The Dickinson press., 1911-08-19
COUNTY BOND ISSUE

Stark county needs q new court house
badly and the commissioners fully ap-
preciate the fact, placing themselves
on record by resolution as favoring the
same, but it is not expected that any
effort will be made to secure a vote of
the people or the question this year,
and possibly not until the next general
election. At least the board has wisely
decided that they would not want the
county put to the expense of a special
bond election. 1t has been suggested.
however, that if it would be legal, an
expression of the voters on the matter
mieth be taken on the third Tuesday
in March, 1912, when the election of
national delegates will be held. Some
think that inasmuch as this election of
national delegates comes but once in
four years and is for a special purpose,
fixed by law, that it would not be legal
to tie on some other proposition and it
is likely that States Attorney Murtha
will, in the near future, be asked to
give an opinion for the guidance of the
commissioners.
The present court house was erected
in 1886, when the county was bonded
for SIS, 900. The building erected in
territorial days was found. almost from
the start, much too small for the
county's use. necessitating the renting
of rooms down town for one or more of
the officials. An addition was put on
some years ago, but this does not fill
the bill, and there is no suitable way
of installing a heating plant or for
making the building sanitary. to say
nothing of the weakness of the Jail por-
tion of the court house. At the pres
ent time. the barber, Roy Bancroft,
charged with a serious crime. is held
in the Jail at Bismarck for safe keeping.
There is really very little to prevent any
desperate criminal from making his
escape through the crumbling walls of
the old portion of the jail.
The interest on 2O-year bonds and the
necessary levy for sinking fund would
not amout to any more than about
Sc. 500 per year for a SIS, 900 court house
and a considerable part of this would be
saved in rental and the necessary x
pense incurred in sending prisoners to
neighborine jails. Another item of ex-
pense that would be saved. would be
fees so often incurred in chasing down
escaped prisoners. Besides all this,
many repairs are annually required on
the old building and the place is rapidly
getting more and more dilapidated.
AS to the finances of Stark county. the
annual financial statement published
in the PRESS on August II, shows but
Sc. 500 bonded Indebtedness. said bonds
maturing in 1912. and there is already
81. 500 in the sinking fund for the liqui-
dation of the same. The floating indebt-
edness, as shown by the report. is a
little less than $40. 900. Hence, it is
apparent that Stark county is in very
good shape financially and a SIS. 900 adj
ditional Indebtedness. sufficient 10 erect
a court house large enough and good
enough for several generations, would
not impose any great hardship on prop
erty owners.
Owing to the partial crop failure this
season. it is probably best to defer ac-
ton until another year, and people gener-
ally will commend the commissioners
for conserv alive action in the matter
which they have had under consider
alton for more than a year.
There is no question how the funds
for a new court house must be raised.
1t must be by bonding by vote of the
people, so when the matter is finally
submitted every voter will have a
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