The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-11-04
COURT HOUSE
A BIG ISSUE
One Of the Important Propo-
sition for Voters of Grand
Forks County.

Whether or not Grand Forks coun.
~ will have a new court house within
the next year will be decided at the
polls tomorrow. The need Of q
new court house 3ias been emphasized
both by the commissioners and by al
citizens who have investigated condi.
lions. Four out of five commissioner.
have openly advocated the construc.
tion OF the new building while the
NTH. although he has voted against
the resolution submitting the matter
to a vote OF the people has not beer
actlve against the proposed bond is.
sue. With the question OF the need
OF the new building answered, the tax.
payer naturally asks, what will IL
cost me If I vote for this bondinr is.
sue and 1t carries?"
Distributed Over Twenty Years.
In the first place it should be I'm.
derstood that under the bonding sys.
tenn the cost is distributed over "a
years. making the increase in taxation
yearly surprisingly small. Under the
ponolng system a payment on the
principal sum is made yearly togethe,
with the interest on the entire re.
naming sum. 1t is planned to make
a payment Of $4,000 yearly on the
principal. Owing to the steady re.
duction Of the principal the interes,
which is at 4 per cent is 5000 for the
first year amounts to $4OO the last
year. Principal and interest the
100000 court house will cost the
people Of Grand Forks county approx.
tmately s2S4.000.
The average Payment due each
year for twenty years which would a,
the end Of that time wipe out the
principal would be approximately
$4,000. The assessed valuation OF
Of the county in 1911 was s14.07O.-
1875. This means that the levy for
construction of the new court house
would be one mill on the $1,000 as
sessed valuation or 81 yearly for
twenty years. One dollar a year for
twenty years or $50 will be the cost
to the taxpayer whose property is
assessed at $1,000.
Adds Only 81.
To state the proposition more con.
cretely building Of a new court house
means that If you are paying $50
taxes now 6 per cent on $1,000 as
sessed valuation) you will pay SCI
yearly. Those who own less than
$1,000 assessed valuation will pay
proportionately less.
Land in this county is assessed at
approximately $1,000 a quarter sec.
ton. That that the farmer
will pay a dollar yearly for twenty
years on his quarter section. And re-
member that at the end of 20 years
the court house will be clear of debt.
The figures do not allow for any
increase in the county assessment.
While no exorhitant claims Of in.
crease in valuation are made. it is
obvious to any thinking voter that
there will be a steady increase IN as
sessed valuation and that the one mill
levy will be ample to meet the prin-
cipal and interest of the 5000, 900
bond issue.
Rumors Without Foundation.
Various rumors have been more or
less widely circulated to the effect
that it was planned to change the To-
cation Of the new building and that
the new court house would not be
erected on the present site. That this
is absolutely without foundation is
shown by the act that the commits
the Proposition to a vote specifically
new building on the old site.
There Is no reason why this county
should not have a new building.
Prominent business men and farm
ers all over the county favor the pro-
posed bond issue. But 1t Ia necessary
that every voter who favors the new
building go to the polls On Tuesday
and vote Yes"