The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-09-24
COUNTY BOARD in
NEW QUARTERS
First Meeting in the New
Courthouse is Held
This Morning.
SHERIFFS. BILL UP
Board Discusses Custodies, as
Well as Rent of Sheriff's
Home and Fees.

The county board met for the first
time in its new quarters on the third
floor of the new courthouse at ten
o'clock this morning, John Priddis oc-
cupying the chairman's seat, William
Bacon on his right as vice-chairman,
and Miss Iva Russell on his left, as
county clerk. All the supervisors
were in their places to answer roll
call in the new council chamber which
had only one drawback, the noise of
switch engines which interrupted the
debate from time to time.
During the morning session the two
major issues before the board were
the questions of the contract with the
sheriff, and that of a desk and chair
for the custodian.
The sheriff's committee, James Fill
bin, chairman, presented report
recommending that Sheriff Frank Will
lens be paid rent of $125 a month
from April to September /, 1925;
that he be allowed $1,000 year for
wages for matrop; an extra man at
S125 month; and that new contract
be entered with him allowing a GER
tain sum for the feeding Of prisoners.
Discussion this morning centered
about the allowance for the first two
items.
It was explained that when Sheriff
Willems took Office last January he
did not rent his home, expecting to be
in Office at the new quarters, as did also
the county board members. AS April
4 sII
chance of moving into the new Jail,
the members of the sheriff's commit
tee of the county board made verbal
promise to him that he would be paid
$125 month from April / until such
time as the move was made into the
new quarters, which took place Sep
TENDER /. Supervisor Roders declared
that such promise had been made, and
he urged that it be kept.
Under the contract with Sheriff Will
lens he is to be allowed $125 month
hereafter for his ,own living expenses
outside Of the jail, such sum to repre-
sent the rent, light, heat, ETC., of his
living quarters. About this matter
there is no dispute, the only argument
centering on the period from April 1st
to September 1st when he was actually
in the old jail.
The matter was held over for dis
cussion until 2 p. m. today. The mat
ter of allowance of $1,000 for matron
to be hired by the sheriff will also be
discussed again at the afternoon ses-
sion.
No Desk for Custodian.
The duties and position of the GUS
todian of the new courthouse, Fred
Becker, was a subject also under dis
cussion this morning, and it gave rise
to some lively witticisms and humor-
Gus exchange The true custodian Of
the building, one supervisor insisted,
is the county clerk, and the duties of
the secondary custodian hired under
this title is largely janitorial, to see
that the building is not defaced, nor
articles removed, etc. The question
had to be settled because Mr.. Becker
moved desk into the lobby of the
hall to be used by himself, and was
subsequently ordered to remove it. The
members of the county board agreed
this morning that the custodian was to
circulate and not to sit. Therefor,
without vote or more serious action
on the matter it was agreed that he
was not to have a desk or desk room
in the new building.
Office Bill Presented.
A bill was presented to the county
board for 1915 by T. j. Dale for rent
of Offices in the Dale building, and
the matter was referred to the COM
rnittee on claims The bill arises out
of contract drawn up by Frank s..
Symmonds while district attorney and
entered into, it is alleged, by the
county board for the rent of offices
in the Dale building to be used as
district attorneys offices from June
1, 1923, to September i, 1925. These
were the offices occupied by Mr.. Sym
n1onds at the time. The matter be-
came complicated because the alleged
contract was entered into while it
was uncertain as to who was in fact
district attorney. The supreme court
settled that Morris Barnette was the
district attorney, and he resumed the
office on January /, 1924. But he re-
tanned his own office and did not move
into the Dale building. The county
board paid the rent of the Offices from
June /, 1923, until January 1, 1924,