Imperial Valley press., 1922-06-06
Neuv Court House
Demand 0fDestiny
in Imperial County
BY CHARLES w. BARRY
Assessor and Collector, Imperial Irriga.
tion District.

<1ooCooOI tiiu SOi1CCIOA, 4upCA idl 4AlA6d-
tion District.
The question involved i'm the court
house bond election is the question of
ultimate destiny Of Imperial Valley. If
the valley is to progress in the coming
20 years as it has in the past 20 years,
and take it's proper place at the head
of all counties of the United States in
agricultural proportion, it is proper that
q suitable place be furnished for hous-
ing executive departments of the county.
| In any pioneer country it is neces-
sary that considerable money be spent
at the outset in setting up proper facili-
ties for transacting business. Most, OF
the preliminary work >of Imperial Val
ley has already been done, and voting
$7,500,000 of Irrigation District bonds
last Thursday guarantees that another
important and progressive step will be
taken, in consolidation of the mutual
water companies with the Irrigation Dis
trict and providing trainage for the
lands of the valley.
| Makeshift Menaie Now.
| Imperial Valley has reached a point
where its make-shift courthouse is no
Onger adequate for the needs of the
county. 1t is not only inadequate it is
an actual menace. Every recort of title
to land, mortgage and trust deed, every
court action, minutes of the board of
supervisors, records of contracts for
public work involving millions of dol
! lars certificates of birth, marriage and
death, the county assessment rolls and
warrants evidencing the payment of
public moneys are all in danger daily of
destruction by fire, due to the fact thai
present housing facilities do not afford
proper vaults for safeguarding these
records.
| 1t has been said that expenditure of
100000 to safeguard these records is a
useless waste of money, inasmuch as the
same result cO,d be accomplished by
building one fireproof vault at a cost of
from $4,000 to $4,000. / doubt if q
vault large enough and properly CON
structed 70 hold the important records
could be built for the amount stated,
but in any event, it is impracticable to
accomplish results desired by the con
struction of one vault, since the records
are not of such nature that they may
be permanently filed, but must be where
| they are readily accessible for refer
ence.
Records of the county are now scat
tered about the present courthouse
building, upstairs and down, in the old
Jail at the back, and the garage behind
that; also in several store buildings
along Main street. A single vault to
hold all the records would of necessity
have to be built in some spot entirely
detached from the present buildings,
L., nP ,inn oh
consider waste of time and efficiency
of employees in running back and forth
| from the place where their business is
| transacted to distant vault where
records are kept. A fleet of trucks
would be required night and morning to
transfer back and forth records which
it is necessary to have near at hand for
constant reference during the day.
Figures Prove Saving by Building
Taxpayers of this county should not
be missed by fanciful stories of extrava-
gance. Building a courthouse to ade-
quately house courts and executive Of
fees of the county would result in an
actual saving. Figures proving this
have been set before the public in many
previous articles. The amortization OF
bond issue of $40,000,000 in 40 years
can be accomplished by an annual pay
uent of $l5,875. The saving accomplish
ed by giving up the buildings at present
held under lease, by reduction in fire
insurance premiums and by rental OF the
business houses now owned by the
county, will more than offset necessary
payments to the sinking fund for re-
firing the bonds, and the county will be
ahead financially through building
courthouse, to say nothing OF the bene'
| fits derived through increased efficien-
cy in offices and courts.
| Imperial county is in much the same
position as a family debating the ques-
| tion of building their own home of a
size and style fitted to needs, or con-
tinuing to pay rent on an uncomfortable
and unsatisfactory residenre In such a
| case, the family would consider two
important points.
| First: Are we sufficiently well es-
tablished here to feel that we will make
this new place our home for an indefi-
mite period of time to justify building
and equipment of a hOmes
Second: Is the outlay authorized
from an economi standpoint?
In the case of Imperial county, no
one with eyes set to the future and mar
boring proper confidence in the future
growth and prosperity of this county
can question need of proper home for
its business activities. From an
economic standpoint, the advisability OF
building a courthouse cannot be ques-
Itioned if it can but be brought home to
the citizens that such a step will re-
suit in an actual saving both of money
and efficiency.
Voter Must Know Facts.
But these facts must be brought home
J. ito the voters and this can he accomplish
ed only by lot of hard work ON th'