The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-29
A GUEST OF TRINITY Big HALL TO WAIT
Courthouse and City Hall Commits
sion Will Defer Work on
Main Entrance.
Say Needs in Other Direction Are
Greater-M Many Think This
a Mistake.

Not for several years will the ma in
entrance to the new city and county build
ing be completed. 1t might naturally be
expected that, with the big allowance Sc
cured by the courthouse and city hall
commission last winter, the work would soon
be DONE but the commissioners blandly
state that there has been such a demand
for new quarters for the municipal court
and for new lookup that it has been de-
cided to yield to this and spend only the
surplus on the entrance.
The views Of the commissioners are
probably fully outlined in the explanation
made to-day by Commissioner e. F. Com
stock:
eve asked for a bond issue of $400, 000
of money would have completed the
Fourth street entrance; would have provid-
ed. quarters for the municipal court and
the health department on the fourth floor
of the city hall side and would have pro-
vided lock up on the fifth floor and
would further have provided means for
additional elevator service and other odds
and ends Instead of $4,000 we were
| voted only $250,000 and we must do simply
the best we can. They tell US that the
lookup is a disgrace to civilization and
| that the present municipal court arrange
ments are not what they should be and we
will probably turn our attention from the
main entrance to these other matters
| Notwithstanding the decision Of the
commission, there are many citizens who
| feel that the action decided upon is I'M
wise. They argue that the condition OF
the main entrance has evoked the most
unfavorable comment from visitors fol
ten years past, and will continue to do SO
If the work is not. finished. In structure
| of a public character, advertised as one
| of the show places of the city, the mos1
conspicuous feature is the unfinished ant
untidy condition Of the Fourth street en-.
trance, which has been used as stable
and a storeroom for several years, to the
great wonderment OF the visitors and the
disgust Of taxpayers.
Aside from this, the completion of the
entrance is demanded as public neces.
sity. Those who have business at the city
hall are put to great Inconvenience. Usu.
ally they enter at the Fourth street side
to find themselves on the county side
and under the necessity of walking from
two to three blocks in order to reach the
office they seek. To get the only elevator
for the city side, it is necessary for those
coming along Fourth street to go up tt
Fifth street, often to come back a lonE
distance to an office facing on Fourth
street. There Is an entra nee on Thirt
avenue but no elevator, and those Wht
enter there arc confronted with a hare
climb of two or three long flights O
stairs. -.
1t is admitted that the judges and clerk:
Of the municipal court might prefer quar-
tiers which are better lighted, and tina
the officers detailed for the lookup nigh
also prefer handsomer surroundings; blu
many people are of the opinion that thes
personal wishes weigh very little in tn
scale as compared with the convenience
of the public and the reputation of tn
! city.
1t Is commended that the commission i
only too willing to delay the work on tn
main entrance in order to perpetuate itsel
i and come before the legislature in 100
with a plea for another bond issue.