The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1920-04-23
THAT BUILDING.

Members of the American Legion
in Caldwell are asking that the city
bond itself to erect a municipal build
ing, a part of which is to be used as
the home of the Legion. Incorpor-
ated in the building will be features
that will make of it a true community
center, a clean healthy resort for
Caldwell young men and boys, a place
for entertainment and recreation, a
provision for athletic exhibitions and
a place for convention meetings. In
brief. such building will fill a real
need in Caldwell.
We advocate immediate construc-
ton of that building. And we sin
cerely believe that practically every
Caldwell citizen echoes that express
sion. There may be those who are
not avowed friends of the plan but
who would vote for it because the
American Legion asks their support
The Tribune holds that the merit of
the plan is justification enough with
out consideration of that element of
reward. Former soldiers generally
are rather tired of being handed some
thing with the poorly yelled motive
behind it that the donor felt he had it
to do. The plan to erect a memorial
building has sufficient merit to win
its way, The Tribune believes, without
letting former service men beg it of
an otherwise unwilling populace. And
we hold that Caldwell tax payers will
recognize this fact. They will, we
believe. support worthy enterprise.
OF the wisdom of financing the build
ing through bond issue, there can
be no question. Only one other course
would be open and that is to finance
the building through subscription, al
ways an unjust assessment upon the
community because il is never equit-
ably apportaioned. And, of course,
there are other difficulties in such a
procedure. A building such as Cald-
well should have. is to have, would be
impossible to finance by that method.
Briefly. the situation relative to a
bond issue is this; Caldwell is bonded
at present within $llS0O0 or there
abouts of its legal limit. The pro-
posed memorial BUILDING, including
the site, furniture and fixtures. will
probably cost not less than 100000,
Obviously, then, its construction
means the postponement of other
contemplated civic improvements,
Chief among these is the proposal to
pave Dearborn and Blaine streets.
The Tribune has been a persistant
and enthusiastic supporter of these
paving plans. We believe those two
streets and possibly others should be
paved.
But the fact should be borne in
mind that last years construction
when building permits ran we'll to-
ward million dollars has not yet
been added to the assessed valuation
of Caldwell property. Only few
more months will be necessary before
a bond issue can be based on that in
crease. This years building promises
to eclipse that of last year thus adding
another big sum to the cftys assessed
valuation. And paving can wait. 1t
is doubtful. indeed. if paving bond
proposal submitted this spring to
Caldwell people could be carried Ma
yor Grant Ward holds the belief that
it could not.
At the last session Of the legisla
ttire q statute was passed empowering
cities to do the very thing Caldwell
contemplates. Through ignorance of
its existance. that statute has not yet
been invoked in any Idaho city or
town so far as The Tribune is aware.
Nothing could be finer than that
Caldwell set an example.
Estimates that were quite carefully
prepared place the probable gross rev.
enue from such a building at almost
$500 per annum. This is practic-
lily twice the estimated. maintenance
II the building. While these figures