Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1935-08-08

have been constructed, none of which can ever b.
salvaged except possibly steel shelving and the stee
door. The average cost Of repairs to the building Il
reported to be more than $500 a year. So, all in all
we have a d~ilapidated assortment OF buildings. part o.
which have been built with taxpayers money, but 10
Gated on property which belongs to someone else. i'm
practically and extensively serving the needs Of the
county and housing the countys valuable records.
Whatever we do, let us arrive at a conclusion re
garding the need OF a modern court house based upon
an unprejudiced viewpoint as to providing comfortable
or commodious quarters for those employed as our
present group of officers. While they pay favor new
construction, very likely a considerable number would
never remain as county officials to occupy the new
building, so it is hardly fair to charge the present group
with merely selfshly seeking to provide more suitable
working quarters for themselves. On the other hand,
they. better than anyone else. should be in a position
to explain the real need of modern housing.
1t would seem very obvious then, that there is a
definite need for a new court house. Even should
the present quarters suffice, it must be only a ques
ton Of a short time until 1t will become absolutely
necessary to build a permanent structure on property
which the county owns. And the longer the present
building is used the longer taxpayers Of Sheridan
county Will continue to send good money after bad. +"
Should we arrive at the conclusion that the new
building is needed, two other hurdles must yet be
cleared. With all the unfavorable publicity the coun-
ty has received, there is probably the impression that,
even should we desire to build a new court house, the
condition OF the county's finances would not legally
permit it. The law provides that, where a replace
ment" is made, a county may have total Indebtedness
up to five per cent of its assessed valuation. The
present assessed valuation is 81, This then
would mean that our total Indebtedness could not ex-
coed $4,000. The existing bonded Indebtedness is
$500, 900, and with $110,OOO On hand in the sinking
fund to apply on this, the amount would be reduced to
1884, O, leaving plenty OF room to increase the In
d~ebtedness necessary to construct a court house, al
lowing for $4,000 in outstanding warrants, and pro-
vfding of course the bonds could be sold to advantage.
Now comes the most important question OF all
Taxpayers, who have seen their taxes soar to ex-
IRENE high figures during the past few years. while
they may fairly recognize the need for a new county
administrative building, would turn a deaf ear to any
proposal that would bring any increase in the exist
ing Indebtedness. That would be only natural, for IN
the stress of the times, with these same taxpayers
facing hundreds of dollars in delinquent taxpaytnents,
they would join in resisting any effort which might
add to the already burdensome load.
That is a sensible viewpoint, and, but for the
special inducement offered by the federal government
in generously assisting to finance new structures, one
TO which a big majority would subscribe. AS a Pub
lie Works project, the government offers to provide As
per cent Of the cost Of new buildings as an outright
gift, the county only being called upon to provide the
remaining SIS per cent. This would mean that, for a
court house costing 100000, there would be s45, 900
given 10 the taxpayers by PWA, and we would bond
only for the additional amount, $4,000.
Another way Of looking at this is: Suppose the
United States government would place on the market
in Sheridan county today bonds for which it guaranteed
to pay 500 in. say twenty years, at a cost Of $55.
There would be a wild scramble to purchase those
bonds. Every person in every walk of life would be
getting them-and they would raise the money some
way, regardless Of their present obligations or lacL OF
funds. That, it seems to the Herald, is practically
what the government is offering on the construction
of any public building approved under PWA We as
taxpayers receive 500 for every s55 we invest. There,
it seems, is the answer to the question: does the offer
of the government to provide As per cent Of the total
cost of a new building, with no obligation to the tax.
payer whatever, offer sufficient inducement to out
weigh the objection to increasing our bonded indebted
ness, say s55 5000? Like the purchase of a hundred
dollar bond for s55, It would seem like a good bet to
There is still another angle worthy Of considera-
ton. Should such a project be approved by the gov
eminent, many OF the county's unemployed would be
provided for a considerable period of time, as the la
Dor, insofar as possible, would have to be taken from
the list of those tradesnen and common laborers reg.
istered with the county unemployment office.
The first step in securing such a building project
is to file application with the Public Works Admin
istration. Should governmental approval be obtained
next would be a special election in which the question
of bonding for the countys share OF the building cost
would be submitted The Herald believes that this
opportunity to secure practically half the cost Of a
much needed county administration building as a gift
from the governmental opportunity which will per
hape never come a-gain-warrants concerted effort t
have the project approved through HWA, and ther