The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1917-03-27
REPORTER SHOWN
MUNICIPAL COURT
RECORDS; KEPT
IN THE BATHROOM
President Of City Conpcil Indignant
Over Provisions by the City
of BemidI.
(
BELIEVES MUNICIPAL COURT
ENTITLED TO COMMON DECENCY
Suggestion of Mayor Vandersluis
Leads to Startling Discovery;
Remedy for Conditions.

Some time ago Mayor Vandersluis,
in a conversation with representa-
tive of the Pioneer anent municipal
affairs, remarked that instead of is
suing several thousand dollars worth
of bonds for the erection of new
city hall the present city building
be overhauled at a comparatively
small expense, which would render
it adequate, attractive and useful for
several years-a most logical line of
reasoning.
And that expression of the mayor
found lodgment ir the minds of
others who have also been chosen by
the people of the city of Bemidji as
their business representatives and as
a result there has been some quiet
investigating.
Ibid you ever see the vault of the
municipal court?" queried President
H. M. Clark of the new city council
this morning to a representative Of
the Pioneer.
.. Never Had the Honor. ::
The Pioneer representative sort Of
'cogitated bewildered and confessed he
didn't recollect that he had ever had
that honor.
"Come on over to the city building
a minute was the invitation ex-
tended by Mr.. Clark and the news
paperman accepted.
A key was secured and the dormi
tory of the fire department was open
ed by Chief Ripple of the police de-
partment.
"There," pointed President Clark,
con that chair last night sat the
clerk of the municipal court, with
his feet up on that cot writing up
his records, part of his duties for
the city of Bemidji. That's a fine
place for him."
Gosh! the Bathroom"
Chief Ripple opened another door
and the Pioneer representative was
ushered into a small room contain
ing the bathroom and lavatory with
a low board partition blocking off a
small space The big chief stopped
and with his arms around the legs
of the newspaperman hoisted him up
so he was able to see over the edge of
the boarded up space.
ing into the place of security" pro-
vided by the corporation of the city
of Bemidji for the records and files
of it's municipal court.
The Right Idea.
"That's certainly a fine condition
for. city like Bemidji," disgustedly
calculated President Clark, "The
people expect service from the Off
cials they elect and then compel them
to use such methods as they are OBJ
1iged to. Judge Gibbons and his
clerk, Mr.. Fenton, are entitled to
some common decency at the hands
of the city of which they are Off
cials. The municipal court is en-
titled to some dignity and to mean
something to the city and it's going
to.
'I've had some of the heaviest tax
payers in Bemidji look at these con-
ditions and I'm going to have more
of 'em do the same thing. That's
certainly shame"
Will Use Judgment.
The subject of caring properly for
the business affairs of the city is re-
ceiying careful consideration at the
hands of the new council. It is also
planned to move the council cham
ber to the second floor and have it
like it should be. also the city clerks
office and have the various depart
ments rearranged and related prop
erly, and the achives of the city safe
guarded and not conserved in the
s'bathroom.'