The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1912-02-15

At 4 o'clock this afternoon by
practically unanimous vote the tax
payers of Latah county in a mass
meeting adopted the report of the ma
jority of the court house committee
which shows that a new court house
should be built rather than repairs
made.
The report was adopted after the
Crawford Morris resolution, had been
rejected by a vote of three against to
every two men for the plan OF repairs
it advocated.
With the members of the taxpayers
committee divided in their opinion two
reports were submitted this after to a
meeting of over 200 taxpayers in the
court room The meeting was called
at 2 o'clock, and A. S. Lyons was
chosen president and Jno Nisbet, secre-
tary The court room was packed to
the doors by interested taxpayers.
The split of the committee occurred
when the majority decided to show
conditions as they are and offer the
meeting it's choice of two propositions,
to bond to build, or to raise the money
necessary for repairs. A. b. Crawford
and Henry Morris refused to sign the
report which gave the arguments both
for and against the two propositions,
that the voters might intelligently de-
eide for themselves, and offered an
other, minority report. Committee
man Laird, who favors the majority re-
port and Committeeman Martin
Thomas were not present and did not
sign either report, Thomas being kept
at Kendrick by the bank re-organiza-
ton, while Mr.. Laird was suddenly
summoned to Seattle.
The minority report limits itself to
one proposition: To spend mot more
than $4,000 for vaults, new jail and
sheriff's Office" asks direct tax levy
to build the same. It's adoption was
moved by Mr.. Crawford.
In addition to these two reports
there is also a report OF the court
hmse subcommittee, M. E. Lewis and
r. e. Green, as to the cost of build
inc, to the individual taxpayers. This
is published on page three OF this is
sue of the Star-Mirror.
After the meeting was called to or
der M. E.. Lewis read the majority
report which considers: A com
plete report of the present condl-
ton of the court house; report as
to the advisability of repairing the old
court house, and a report as to the ad-
visibility of building a new irt
house.
It copiously quotes from the tes-
timony of the county officers and the
expert builders and architects it had
before it, saying of the expert tes-
timony: cit might be inferred that
these people would be interested III
building new court house rather toan
fixing up the old, but in the opinion
Of the committee it aimed to be fair
in the main
After reciting from this testimony |
10 show the frightful conditions the |
committee as a whole says:
The Court House as it is Today.
The court house has a stone founda-
ion. brick walls and shingle roof. |
t is nearly square, with small single |
story projection on the south side as
part of the auditors vault, and cor
one on the north side T
part of the probate judges Of
ice. The stone foundation seems to
)e in good condition. The brick walls
,how a few cracks, and in that por-
ion occupied by the Jail the wall has
,een perforated to run bolts through
or holding the boiler plate lining OF
he jail room in position. Mr.. Lee tes-
fled that the east wall of the build
ng was out of plumb. The testimony
f all the experts showed the bricks
O be of good make and in good con-
ition, but the morter had weathered
way badly in some place where
moisture effected the walls. The tes-
imony of the experts agreed that the
wallis would be in no danger II left
lone, but that the remodeling OF the
Interior, especially if partitions and
oors we're disturbed, would be at
ended by danger to the walls. Mr..
,ooney testified that the roof was now
eaking in few places, and Mr.. Lee
tated that the structural strength OF