The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-11-01

II There Was A Court House Rake
on joe McNeal Was In on IT. Is
Joe A Crookl

on Joe McNeal Was In on IT. Is
Joe A crook7
Since Il Is IN order for Republican
taxpayers Of Logan county who have
been dnped By the present county
board 20 come forward and make con-
leaalon. / would like 10 add few
unfdf 10 the interview printed In The
fAhieF from the Guthrie merchant and
the Lawric township taxpayer said 2
taxpayer Of Guthrie township today.
"0f All the foolish rigamarole gotten
out py the Republican committee and
press that touching upon the logan
county court house Is the worst.
III two men ever buIlded a monu-
menu 70 themselves and TO the county
1t II ]. D Burke and John Favor, the
liiaerit uyjemhers OF the Democratic
board In 1907, who In the face OF
much opposition initiated and erected,
Through TO completion the present
Logan county court house. Prior to the
building OF this edifice | recall that
not less than six grand luries in sub
hitting their reports on county af-
fairs. condemned In mercilesy terms
the old county court house building
Each OF these grand juries recon-
inended the building Of a new court
house, AS far back as 1896 when Q
Republican board was in control a
committee OF citizens waited upon this
cuunty board asking that steps be
taken looking to the erection OF new
court building. but this Republican
county board nor the many that sue
ceeded II refused to do the thing look
Ing to the betterment OF the county.
1t was not until many years later wher
the taxpayers Of Logan county, indig
nant and outraged. overturned the Re
publican machine and elected Demo
cratic board. that Logan county eve
received any action whatever looking
to 1 substantial new court building
What Burke and Favor Did.
"Messrs. Burke and Favor initiated
the court house project, and during .
period extending over eight months
they interviewed hundreds of taxpay.
ers OF Logan county as well as stores
of business men of Guthrie as to the
Feasibility of erecting new court
house. Opinion was almost unanimous
that Logan county should not be be
hind IN the race fcr county supremacy
and that an ediiice equal, If not
superior to those in Woodward, King
fisher. and other counties, should be
built in Logan county, After Messrs
Burke and Favor had fully decided
upon the erection of court building
they cast about for plans necessary tc
fulfill financial obligations. Opinion
was that 30 per cent of the taxpayers
Of the county we're in favor of the
rental plan. 1t was held that this
plan would entail less burden on tax
payers than the method of issuing
bonds. At that time six counties In
Oklahoma had erected new court
buildings and In seveia, Instances the
cost had exceeded 100000. In some
counties there was much criticism or
the useless expenditure of public
moneys. The time not being right
etc. In one or two cases the county
board was condemned for making new
contracts for court houses, but In the
majority of cases the taxpayers who
were the loudest In condemnation sub
seq emily became warmest in com
mendation. Messrs. Burke and Favor
addressed letters TO many of the tax
payers OF Logan county and received
replies from nearly all.
Among those who answered the
Hletters OF the board and commended
the court house plan were the follow
Ing: W. A. Frasier, F. H. Greer, G.
-. Perkins, Judge A. II. Huston, NJ. Z.
Whipple. ]. B. Beadles. L. n. Beadles.
A. c. Carlin, c. H. Lee. F. E. Hough
ton. Miles Allen. S. Z. Seely, l. B.
Levy, ]. w. Duke, Joe H. Norris, j. w.
McNeal, U. G. Guss, J. r. Cottingham,
y. r. Fegan. Robt. Sohlberg.
mcNcaI's Letter.
ar. McNesTs letter is as follows.
y. b. Burke, Comr. First Dist,
Guthrie. Okla.
Dear Sir: | have your letter OF
July 18th and In answer to your ques-
tion will say. that as tax payer J
favor the building of an adequate
court house. had thought a Sl50.000
would build an adequate one. This of
course had In mind to put into the
building, which would make the an
nual rental about s13,000.00 a year as
| computed the interest / believe it is
the cheapest and best way to secure
a court house. To get the benefit OF
low rate bonds, they must be long
time This would mean that eyentu-
ally We would pay far more of the
tax payef'G money by the time the
bonds aad interest for say thirty years
has run, then we would have to pay a
little higher interest and shorter time
Woodward county built court
house Oh the rental plan. The face OF
the contract was $4,000 At the
same time Kingflsher built court
house. which was perhaps better
finished building, but not quite so
large, In payment Of which they issued
100000, thirty year bonds, bearing 5
per cent interest. You can readily see
that their building will cost the tax.
payers $4,000 instead OF $4,000 when
L Is all paid.
Yours very truly.
J. w. McNEAL."
ouss's Letter.
Az fs,,e.te ottar tr no foliou,c.