The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-04-13
A new COURT HOUSE


Talk of a Special Election to Vote
Bonds for a New Court House to
be Submitted This Fall.
There is a growing sentiment all over
the county that Decatur county should
have new and modern court house to
replace the dilapidated structure now
used as a court house, and it is probable
that a petition will be presented to the
board of supervisors at the June session
asking that they submit the question of
issuing bonds for anew court house at
special election this fall.
Decatur county is one of the two
counties in the entire state of Iowa
which has not in recent years built
new and modern court house, and GER
tainly Decatur county has as much
pride in having substantial court
house which would be credit to the
entire county as any county in the
state. A new court house would
have the effect ofsadding to the value
of every acre Of land in Decatur county,
and when an eastern man would come
here to look at land it we had fine
court house it would speak we'll for the
county and make 4 favorable impression
on him, as it would Indicate that we
have progressive community and not
backwoods settlement.
Another important matter to be con-
sidered among the reasons why we
should have new court house is the
fact that the present quarters are not
large enough to care for the public
records which are kept in the vaults,
the vaults in every office being now
filled to overflow and many books and
papers must be left outside the vaults.
In case of fire all these records would
be destroyed. Decatur county has had
all her records destroyed by fire once,
and it has cost the people Of this county
several times the price Of new court
house in the way, of litigation and losses
sustained because the records we're des-
troyed. Suppose all the records now
kept in the court house were destroyed.
Just think what trouble it would cause
to the taxpayers and land owners.
Then too the county is put to big ex-
pense each year in providing Offices for
county officials who should have an
Office in the court house. Offices are
rented during the entire year for the
county attorney and county superin-
tendent, and whenever court is in ses-
sion additional rooms must be provided
for grand and trial jurors. The judges
who hold court here have threatened to
refuse to hold court in the old building
and unless new court house is provid-
ed soon the chances are that the judges
will order that rooms be secured else
where in which to hold court. All this
expense would be saved if we had a
court house adequate to the needs Of
the present time.
Many people who had not investigat-
ed the matter when the proposition was
submitted the last time, Had an idea
that if bonds we're voted for new
court house that the increase in their
taxes would impose hardship on them,
but such is not the case. Bonds could
be issued and sold and a small tax levy
made each year, the bonds running
twenty years and the tax would not be
noticed. A few years ago the voters of
Clarke county voted to build new
court house at Osceola. A fine struc-
ture was erected and now every one Of
the bonds have been paid off, and dur
ing the time the bonds were being paid
the rate of taxation was no higher than
~ Ndo LII plCS1Ouo SSdiSs LII OUuCL
words the taxpayers never knew they
were paying for the court house judg-
ing from the amount of taxes they paid.
The railroads in this county would be
compelled to pay more than one fifth Of
the total tax necessary to build q new
court house.
The people of Decatur county should
have pride enough to vote for the erec-
tion of a new court house. We believe
the time is ripe to submit it to the peo-
pie, and we believe that the people are
progressive enough to realize that a
new court house should be built at once.
And if it is decided to build new
court house the mistake which many
counties have made of not building a
good enough one while they are build
ing should not be made in this county
If we build new court house let's build
good one, one that will stand for the
next fifty or a hundred years and answer
the requirements of the county. A
new court house would not be benefit
to the town of Leon any more than tc
every property owner in hecounty. A
court house is for the use and bench,
of all the people in the county, not fl
the town in which it is located. Il
you are at all skeptical in the matter
the next time you come to Leon, pay q
visit to the old court house and look i,
over. Ask any of the county officers
who are the representatives of the peo.
pie Of the entire county, whether they
need more room, Examine the thous-
ands of valuable public records which
are not protected from fire, and We
will guarantee that you will go home
satisfied that new court house should
be built.
Think about this matter. Talk il
over with your neighbors, and if the
question of building new court house
should be submitted this fall, take OF
your coat and work for the project
Talk won't build a new court house
but energetic work will, and the time il
ripe for doing the work.
Homeseeker's Excursion.