The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1920-05-20
FOLLY TO BUILD NOW
E. L. Mcmillan and w. C.. DOane De-
fine Reasons Why County Seat
Should Not Go to Milaca.
They Cover the Principal Features
From an Impartial and Eco
nOmic Point of View.

SaCnefed at the afmOry on Frlda,
evening to hear speakers clucidate tn
county seat removal proposition. Ere,
Newton was the chairman upon thi
occasion and first called upon Attor
ney E. L. Mcmillan, who delivered al
address setting forth in clear manner
the reasons why it would be the heigh
of folly to burden the county with tht
enormous financial expenditure o.
building now court house when i
is altogether unnecessary. Mr.. Nc
MILAN said in part:
An election has been called for MAY
% to determine whether the. county
seat shall be removed to Milaca, which
is a question which should interest all
He spoke, he said, merely as citizen
Of the county from All impartial stand.
point and was simply endeavoring te
set forth facts Where The court house
should be located, he declared, is not
the question, but whether at this time
it SHOULD be built. AS the proposition
is liable to develop into fractional
fight it should be considered at large.
An effort has been put forth to make
the people believe, he said, that the
court house is in a state Of dilapida-
ton, but this is not true-the struc-
ture is substantial ard hence too good
to scrap. It is true that few repairs
are necessary to the exterior, but a
small expenditure will rectify this.
The story circulated that the court
house has been condemned is untrue,
for the report of the inspecting en-
gincers says that the vaults can be
placed in as good a condition as ever
by the expenditure of a mere $500.
According to this report, in case of
fire there might be slight damage to
the vaults from smoke or water, but
they are practically fircproof. No
vaults or buildings that have ever
been constructed are absolutely fire
proof.
Tie court house compares we'll with
those Of surrounding counties and it is
good for many years of service There
is no present need for new court
house at any point in the county.
What will an adequate court house
cost? No one can tell in advance. At
very conservative estimate it would
not be less than 100000, but a Mil
AGA paper says it could be built for
S150,00O. This would at the present
time be an impossibility. This same
paper, the Times, says that in 1915 the
construction of the Milaca school
building cost $4,000, but the Milachi
the high school publication, says it
cost $150,O00, and the Milachi doubt
. less gives the correct figures. To
erect that building now would cost
nearer $450,OOO. The Princeton high
school building cost great deal more
than the original estimate and it is
not yet completed. Whether, when
finished, the cost will aggregate $780,
600 is question, butait will cost bic
sum.
All we have to meet the cost of a
new court house is the taxing or the
borrowing power. There is no money
in the treasury and the outstanding
indebtedness is heavy-probably to-
tai, with school and other loans. of
from $750,000 to $1,000 900. Then
there is the mony for good roads. etc.
to be raised by the county. The ques-
ton is whether we shall tie our hands
by building court house at this time
or wait until conditions become nor.
NAL.
When a wise farmer who lives in
the house he first built accumulates
enough money to build big substan.
tial residence does he do so? No. he
builds bigger barn, adds silo, etc.
and in five years the barn and silo will
make enough money to erect the com.
modious dwelling. So it is with a new
court house. Let us get the neces
saries first. For instance, the Seem,
highway extension at the lake should
be completed before we borrow mon
ey to expend on anything else. 1t i.
our duty to the people of the lax,
county to build that extension to tn,
Crow Wing county line, and it mus
be done. We should expend all tn,
money we can obtain to construc
good roads, which would add material
~ to the valuation of the county. A.
an instance, prices Of land along tn,
completed portion of the Scenic high
way have greatly increased since thu
road was constructed and will go still
higher.
One good barn and silo, to cos
say $4,000, is of more benefit to tn,
county than court house costing hal