Palisadian., 1925-07-10
ROBERT SIBBALD MAKES APPEAL
Takes Stand Against Building Expensive Hall of Records
III and Suggests Plan for Using Present Facilities
in the County Court House.

have formulated, quadrupled. Again
there is no need for hall of records.
| may add for the benefit of political
scoffers or doubling Thomases that
the results l have given are based
upon a study of scale plans of the
county clerks, surrogate's and dis
trict court quarters, plus the west
corridor, and are not a figment of the
imagination.
| Where there's will there's a way.
very much doubt If a political"
county clerk, no matter what his pre-
election promises may be (and they
are easily made and as easily forgot
ten) would have the courage to stand
out for the public good against the
hall of records plans of the "organi-
zation," to which he owes his job and
his living 1t would be so simple to
throw up his hands and say, II can't
buck the Board of Freeholders."
But let me tell you something that
is little known. The county clerk is
entirely Independent of the Board of
Freeholders so far as care, custody
and preservation of the records is
concerned. He and he alone is re-
sponsible. He may incur all neces-
sary expenses for the proper admin
istration of his office, and the Free
holders have no choice but to pay the
bills when presented. He cannot, of
course, build hall of records for
himself, but he can prevent the erec-
tion of one by the purchase of neces-
sary equipment, thin paper, desks,
etc, recopying the records and gen
eral Encouragement of the quarters
provided for him. OF course the nice
thing would be to cooperate with the
Freeholders and it's purchasing agent,
but as between a stubborn Board of
Freeholders and an insistent county
clerk (or stubborn one, if you like
that better) the county clerk has the
whip hand, and there could be no
hall of records built as long as he can
show that he has room enough to ef-
ficiently transact the public business.
But, of course, there need be, would
be, no difficulty in getting along with
the Freeholders in the event of my
election. They are sensible men and
would bow to the public acceptance
of my platform, mo register of deeds,
no hall of records" On the other
hand, in the event of my defeat they
would be more or less justified in ac-
cepting that as a mandate to build a
hall of records, especially with the
county clerk complacent or demand
ing it. The public can see the danger
and should govern itself accordingly.
The air is vibrant with all sorts of
denials, both as to the re-establish-
ment of the registership and the erec-
ton of hall of records. But don't
let us forget that two, if not three, OF
the seven members OF the Board OF
Freeholders have been openly insist
ent for the erection of new build
ing; that the Hudson street site was
recently bought with that end in
view: that still more recently the
availability of that site has been dis
cussed, and the Mansion House block,
facing the Green, referred to as more
suitable; that the board has done alb
solutely nothing to relieve the press
ure in the county clerks office, not
I
withstanding the insistence of the
county clerk, and the fact that
months ago | submitted the foregoing
plan to them. 1t may well be that
the board, in face of public pressure
and fearing for the success of the
ticket" may make a bluff, good un-
til after election, at reorganizing the
county clerks department, but the
incontrovertible fact remains that
with complaisant or supine county
clerk elected and the public helpless
the hall of records will go up as soon
as it's sponsors can command four
votes in the board.
1t is we'll to remember the old
couplet:
when the devil was i'll the devil
a saint would be,
But when the devil was well again
the devil a saint was he"
It's a very sick devil at the present
time, vociferous in it's denials and
willing to promise anything or as
sumo any attitude in order to win.
There's only one safe course to fol
low-vote for me and the constructive
plan which | have outlined above and
there will be no hall of records. l
won't be a complaisant or supine
county clerk.
ROBERT A. SIBBALD.