The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-02-27
PROBLEM MUST Be
SOLVED IN NEARl
FUTURE
mo" Vote Will Only Postpone
New Court House
MUST BE BUILT EVENTUALLY
Present Structure Long Ago OutliVed
Its Usefulness, Is Unwholesome
and inadequate.

one WHO mas always Deeu lNleTeSlcu
in the welfare of Bennington and
Bennington County, | am taking the
liberty to write you concerning the
much discussed question of whether
or not 1t is for the best interest of
the county of Bennington to build
new court house and Jail
There are those who seem to think
that by voting No they will for
ever brush aside the necessity, which
is growing stronger each year for
the erection of a new court house and
jail. The voters must remember that
it is absolutely immaterial whether
they vote Yes" or NO" so far as
concerns the ultimate outcome. for
within a very few years, at the most,
we will be compelled to build new
buildings as no one can possibly be
foolish enough to believe that the
present equipment can be used many
years more for it has long since out
lived its usefulness and We are today
disgraced by the most unwholesome
and inadequate county building in
the State of Vermont and one which
has been condemned at least so far
as the jail is concerned by every
Grand Jury for the last ten years.
The principal objection raised as
one of taxation, that it will cost some
thing to build new buildings This
fact is beyond dispute; but it has
cost the Village of Bennington much
more to have electric lights than it
did to have the old fashioned lamp
posts of twenty years ago-on that
theory we should return to the old
system of lighting 1t has increased
the taxes to have an efficient fire de-
partment, but no one wishes to re
turn to the old way of depending en-
tirely upon the steamer to put out
fires Ii has increased our taxes to
have a sewerage system, yet we do
not hear any arguments in favor of
returning to the old cesspools. 1t
has always increased and it always
will increase taxes to have improve
ments. yet in the long run the very
fact that we spent money for i'm
provements brings it own reward for
we have but to gaze upon the situa-
ton in many of our little towns
where no improvements are being
made to see how they are going back
year by year and property becoming
almost unstable. No town, county
or state can for any length of time
remain stationary, it must advance
or go backward, and the most care
less examination of the lives of bust
ness men who have succeeded will
show that their success lay in the
very fact that they were willing to
spend money to improve their bust
ness.
The bill which provides for the
raising of the funds for the court
house is so admirably arranged that
the tax will fall in a way which will
cause hardship to no one The poll
tax payer is asked to pay but ten
cents a year for five years. A sacri-
fee if It be one, of good cigar or a
short trolley ride, and if "a man lives
in this town, or county who is not
willing to make this sacrifice the
town or county 1t better off without
him. The man who pays taxes on
One Thousand Dollars worth of prop
erty Is asked to pay the small sum of
fifty cents year, certainly not q
great burden, and 1t is reasonable to
assume tnat there is not q citizen in
this county who does not waste
many times that sum during the
course of twelve months, There are
others who object to voting in favor
of the bill because they do not know
just where the buildings are to be To-
Gated ! do not know that there is
anyone who has the slightest idea
where the location might be. It Is to
be left to the Judgment of compe-
tent committee and we may be as
sured that they would use discretion
In the matter, and petty jealousies as
to location should never enter in to
prevent the betterment of our town
county or state.
Nature has been very kind to Ben
nington and Bennington County, but
for some reason we do not seem to
advance. Some of the towns are be-
coming depopulated, others barely
holding their own and Bennington
getting ahead but slowly. The prin
cipal reason for our not forging
ahead like our neihgboring towns OF
North Adams and Pittsield lies main
ly in the fact that for years the same
spirit has been displayed which Is be
ing displayed by many today, that OF
being unwilling to assist in the up
building of the town, each one un
willing to put his shoulder to the
wheel. In fact, many of them adopt
ing the opposite course of doing al
In their power to block every move
ment that is for the betterment OF
the town or county, forgetting that
they are preventing their own perso
nal advancement, preventing Their
property from increasing in value
preventing men from obtaining em
ployment. preventing outside capita
and industries from seeking n home
here and 1t must be readily seen that
whatever advances the interest Of
Bennington advances the interest oI
Bennington County as well as tho
State of Vermont, and 1t is likewise
true OF all other towns throughout
the County,
1t is argued by those living in the
smaller towns that II Bennington
wishes a court house that Benning
ton ought to build the same. Thli
is hardly just or equitable for in Tn,