Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-07-09
MUST erect
SOLDIERS MONUMENT

Certain facts have come TO light rel
ative to the contemplated soldiers
monument that would indicate that
many complications may, arise aud
that, at best, there are poor prospects
of the monument being completed this
year.
1t is now generally conceded that
the county commissioners will have to
award the contract and erect the
monument. This discovery is bound
to create surprise, as the soldiers
monument committee is understood to
have already invited bids, if it has
not awarded the contract for the monu-
ment.
The solicitor for the board of county
commissioners Monday in explaining
his view was emphatic in the deolara-
tion that the county will have to
erect" the monument.
In view of the plain language of the
act it is singular that the impression
should have gotten abroad that the
awarding of the contract and the
building of the monument would de-
volve upon any other body than the
county commissioners. Section l of
the act of April 3, 1908, reads as fol-
lows:
"On the petition of at least fifty
citizens to the court of quarter ses-
sions for the erection or completion of
monument in memory of the soldiers
and sailors of the late war it shall be
the duty of said court to lay said petit
tion before the grand jury and If ap-
proved by two successive grand juries
and said court the county commission
ers shall be authorized to erect and
complete any monument now partly
completed and maintain at the county
seat suitable monument in memory
of the soldiers and sailors of the late
war of the rebellion.
At the February session of court,
pursuant to petition for monument
duly signed, the grand jury awarded
five thousand dollars to be expended
for soldiers monument as provided
by the above act. In addition to this
amount the soldiers monument COM
mittee had raised a considerable sum
by popular subscription. Since court
more money is said to have been rails
ed but just what amount is available
in the lands of the committee - pres
ent is not known for a certainty but
it is understood to be several thousand
dollars.
AS the county commissioners are to
build tie monument the logical in
ference would be that they would
build monument for five thousand
dollars, the sum fixed by the grand
Jury. This would be true if there was
no other money available than the
amount that comes from the coun-
ty. No less an authority than the So
lic!tor of the board of county commits
sioners is cited to show that all money
collected can be used in conjunction
with that awarded by the grand jury
in the building of a monument. All
that remains for the soldiers monu-
ment committee to do is to turn the
money it has collected over to the
county commissioners take the receipt
of the latter for the amount and leave
the whole matter of monument erec-
tion with the county. The county COM
missioners then, instead of contract
ing for five thousand dollar monu-
nient, will contract for one TO cost
that sum plus the amount that they re-
ceived from the soldiers monument
committee.
The solicitor cited the case of Lock
Haven, where the same amount tor a
monument was awarded by the grand
jury as here, five thousand dollars
The county commissioners took over
three thousand dollars which had been
collected by outside parties and award
ed contract for an eight thousand
dollar monument. The work on the
Lock Haven monument is we'll under
way and will be completed by fall.
1t is much feared that as things
stand there Will be delay in complet-
ing the monument here. What the next
step will be is uncertain. 1t is hardly
probable that much in the way of act
ual building will be done this sum-
mer. All OF which is to be regretted,
as without the completion of the
monument, it will be impossible TO
finish the driveways in the park while
the bare foundation of the monument
and the rough fence enclosing it offend
the eye and detract from the beauty of
the park.
AGED LADY