The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-09-07
new COURT HOUSE
BY LONGTIME BOND
OR TAX LEVY?
County Board Petitioned
to Submit Question
to Vote
ONLY QUESTION is
HOW TO RAISE FUNDS
500, 600 Bonds to be Voted on at
November Election

The movement to vote upon bonds
for a new and modern county court
house eliminated yesterday in a
DO " of men appearing before the
county commissioners and present
ing petitions signed by about 400
farmers Of the county asking for
such vote this fall.
The movement started at a regu-
lar meeting of the Commercial Club
last spring, at which time the Press
published full details, together with
pictures of the HYDE, Faulk, and
Hand county court houses.
As all movements of public enter
prise must start somewhere, by
some organization. hence the city
commercial club, as an institution to
forward the best interests Of their
home community. deemed it proper
to make the start. The club ap.
Lointed committees to ask farmers
to sign to petitions. to be presented
through the board. asking the voters
of Hand county to vote upon the
question of issuing bonds to expedite
the building of a much needed
court house, and to secure a site on
the main business street of Miller,
for convenience Of all who have
business at the court house.
As it was naturally concluded by
the club that every citizen of Miller
would be pleased at so desirable an
Improvement IN the city. the Clue
committees were instructed to leave
the question to the farmers them,
selves, and thus avoid any criticism
of selfish or personal interest, This
was done. and the result was about
40 farmers asking that the question
be submitted.
The committees also reported a
remarkable unanimity among the
men whom they met in their brief
canvas in widely separated localities
of the county. The needs of a new
and modern county building were
50 generally recognized as to be al.
most unanimous. A common re.
mark reported was: Sure, I'm for
q county building. and a good one
And the meeting itself with the
Commissioners in their room was
one Of the torceful demonstrations
of the need of new quarters. The
little room allowed to the hoard
would not hold the people who at.
tended the meeting.
The petitions were presented. with
a request for their favorable consid.
GRAFTON. MIR. J. M. King. of St.
Lawrence. made a lengthy speech
opposing the request to submit these
questions to the voters of Hand
county for their consideration. He
insisted that he was not opposed to
the building of a court house in
Miller, but favored the already start
ed plan Of raising funds pv levy in
stead of bond.
Mr.. King was chided a bit for
abandoning a lifelong principle of
submitting any question of govern
ment to the people themselves. then
he suggested that if the Board did
grant the petition and call for a vote.
they should include a clause that no
material should be bought. nor
rnonev expended until six months
after the close Of the European war
be cause Of the present high cost of
material and labor.
The Board considered the petitions
and decided to call tor a vote this
fall on both propositions. The
amount of bonds to be voted upon
was placed at SI0O. 900. The amount
on hand Jan. LIST next from tax levy
the Auditor said would be about
$4,000.