White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1925-08-14
SPECIAL ELECTION TO
DECIDE ABOUT COURT HOUSE

No action was taken by the county
to building a court house at this time
Apparently convinced in their owr
minds that it is the economical thing
to do, they still hesitate until they
can get better line on the senti-
ment Of the taxpayers. To get this
they are planning on calling a spec
ial election this fall. Commenting on
the matter the Prosser Record Bulle.
tin last week said:
Concluding that they had not found
the representative sentiment of the
county through the recent hearings
on the question of building a court
house the board of county commits
sioners in its session yesterday after
noon decided to call an election to de-
termine whether or not the county
is to have new court house at this
time. This was given out in a state
ment made by Commissioner R. H.
Briggs to representative of the
Record Bulletin last night. During
the recent meetings Mr.. Briggs stat
ed that this had been put up to the
commissioners several times, and, as
the taxpayers must foot the bill, it is
nanifestly just and fair that they
should have voice in the matter.
He did not state when the election
would be held, other than that it
would be this fall.
According to those who have fol-
lowed the court house meetings close
ly, there is doubt as to whether
representative sentiment was brought
out. This is especially true of the
East end of the county where SUBJ
stantanial citizens have stated that they
favored building, and where the vote
was solid against the erection of a
county building. Those favoring a
building evidently were not at the
meeting or if they were, took no &C
tive part and failed to vote. The East
end meetings were poorly attended,
Is being present at Finley and about
10 at Kennewick The meeting at
Richland was small while Hanford
and White Bluffs gave slightly better
turn outs, as did also Benton City.
The meeting in Prosser Monday
night was the largest of the series,
approximately 125 people being pres
emit.
After explaining the situation,
County Auditor E. o. Keene giving
the condition of the vaults and stat
ing that he had insisted on better pro-
lection for the records, and Deputy
Assessor Ben Rupert had given the
cost, there seemed to be no one who
cared to talk. Finally E. c. Houston
took the floor and strongly advocat-
ed new building. He stated that it
was poor business for a county not
to own it's court house. F. L. Dyas
who followed Mr.. Houston told of
having lived in a county where the
records had been destroyed by fire
and stated that such a catastrophe
would cost the taxpayers many times
more than the erection of county
building.r This statement was backed
UP by Jas. G. Boyle who told some
thing of the trouble of Yakima county
when the records there were lost.
In giving his data as to costs, Mr.
Rupert arbitrarily took 100000 as a
basis for building ard said that the
first year such a building would cost
E. w. r. Taylor. who is one of the
county's largest taxpayers about SIS
and this would grow gradually less.
Other examples of cost were also
given, the cost in taxes in no case
being excessive.
Following the talks a rising vote
was taken and naturally this was
unanimously in favor of building.
The meetings over the county have
shown that Finley, Kennewicls, Rich
land and Benton City, with small
REPRESENTATIVE meetings. have voted
AGAINST bui'dinsl and that Hanford,
White Bluffs and Prosser with larger
meetings have favored building and
with no unanimous sentiment for OF
against. the county commissioners
have willed that the voters must de-
eide. ~