The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-12-07
COURT AT THE CITY HALL


Over a year age we suggested that g
convenience and economy might be eff.
fected if city and county authorities
would get together and effect some
plan whereby jury sessions of circuit
court may be held at the new city hall
We were not alone in the suggestions.
The Recommendation was strongly sup
ported by various men of the commun-
ity. Yet nothing has been done, and
jury sessions of the court continue at
the inadequate quarters of the old an
tequated school house, utilized by US
as our court house. The city hall still
goes idle most of the time.
In spirit of retrospect, we grow
disgusted at our failure to apply good
rules Of common sense to our public
affairs. We do not intend by such a
declaration to cast blame on anybody
for the failure of action that would
have made available the city hall for
sessions of circuit court. We rather
are ashamed at the apathy of every
body. The Glacier and others sug-
gested the plan of convenience and
economy. Nobody took any real initi-
alive or acted at all. AS result the
lauable plan goes into the discard and
is forgotten.
We wish to repeat the statement
that has often been made, and is a
truth if ever the truth were uttered,
that we citizens of Hood River made
blunder when we hastened to vote a
city hall. We should have invited the
entire county to have joined us in the
construction of a joint city hall and
courthouse. Indeed, we might have
provided at but little additional ex-
pense a magnificent auditorium that
would have served us we'll as a meet
ing place for conventions. AS it is we
cannot invite organizations, the men,
bership Of which is overly great, to
hold conventions in our city. We have
no accommodations in the way of large
meeting places. We have a city hall
that is credit to US but we have no
court house. Who knows when we
will have one? The Glacier will GER
tainly not be ready to go to the ex-
pense Of such taxation until we can
get in better shape to afford it.
The city hall that graces Hood River
today is not a structure that attracts
any keen enthusiasm on the part of the
casual visitor to the city. If one,
however, makes a close study of it, its
compactness and the excellence of its
interior from an architectural stand
point, it is nothing less than wonder
full. But how much better would it
have been to have combined all of this
effort with a proportionate - even
greater - effort on the part of the
county. We would have effected plans
which could have materialized into a
building of which all the mid-Columbia
could have been proud.
Again we return to suggestions and
recommendation in the matter of pub
lie affairs. Positive suggestions are
the ones that usually result in actual
accomplishment. Those promoting the
new city hall gained ascendency by
voicing a need of the city. There was
dire necessity for decent quarters to
house the Office of city officials and to
make provisions for handling city and |
county prisoners. But the movement |
for the city hall was given its winning
impetus by the participation of the
Volunteer Fire Department. This or
ganization holds a warm place in the
hearts of Hood River folk. and we be-
lieve that the bond issue voted several
years ago would never have carried
but for the desire of citizens to pro-
vide home for the fire department
and its equipment. The negative sug-
gestion for postponing the plans and
combining with the county government
never gained enough cohesion to make
any concerted attack.
We maintain that the recommenda-
tion for utilizing the city hall for hold
ing jury sessions Of the circuit court
is positive enough in the needs that
may be observed to gain sufficient sup
port to carry it to ultimate success.
At least. The Glacier gives notice now
that it will conduct a sincere campaign
to see this worthy suggestion carried
to an ultimate conclusion, and we hope
that action may he taken that will
make possible the convening Of the
next jury session Of court inIthe COM
Portable quarters Of the city hall.
CWETT CHARITY