The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1912-01-15

estate, every probate proceeding on
realty and every condemnation pro-
ceeding has a direct bearing on some
ones title and with our court records
destroyed, every term of the district
court in Latah county for the next five
years will open with over three hun
dred cases on the docket, repetition
of the years following 1898, except
that it will be suits to quiet title in
stead of mortgage foreclosures, etc.
=, In addition to the costs entailed on the
public in maintaining the long terms
of court necessary to clear up these
titles, each litigant would be put to
an individual expense of from 500 to
$3.50 besides the cost Of getting wit
nesses and the worry and bother of lit
igation. This estimate of costs refers
only to default or noncOntested cases.
Contested cases would run from 5000
up. We have not the exact figures as
to what this litigation would mean in
money, but it is an extremely low
estimate to say that it would cost the
litigants alone, leaving out taxes for
court maintenance, over $250,000. This
condition of affairs can be avoided by
the expenditure of 100000 or less.
Bear in mind that after the litigation
charges, above referred to, have been
settled we still have the costs of re-
storing mortgage and deed records to
contend with and there we are at the
mercy of the abstractors and we also
have to consider marriage records and
chattel mortgage records that can
never be restored.
All of the foregoing can be avoided |
by the expenditure of not to exceed |
100000, for which sum we can erect |
a building absolutely fire proof and |
equipped with every modern conven-
fence. In view of these facts, do you
not believe that today Latah county |
is overshadowed by risk such as |
no conservative man would permit to
hover over his private affairs when
the means are so easily accessible
to avoid it.
Another fact to be considered is the
extreme danger to human life. Prac
tically all of the time our jail is
with state and federal prison
ers. Under an arrangement with the
United States government certain of
the federal prisoners are kept in our
Jail. Any one familiar with the con-
struction of said Jail knows that
should a fire break out in the sheriff's
office, or anywhere else on the lower
floor of the building, at a time when
III the officers and employees are
absent, and should such fire gain any
Roadway before it's discovery
It would be entirely impossible to
each the only exit from the Jail, the
lOor opening into the sheriff's office.
It may or may not be known to you, 8
)ut the facts are available to show, Il
hat a few years ago, when there was
10 one in the court house except the :
prisoners and they are securely locked r
n the Jail, fire broke out on the :
ground floor, under the stairway :
eading to the court room. Had the
fficer in charge arrived 20 minutes
alter than he did we would today have 8
new court house and the prisoners,
t that time locked in the Jail, would I
ow exist only in the memory of
public. U
Aside from the great financial re- :
resting upon us with ref y
renee to the records, every humane +
rincipal demands that in the admin n
stration of justice, in taking temper n
rily the liberty of parties accused +
crime, necessary and indispensable y
lOugh it may be, we must not a
sopardize human life in the manner !;
re are now doing. Furthermore. it r
; well known fact, that our pres y