
when public buildings are construct
ed only too seldom is the future ta-
ken into consideration. The result
is, that that which was adequate to
the demands OF the time in which
construction was made is found in
adequate as localities become more
thickly settled and the business OF
the courts and county offices in
creases. The court rooms become too
small and the various offices likewise.
Everybody is inconvenienced and all
work under disadvantage. The build
ings that have been erected are incap-
able of being enlarged so as to afford
the needed room, because of the poor
manner of their original construc-
tion and failure to so construct them
that they could be added to in time.
What applies to my own district
also is APPLICABLE to at least one county
in the Seventh district. l have refer
ence to Yellowstone county. Your
court house is totally inadequate to
the purposes for which it is intended
The court room is entirely too small
and so lily arranged that it is useless
OF thinking OF making any improve
ments to it, 1t lacks proper means OF
ventilation and in consequence it is
filled with foul smells whenever it is
occupied. and the wonder is that the
Judge, lawyers, jurors and all others
who are. compelled to use it are not
sick all the time they are in it, Then
the rooms set apart for the occupancy
Of the different county officers fail
wholly in their purpose lacking in !
space and accommodations and what
little protection they pretend to afford
to the records and valuable instru-
ments OF all kinds filed and preserved !
here is SO slight that there might
as well lie none.
In my opinion people make a mis-
AXE when they oppose needed public !
improvements, such as are contem-
plated by your county commissioners.
Every county should have a respect
able public building, one that is fully
Up to the requirements of public busi-
less and needs. Especially is this
he case in counties that are rich
enough to afford buildings of that
lind. 1t is only a matter of time un-
il they will have them and the sooner
hey are built the better it will be for
he people, especially when, as in the
'ase of your county, it does not be-
ome necessary to raise the taxes
o the extent of making a special levy
or building purposes. am surprised
hat any opposition should develop
0 the proposed building here, for it
5 certainly sadly needed"