The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1902-10-13
MANY CANNOT UNDERSTAND MA
TuRE OF MEASURE TO BE VOTED
FOR IN NOVEMBER.
READ THIS AND LEARN
WHAT IT Is ALL FOR
Office Of County Commissioned Requires
Experience and Understanding and II
Is Thought That II They Serve Longer
Terms, II viii Prove Beneficial to
the People Of the State at Large.

Both the county attorneys and county
commissioners office are being bcsiegcd
with questions regarding the purport of
the constitutional amendment which will
be submitted to the people at the coming
election, regulating the tenure Of Office OF
the board of county commissioners.
At the last session Of the legislature an
act was passed submitting the question to
popular vote and as the ballots will sim
ply be marked "for or against the consti-
tuiional amendment" there is a desire on
the part of many Of the voters of Silver
Bow county to understand the question so
that they may be able to vote intelligenty.
Under the present law, the county COM
mssioners are elected for term Of four
years, all entering at the same time and va
eating for new set of officers at the end
OF their terms. The general intention Of
the law. as proposed by the legislature,
and supported by representatives from
every party, is to have some old men In
,he Office on the arrival of those newly
elected.
How II Will Be Done.
In order to accomplish this, il will be
necessary to elect one commissioner for
two years; one for four and one for six,
and as the term Of each expires his sue
cessor will be elected for term of four
years. This will leave two old members
OH the board as when each new one Is
elected and after the expiration Of the
term the first commissioner elected for
. two years, all others will be elected for
six years.
For example. the county commissioners
OF Silver Bow county have been elected
for four years and their terms will expire
with the year 1905. By extending that
term until the end of 1906 and elccting
their successors for two, four and six
years respectively, the latter will begin to
sAlve in January, 1907. The first term to
\ e, ire will be In December, 1908, and at
the election that fall one commissioner
VIII be elected for six years, his term
e.pring two years later than the long
term commissioner of the board.
Two years later, a six-year commissioner
will be elected in place of the four-year
man and two years following another to
fill the place Of the last six-ycar man.
A Good Policy.
Advocates of the measure-and they
are many-mantain that, as in the national
and state senates, it is a good policy to
have majority understanding the work.
ing of the Office when the new commits
soner comes in but day or two spent in
| courthouse with the commissioners shows
that the work is as intricate and in gem
| eral requires more familiarity and ability
| in administering county affairs than any
| other Office in the courthousc.
New questions are continually arising,
| in the disposition OF which considerable
study and care is required. 1t is in the
| settlement of such cases that the COM
| missioner becomes a valuable officer. His
experience is a good argument for the
| retention OF some or the old members.