The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-01-29
Proposed New County.
To Be Formed from Parts OF
Columbia, Northumberland
and SChuylkill.
WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.
One Finds Constitutional Obstacles to TIL
Movement.

Concerning the proposed erection OF
a new county from parts of Columbia
and Northumberland, the Ashland Ad-
poeae of last week says:
"The proposed transferring of Cen
tralia borough and Conyngham town
ship from Columbia to Northumber-
land county, has caused considerable
comment since the project was first
spoken of some weeks ago. The
people of both districts favor the .rans-
fer and are soliciting every assistance
to bring 1t about. Their principal
reason for changing is the inconveni-
ence in getting to court at Blooms
burg, being compelled to leave Cen
tralia at 600 a. M, and arriving at
Blocmsburg at II o'clock.
Edward J. Flynn, Esq. one of Cen
tralla's leading citizens, when inter-
viewed, said that he is heartily in
favor of the transfer, and said he volc-
ed the sentiment of the people OF Cen.
tralia, when he said the transfer would
be gratifying to them. From a legal
aspect he said he did not know whether
it is possible for such transferral, ,and
from a political standpoint he thinks
it would make no material change, as
during the past few years the voters
have been about evenly divided in
politics.
The change that would be the most
beneficial to all concerned, MIR. Flynn
added, would be the formation of a
new county; including the upper end
of Northumberland county and por-
tions of Schuylkill county, making
Shamokin the county seat and naming
the county after that town.
This is a move that would no doubt
meet with instant favor at Snamokln,
which has long objected to the fact
that Sunbury is the seat of Northum-
berland county, while that town (Sha-
mokin) is the centre of the great busi-
ness and legal interests OF the county.
Just what is going to be the out
come of the present agitation is hard
to determine. Time alone can tell"
The Milton Record of last week
says:
"The proposition to create a new
county out of Shamokin and Coal
township and Mt. Carmel and VT.
Carmel township, from Northumber-
land county, the Conyngham town
ships and Centralla from Columbia
and strip from the northern end of
Schuylkill, would, we apprehend, find
veiy little opposition in the upper end
Of this county. The four districts
named from Northumberland comprise
about one-half the county's population.
They supply about four fifths OF the
quarter sessions business at our courts
get about three-fourths of the costs
paid in dismissed cases and pay about
two sevenths of the taxes. From a
commercial standpoint the interests OF
the coal regions and those of agricult-
ural and manufacturing portions OF
the county are not identical. The
townships noted above belong to the
same coal producing districts, so that
in their formation into a separate
county there would be unity of in
terests.
Viewed from a political standpoint
itwould not effect any material change
IN this county. The two boroughs
are strongly Republican and the two
townships largely Democratic. On
the whole the Republicans have per
naps several hundred majority. Ir
the new county this would be over
come by the Democratic majority IT
the Columbia section, but the North