The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-02-26
od Becomes Mere Pugger After Money Set By an Extra

make the necessary additions 10 the
buildings here. The county has not
now such authority.
AT a distance varying from four to
eight feet on the north from the pres
ent court house is the Putnam House
property. and at the same distance
on the south side is Drysdale's store.
1t is apparent, that to acquire by con
domination, if the county had author
! ity, the amount of land necessary to
give reasonable accommodations, in
GLIDING good air and light, would re-
quire sum of money large enough to
go a long ways in the construction Of
new buildings. 1t is obvious that pub
lie buildings should have sufficient
clear space for light and air. and un-
derstand that the Federal government
insists on at least forty feet for that
purpose.
1t is also said that Bennington
should pay the penalty Of an unwise
location, and get along with 1t as best
she can.
The act authorizing the location and
construction of the present county
buildings in Bennington named a com
mittee to purchase the sites and erect
the buildings a majority OF which re-
sided in the north shire. Presumably
this building was located by a major
ity of this committee
The grand list of the entire county.
as shown by returns 10 the Secretary
of State in 1906 was Sl1S,357. The
grand list of the north shire towns at
the same time was Sal ,5S5, ard OF the
south shire towns S76,772. Upon this
basis, whatever money is expended
for these purposes practically So per
cent will be paid by the south shire
and S5 per cent by the north shire
and the town of Bennington whose
grand list for the same year is $50,
33S will pay practically 80 per cent
of any sum expended, and more than
the entire north shire.
/ In the basis of the grand list of 1907
bennington would pay 43 per cent
| thereof.
Notwithstanding these facts. it is
said that Bennington. in addition
should furnish site for the build
ings
AS an incident, It may be noted that
| 1t is claimed by some residents in
Manchester who profess to know,
| that the land upon which the county
buildings there stand does not belong
to the county, and therefore, that
every dollar of money the county
spends upon the same would in the
the event il should ever be desirable
10 locate the court house at Manches-
ter Depot instead of Manchester
Street, go to the benefit of someone
else. / have no knowledge whatever
upon this subject In 1900 and 1901
over $1,000 of the county funds were
spent in making additions TO the court
house there, and in about 1895 the
steel cages used for jail purposes were
put In the court house building there
at an expense of some 5000 During
this time no additions have been
made to the court house or Jail in
Bennington. Repairs and interior inn
provements have. however, been made
10 the buildings in both places.
II the voters OF the south shire de
sire to adopt the provisions Of the ACT
in question, they can easily do 81. as
they outnumber the voters of the
north shire In the proportion Of about
80 TO is.
In my Judgment, the burden ANA in
convenience of inadequate facilities
for doing business in a court house
do not fall upon the attorneys. but
rather upon the litigants themselves
who come to court with their witness
es, upon the judges. and upon the
grand and petit jurors II the facili
ties are inadequate. they suffer both
| financially and otherwise more than
any one else
| notice Mr.. Archibald uf Mancnes
ter, in recent communicated 10 YOU.
queries 10 the voters whether they
think. the present jail is good enough
for criminals, and the court house
good enough for the lawyers
would not state 1t that way under.
stand both are built and maintained
because public necessities require
them.
/ would inquire, is the court house
In Bennington or in Manchester such
as the people want for themselves
when they come as litigants or as mr.
ors, or such as they want for The use
of the judges? Are the iails suitable
and decent places in when to ihcar.
cerate those of the human race who
sometimes through their own fault,
and sometimes from Causes apparent
ly beyond their control. are guilty of
such infractions of the laws RS re-
quire their restraint! Are either or
both such as the county reasonably
ought to have
Some logician in discussing this
matter has said that If Bennington
needed greater jail facilities It would
be fair TO let her pay for them.
An examination of the jail records
since 1876 shows that Of the commit.
ments for the graver crimes made
during the period the proportion from
the north shire has been practically
the proportion which its population
has. during the same time, heen to the
population OF the south shire, the Man
chester jail not having been consid.
cred a secure place for a confinement
OF that class of criminals
So far as | am personally concerned.
| am well accommodated by the court
house at Manchester AT Bennington.
in common with other attorneys here,
use my own office, when the public
facilities are insufficient for tho pur-
pose required.
II would seem that the residents OF
the south shire ought to have AT pub
lie expense buildings provided for
their use, that are relatively equal to
those which have been provided for
the north shire, when, as is the case,
the south shire has paid and must DAY
nearly double the amount paid by the
north shire. Whether or not this Is
so, and whether the pending bin will