The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1922-10-26
Same Expense, No Saving, Is Poplar's Offer
Continued from page one)

Continued from page one)
The people of the county, especially the taxpayers
have been expectantly waiting to learn what inducement
Poplar and Wolf Point would put forth. Last week thu
newspapers OF the towns announced their respective pro
posals in full. A comparison Of these propositions natur
ally follows.
The Wolf Point Proposal
In Wolf Point is the structure known as the Coliseum
built three years ago as an auditorium and recreation hall
This building stands exactly ~ blocks from the MAR
business street, two blocks from the post office and 2H
blocks from the principal hotels. In dimensions the build
ing is 50x140 feet, a frame structure, strongly and warmly
built of the best material. It is plastertd, f1oored with hard
maple and neatly painted. |. is modern in appointments
with an efficient steam heating plant OF double capacity
water and sewer connections, two retiring rooms with
toilets connected. The main hall is in one immense room
without distractions, we'll lighted and ventilated. Its
total floor space is 1000 square feet. Banks of steam pipes
extend entirely around the room insuring even heat.
The Wolf Point campaign committee has entered into
a written, binding agreement with the owner of the build
ing, to the effect that it can be leased for a term of years
by the county at $165 a month, or 81, $50 8 year.
Fitted and Moved Free
At the same time the campaign committee pledges
that the building will be fitted up in suitable manner to
accommodate the various offices and the district court,
and has set aside a sufficient sum for that purpose.
Twenty-Five business men of the city have signed an
agreement to transport all court house and jail fixtures,
records, etc. to Wolf Point without cost to the county.
All of these offers being, of course, contingent on the
permanent county seat being voted to Wolf Point.
An architect, experienced in the work of remodeling
buildings for use as court houses, has suggested and drawn
a plan to show how we'll the Coliseum building could be
made to serve. All Offices and the court room taken care
of in the same building. Convenient to each othr, con-
venient to the public. Comfortably heated at minimum
cost. Near the business center yet by itself, insuring quiet
and the least danger from fire. A free jail site is offered
near by.
The Poplar Proposition
Poplars offer is that School District No. 9 will allow
the county to use as a court house Indefinitely the discarded
two-story brick school building at the edge of town, with
out rent, on condition that it be kept in repair and insured.
1t has approximately $500 feet of floor space, some of
which is taken up by stairway, and now accommodates
eight of the ten county offices but has no place for the
court room. The remaining two offices and the court
room occupy separate buildings down town some half
mile from the other offices, and the rent is S110 a month.
Including the Jail this makes five different places to heat,
light and take care of.
The brick school house is old, having been built in 1903.
The walls show cracks outside and In and it is said to be
cold and hard to heat, a claim borne out by the heavy fuel
costs shown by the official records. Sidewalks stop con-
s~iderably short of the building 1t has been said that the
discarded building was unsafe but there is no official auth
to abandon it and offers it free on condition that it be kept
in repair and insured.
Same as Present Deal
The building has been used without rent for the past
wear or more. with the other Offices and court room down
town. So Poplar's offer is simply a continuation Of the
court house arrangement now in effect and it is reasonable
to assume that the expense Of maintaining it would be
about the same.
Big Saving In Wolf Point Offer
Under the Poplar plan the cost of every item, directly
chargable to court house maintenance, is more than under
the Wolf Point proposal. There is a vast difference in
the items OF fuel and repairs and for very apparent reasons.
Jail and Vault
Two years savings under the Wolf Point plan would
be ample to meet the expense of the jail and vault
walls that would need to be constructed at Wolf Point.
The fixtures of both can be moved. So Poplars $4,000
expense item, which by the way they never tented, isl
entirely wiped out and there would be a large sum saved
by the end OF say, ten years, by moving the county seat to
Wolf Point.
The building offered at Wolf Point would serve the
county admirably for twenty years or more, obviating a
heavy investment in a new county house. The Wolf Point
proposal has met the warm approval of every taxpayer
who has learned of it. 1t offers genuine economy and
~disproves the charge that Wolf Points stand
for county ncOnOmu WAS not consistent