The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-01-08
WHICH SHALL IT BE?
TWO PLANS PROPOSED FOR SAFE
KEEPING OF PUBLIC RECORDS
Cost of Vault Steel Lined, and Safes,
Compared = Importantc Confersnce
Monday at Roche Harbor-A Sugges-
tion to Taxpayers

ton TO Taxpayers
An important conference affecting
public interests i'm San Juan county
was held at Roche Harbor Moniay
evening at the instance Of President
McMillin, of the Roche Harbor Lime
Company. Besides Mr.. McMillin,
Commissioners elect Sandwith and
Graham, who drove up from here In
the afternoon, end one or two others
were present, including an agent of a
prominent safe and lock company. Mr.
McMillin submitted to Messrsl Sand
with and Graham a proposition for
the construction a fire-proof, steel-lined
vault on the present court house site
and cornec ing with the building now
in use. u The ISLANDER is reliably ad-
vised that the cost of such a. vault, if
properly constructed and equipped as
proposed, would be at least ST. 200 and
might reach $1,000. The one-quar-
ter inch steel lining recommended by
Mr.. McMillin would add much to the
cost without affording the least addi-
tional protection from fire. Steel
Innings are used Only to add to the
difficulty of entranee to- vaults. by
burglars and it Is admitted by the best
authorities on vaults and safes that
such lining less than ONE INCH in
thickness is practically vAnUELEss and
even Nthis is not proof against nitro
glycefine explosives. One-inch lining
weighs AZ pounds to the square foot
and costs Is cents a pound, or $3.50 a
foot, exclusive of angles, etc., which
would bring the cost up to $3.50 a
square foot, or 81 $3.50 for such vanlt
as the one proposed. The cost't of
quarter-inch lining would be about
$500.
Some time ago the editor of the
ISLANDER asked representative of
the leading safe and lock company do
ing business in this state few ques-
tions relative to safes and vaults, and
we have no doubt that a very large
portion of the paper's readers will be
interested in his answers. One of The
questions waE this: If a safe and COM
modious vault were to be erected on
the present court house site, could it be
removed to another location, when
new and suitable building is erected,
with little loss to the county? "No,
indeed said he. GAS matter of fact
the loss would be so great that it is
questionable whether it would pay to
attempt the removal of any part of
properly constructed vault except, per-
baps, DOORS" Another question was:
What would safes for the auditors,
treasurer's and clerks offices, ABso-
LUTELY FIRE-PROeF AND LARGE
ENOUGH TO HOLD ALL OF THE PUB
Lie RECORDS NOW AND FOR SEVERAL
YEARS, cost in addition to the three
small safes now in use in these offices,
which should be taken in part pay
ment? "Three such safes" said the
agent, "of ample capacity and guaran-
teed safety can be furnished for
5000, we taking the old ones, and in
the event of the erection of new
court house, supplied with proper vaults
by us, the company would take back
the safes AT THE PURCHASE PRICE, so
the county would not lose dollar by
the transaction and in the meantime
all the public records would be Sc
cure"
That being the situation, the ques-
ton resolves itself to this. Is it better
to insure the safety of the public rec
ords by an expenditure that would in
volve an ultimate loss OF 1000 or more
to the county, or insure equal safety by
an expenditure of $500 that would in
volve no loss whatever? The facts are
plain. The matter is up to the COM
missioners to decide. They are already
advised of the views of the Roche Har-
Dor Lime Company, which Is the
largest taxpayer in the county and
Justly entitled to consideration as such.
Let them be advised also of the views
of other taxpayers, to the END that
whenit becomes necessary for them to-
act officially they may do so:with a;
fair understanding of public sentiment,