The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1908-09-18
A COUNTY NEED

0AAAOoU NAAYCA SoA 0POA oS VIC
matter is more fully considered
and the needs of the county
more generally understood. 1t
reqnires only a visit to the court
house and q look into the oyer
crowded vaults of the auditor
and clerk of courts to convince
any one that these county Of
ficers are laboring under
difficulties at the present time to
properly care for their records,
and that there must IN Immediately
be some provision made for the
charging of these vaults to prop
erly preserve the records OF the
officers. This is a matter that
cannot be long delayed, and the
question comes up, is it advis-
able to attempt to built to or
patch up the old frame building
for the vault room that must be
provided. The present court
house is one of the frontier kind,
and Grant county has long since
passed that stage of its career
Half q dozen persons can barely
crowd into the treasurer's Office
at the same time. The auditors
office, register of deeds Office are
also crowded and stuffy rooms,
the visitor barely room
to turn around when in them.
The court room in the upper story
is totally unfit for the purpose
for which it is used, as those
who have been compelled to at
tend court have realized when
the room has been full and a
stlf1ing atmosphere endured, to
say nothing of the lack of proper
jury rooms. These inadequate
for doing the county
business have been endured by
the people of the county for a
number of years because there
has been a general impression
that the county was not in a
financial condition to build a
court house that would be credit
able to the county, but the time
has come when this cannot be
truthfully said, and the building
of q court house may be accom-
plished with SO little increase in
taxes that it will attach no bur-
den to the taxpayers Of the coun-
ty, the payment of the bonds
necessary being spread over a
series of years.
The law for creating bonds to
build a court house provides that
. county may vote five per cent.
of the assessed valuation for
such purpose after the out stand
ing Indebtedness of the county
has been deducted from the
amount. In round numbers
the assessed valuation OF the
county is S., 400, 600, and five per
cent of this. would be about
1910, 600, and deducting an out
tanding Indebtedness of 1854, 600,
would leave the county free to
bond itself for over 5000, 600,
whereas $4,000 would be all
that would be necessary. These
bonds may be made for q period
Of 20 years. at an interest of 6
per cent. This will amount to
about "a, 500 interest annually
for the whole county. and with
the necessary sinking fund
would make a tax of less than a
dollar q thousand on the assessed
valuation.
It will thus be seen that the
increase of taxes will be so small
that it will scarcely be felt, and,
The satisfaction to the people of
The county in having a court
of which they are not
sshamed would fully pay for this
70 say nothing of the security
provided for the records. And
t may be we'll to state right here
that q fire loss of probate records
cost the people of the
more than the building of
J court house. The continued
Increase of the county's taxable
will enable the people
o pay the bonds with q very
increase Of taxes, and q
building will add to
he value Of every farm in Grant
county. Every citizen in the
county should give this matter
attention. There is
10 question but tina. the time has
,rrived when the county should
ave 9 court house that viii! be
for its needs and for
he projection Of its records.