Imperial Valley press., 1922-06-09
Pride, Safety Good
Business Economy
Support Courthouse
By ROSS T. HICKCOX, Chairman
County Courthouse Committee

The reason for building a new county
building for Il hall of records and place
to hold court in, are so many and ap-
parent that it is impossible to make
Il statement covering them all. How
ever, predominant among these reasons
are: County civic pride, safety, econ
omy, good business, and publicity.
Patriotism begins at home. The cit
liens of Imperial county should have
enough pride in their public appearance
to desire to have a building that will
be some physical evidence of the rich
ness and productivity Of this county.
Strangers cannot believe, when shown
our present county building, the pro-
ductiveness of our county, and 1 have
been many times personally questioned
by people from other parts of CalifOr-
MIA and other states as to why, if the
statements made by me to them were
true in regard to the wealth of our
county and the virility of our citizens,
that we permit this ramshackle shanty
to represent to the world at large our
idea of a public building.
Safety First Consideration
In regard to safety, the building it.
self is the best argument. Lately at
a notorious trial, the courtroom in
which it was being tried was packed
with spectators and had to be partially
cleared for fear the building would not
stand the strainof the weight.
The most important public property,
as well as private in this county, are
the records which safeguard our title
to our property San Francisco, after
16 years, is still litigating titles caused
by the destruction of the records in
1906 in it's great fire. No one can ap
preciate the immense cost that would
follow q fire in our court house as
would be more than one generation
after the fire before the titles in
Imperial county would become stabil-
lied
AS to economy and cost, l am certain
that if we vote the courthouse bonds
no additional taxation will be neces-
sary, as there will be an actual saving
of sufficient amount to more than
pay the principal and interest of the
bonds. We are now wasting nearly
$4,000 annually in patching this old
shell. Without any permanent benefit
or return, this money is absolutely
wasted. The saving in rent now being
paid, and in insurance premiums, to-
gether with the rent that could be col
lected for the present building, will
more than take care of the remainder
of the annual payments.
Buildings Prove Prosperity
1t is good business to do business
right. We do not find stable institu-
tions in bankrupt buildings. Think
over the strong solvent business insti-
tutions in Imperial county, remember
their housing conditions, and you will
find the strongest in the best build.
ings. Imperial county has nearly the
smallest bond Indebtedness per capita
of any county in California, but we
surely head the list with the poorest
improvements. This is not good bust.
ness.
Last, but not least, is the public
ity we will get when these bonds are
voted. 1t will be carried over the news
paper wires to every county i'll the
state, and to every important city in
the United States, that Imperial county
has extricated itself from the slough
of depression and is standing on the
firm ground of prosperity, and that
we have demonstrated this to the
world. On the financial maps of the
United States our county will always
be white spot showing our prosperi-
ty through our productiveness and our
"go- o-ahead " spirit.
The courthouse bonds will carry to
l, or more, because the citizens of this
county know that it is absolutely nee
essary. A poll of the county shows a
better figure than this. Let us all go
to the polls on Monday and make it
unanimous for both bond propositions,
the courthouse and the fair, as the
county fair is medium of favorable
publicity in wholesale lots that other
wise cannot be secured.
Come on-let's go.
nYYnY YAYNTn n ~ ~