The Princeton union., 1920-03-18
LET REASON PREV ALL
10 Remove County Seat to Milaca
Would Place It Only 1914, Miles
From Southern Boundry.
Better Roads of Vastly More Impor-
tance to the Farmers Than
Palatial Court House.
Continued from last week.)

Where is the geographical center o1
Mile Lacs county? Owing to the ir
regular northern boundary line which
follows the shore line of Mile Lacs
lake this question would be hard one
for the ordinary farmer to c1swer
We have it from the best authority
IN the county that the exact center is
just about one mile north and about
y. one mile east of the old Page stopping
yplace.
Now, what are the present condi-
tions as to the location of the county
# seat? The corporate limits of the vii
lagc of Princeton are two miles north
and south by<a mile and half cast
and west, and the southern line rests
on the southern boundary line of the
county. The corporate limits of the
village of Milaca, The proposed new
site for the county seat, include an
area one and half miles square in the
southeast corner of the township of
Milaca, and the southern corporate
line is just 4 half mile distant from the
southern boundary line of the town
ship. Looking ct your county map
you can readily see that to move the
county seat to Milaca actually moves
our seat Of government to a village
that is only 127k miles from the south
ern boundary line of the county-in
L Ither words, shifting of 121a miles
zero, the north in county about 49 miles
j Nsfg, or about one-quarter Of the total
b stance. True enough, by the Scenic
Highway, your speedometer Will regis
ter around is miles ON a trip from
Princeton to Milaca, but about two and
half miles of this is cast to west
travel and not northward When you
travel by rail from Milaea to Prince
ton they charge you on a fourteen
mile basis and it's notable fact that
railroads never overlook any half or
quarter miles.
q So, admitting for the sake Of argu-
5ment, that the county seat goes to
Milaca, have we fully and fairly de-
clded the question on it's merits? Have
we not only half decided the problem
after all? Have we not lodged the
real issue and simply put off for today
what we know must be done tomor-
row? Out of the seeds of discord
sown IN one county seat scrap it is
easy for whole crop of future COM
pEcat1ons to grow unless the whole
thing was fairly and honestly de-
termined on justice, logic, truth and
right, and at least a reasonable fore
cast into the future of Mile Lacs
county.
In the last twenty five years there
have been many bitter county seat
scraps in Minnesota and the scars have
- :. all healed yet, and some there are
that never will heal. 1T is a contro-
Versy that should not be lightly en-
tered into by any community, and
when once started should be so firmly
grounded on basic justice to all con-
cerned that the voters of the county
could practically make a unanimous
choice and for all time. Thus would
the county be forever saved from the
throes of series of county seat
scraps. Then would the county be able
to carry out its extensive road pro-
gram for more and better roads. which
naturally bears in it's train settlers.
and more settlers, a larger population,
increased valuation for the county.
lower tax rates because there are more
people and a larger valuation to spread
= the sum total of the taxes over. For
proof we cite you to some of the we'll
developed counties Of southern Mime
sofa, where the total tax rate is about
one-third Of what it is in some of the
.ounties Of southern and central Min
Ata, which are only partially de-
~ ped.
"A house divided against itself can
fot stand" A county, torn by the
dissension and discord Of series of
county seat scraps, cannot function
properly and will soon lose out in the
race Of progress with it's sister coun-
ties, and, sure as fate, this is the
norass we will find ourselves in un-
less we can get a decision that will set
tie this vital question of location of
the county seat for all time to come
nd not just for the immediate pres
It.
s}1o fair-minded voter, even though
TAived right in the village of Prince
Z, would maintain for minute that
,nceton is the logical place to have
county seat. On the other hand
that same Princeton voter, and in fact
every other voter of the county, has a
right to insist that when he is called
upon to vote on proposition Of re-