The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1920-05-20

a million dollars. The farmer who
builds at this time should not be crit
icised for he is adding to production,
which the world is greatly in need of.
The thing to do at this time is to
postpone the court house proposition.
1t is not question where the building
should be located, but the present time
is not propitious. It behooves every
citizen of the county to go to the polls
and vote, for unless we put forth
a strong effort we shall be burdened
with much heavier taxes. Milaca is
working night and day, applying what
| is known as mass psychology. Let us
start little Of it going ourselves.
County Attorney Doane followed
Mr.. Mcmillan He was suffering from
what he called baseball cold, which
somewhat stentorianized his voice
and, perhaps, improved tat least
he could be heard even unto the re-
hottest corners Of the hall. He said
that Mr. Mcmillan had covered most
of the points which he intended touch
ing upon but would do his best to dig
up few new ones.
He said that the vaults at the court
house were adequate and good for
at least the next ten years; that the
grand jury investigation, of which the
Milaca Times made so much ado, was
a mere superficial inspection, that the
jurors did not even enter the vaults
it was a mere matter of form and
amounted to absolutely nothing. He
said he kept his private papers there
and would certainly not do that unless
he felt certain the vaults were safe.
People who think our court house is
joke, he said, should see the one at
Elk River and they would Immediate
ly change their opinion. It is palace
compared with the Sherburne COUNTY
court house.
Mile Laos county's court house ear
ries an insurance Of $4,000 on the
building and $4,000 on the contents.
The story that the building has been
condemned is falsehood on it's very
face, for the moment structure is
condemned insurance companies cancel
the risk. The court house cost 5000
when carpenters and masons worked
for about dollar day, but it would
be different proposition to erect it
now when labor and the cost of ma
terial is abnormally high.
Should the county seat go to Milaca
we would have to scrap the court
house and rent offices there. The
county officers would be scattered all
over town to the great inconvenience
of persons who had businesswith them.
And this condition would probably OBJ
tain for many years.
Speaking Of the engineers report,
which the Times has been using in a
futile effort to prove that the court
house is unsafe, Mr.. Doane said that /
Cravens never mentioned it in 1915, !
but when he wanted 20 make point
for himself he dug it up and printed a
few garbled paragraphs therefrom.
Milaca is only IL miles nearer the
center of the county than Princeton
and new railroad or electric line will
surely be built within few years to
the lake country and develop that Sec
ton as a summer resort. Then why
move the county seat to Milaca when
the logical point would be farther
north if such removal SHOULD take
place?
The law requires that in not less than
60 nor more than 80 days after it has
been decided by an election to move
a county seat the officials must take
up their residence at the new capital,
that is, with the exception of the coun-
ty attorney and superintendent Of !
schools. This law is fundamentally
wrong and by postponing the removal
for say five years an opportunity
would be given for changing it.
While the county is now carrying a
heavy load of Indebtedness on roads,
the lake extension should and must be
completed. It is only fair to the peo-
pie Of the lake country.
The financial condition of the coun-
ty and the high cost Of labor and ma
terial is in itself sufficient reason to
postpone the building of court house.
Milacaites would have us believe
that this is life and death matter
with them. They say they must "put
it over" now or forever desist in their
efforts. Let Milaca be reasonable and
bring up the proposition five years
from now when conditions are different.
Rev. Milne said that $4OO 900 would
construct many lateral roads for the
farmers who do not live on the Scenic
highway and thus constitute great
benefit and increase the value of their
farms. Poor roads is one of the draw
Il