River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-12-15


action taken this forenoon in regard to
the bids for Depository for County
Funds, be reconsidered and that all the
"bids" be referred to special commit
| tee
Ayes: Johnson, Wethern, Corc0ran,
Prichard, Murray, Dill, Mcdonald, (D.
Nays: Murphy, Bliesner, Roatch,
Spriggle, Kay, Olson, VIM. Foley,
Scott, Waller, w. J. Foley, Gilmore,
Severance, Fox, Moody, Martin, Chin
Tock, TAFT, Bailey, Q8).
On motion of Sup. Moody, the Board
adjourned until 8 o'clock tomorrow
morning
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER II.
Board called to order at o'clock in
the forenoon Roll called Full Board
present. Journal read and approved.
| A communication from the county
clerk of Barron county, containing
Memorial to the legislature, regard
| ing county printing was read and re-
ferred to special committee consist
| ing of Sups. Bliesner, Gilmore and
Murphy.
J Report of Special Committee on New
Court House, (appointed last SESSION.
was read and on motion of Sup. Bailey,
the report was accepted and ordered to
be placed on file.
To the Honorable Board of Supervisors
| of Pierce County:
The committee appointed by the Board
of Supervisors in 1903 to examine as to
the requirements of the County in the
| matter of a new Court House and TO re-
port their findings to this Board, respect
| fully report,
That they have had the matter under
| consideration and submit the result of
| their action as folloWS
In examining the present Court House
! they find that the walls are cracked con-
/ siderably; that the roof is showing signs
| of decay and must be renewed within q
short time; that much of the plaster1ng OF
| both walls and ceiling in the court room
| is loose and liable to fall at any time,
| possibly with disastrous results, ana
! should have steel walls and ceiling II the
! building is to be maintained any length
| of time; that the heating of the court
room, being by means of stoves, cannon
be properly done in cold weather and that
| it is practically without means of vent1la-
| ton other than by the windows; that the
position of the Judges bench is such
that he is obliged to be seated with MS
! back to an exposed north wall, making
| his discomfort from this source in cold
| weather very marked and the subject OF
| complaint
terms of court here recently; that the
! same defect applies to the place occupied
! by the court reporter; that the position
of the jurymen is even worse as they are
| not only next to an outside wall, but
| many of them are exposed to drafts from
| the windows in the rear, and the heating
| is particularly bad for them; that no con-
venient toilet rooms exist for the jurymen
and hence there is always liable TO be
that mingling with outsiders which
should not be permitted in important
4 a hn iI1r
| to hold twelve men with comfort and is
wholly lacking in ordinary conven1ences.
thereby, no doubt, frequently forcing YER
diets by juries against the better judy
ment of many of It's members, from sheer
| discomfort.
While the arrangements for the Jail
are not such as are usual in buildings of
! the more modern type and the placing or
the jail under the Court room is not in
accordance with the best modern plans
| still we dc not find anything to particu-
/ larly condemn, excepting the arrange
ments for a water closet which are very
bad and we do not see how it can be ma
| terially improved in the present building:
| In examining the Office building we find
| that it is in fairly good condition al
though the same objections to heatlng
and ventilating exist here as in the Court
| room and much discomfort prevails in ex-
| IRENE cold weather, particularly in the
Judges room. The main difficulty found
| in the office building is in the seriously
! crowded condition of the vaults. In the
| vault of the Register of Deeds there Is
| practically room for only three years
more The vault of the County Judge is
! now inconveniently crowded, as is also
J that in the Office of the Clerk of Court.
The vault of the County Clerk will not
now hold all the papers and records which
actually belong there by law, but at pres
ent this officer gets along by packing
away files under the stairway and keep
ing records in the Office and vault of the
I Urea surer. This condition of affairs should
not be permitted longer than is absolute
" necessary, as cases may occur at any
t., f1an 1fxy will
these records are not kent as provided by
/ law which is an impossibility at present.
The vault in the Office of the County
Treasurer is the only one in the building
affording room for any length of time.
providing only the records belonging in
| that office are kept there
Tt is the opinion of the committee that
| if the present buildings are to be retained
| for a number of years, a considerable sum
| of money should be exDended at once in
| supplying the needs of the County in more
vault room; better heating and ventilat-
ing facilities in both buildings; a new
roof on the Court House: steel ceiling
! and walls in the Court room and some
better ARRANGEMENTS made for the Judges,
Reporter and Jurymen
Following out. as we believed, the spirit
of the resolution under which the commit
tee was appointed a majority of the COM
rnittee visited the Court Houses in St
C,roir and Parron Counties both of which
ARE new buildings and greatly superior in
| aecomm odations to our own. This inspec-
ton only increased our feeling that our
1uirements of the present
/ The committee conferred with various
architects and builders who make a spe-
cia1tv of Court House work. examined
several plans of such buildings, and con-
cluded that the Court House now in
/ course of construction at Amigo. Lang
| lade County Wis. with some rnodifica-
| tions would nearly fill the requirements
| of this County for a thoroughly substan-
| tial. up-to-date Court House. Through
/ the courtesy of the architect of this build
inc Mr. f W. Kinney. of Minneapolis