Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1907-02-07
To REGULATE
County Divisions
The Bill Changes Law as
to Minimum Size of
New counties.
Following is the bill relating
to the division Of counties now
pending before the legislature of
Nebraska.
HOUSE ROLL NO. 14S.

the division of existing counties, and
the manner of petitioning therefor
and for the publication of notice oil
intention to circulate such petition
limiting the area to which any county
may be reduced, and fixing the mini.
mum area of any new county, and pro-
viding for the submission of the ques-
ton of division to the voters of the
county, and for the certif, ing Of the
result OF such election, and providing
for the election of county officers in
such new county or counties, and
limiting the times of submission of the
question of division of a county; and
for the repeal of Sections 442S and
442o of Cobbey's Annotated Statutes of
Nebraska for the year 1903 Being sec
tons 10 and II of Art. of Chapter IS
of Compiled Statutes for 1905
Be it Enacted by the Legislature
Of the State of Nebraska
Section /. VIII: neve, II Is desired to
form new county or counties out of one
of the existing counties of this state, any
citizen or citizens residing within the
territory desiied TO 1e formed into a new
county shall file with the county clerk
of the county affected, a statement of
their intention to circulate petition ask
ing for the submission of the question of
forming said new county or counties,
which statement shall describe the ter
ritory which it is proposed to form into
new county or counties, together with a
map of the county affected, clearly desig-
mating thereon the boundaries of the pro-
posed new county or counties, and de-
scribing by government survey or other
accurate description, the boundaries OF
said proposed new county or counties,
wbereupon it shall be the duty of the
lished in some newspaper having gen
eral circulation in the territory proposed
to be formed into the new county or
counties, describing the territory SO to
be formed, together with map of the
county affected, disclosing clearly and
accurately the lines of the proposed new
county or counties.
On this first section there is
nothing calculated to inspire
even the crankiest, thin-skinned
divisionist to emit howl, unless,
perhaps, it is that portion direct
ing the county clerk to publish
notice setting forth facts in con-
nection with a division scheme.
The divisionlsts dislike-above
all things-facts, and especially
those which GO to show that the
division of county into small
counties is very 200 policy
Section 2. After said notice has been
published for two consecutive weeks, said
petition or petitions praying for the cree
ton of such new county or counties,
stating and describing the territory pro-
posed to be formed, together with the
proposed name of the same, may be
circulated and signatures procured there.
to of the legal voters of the territory of
said proposed new county or counties,
which petition must be signed by
majority of the legal voters residing in
the territory proposed to be formed into
the new county or counties and the
signers to said petition shall, opposite
their names, where they reside outside
of town or village, designate the sec
ton, township and range Of their resi-
dence, and where such signers reside
within any village or town, they shall
designate the number or name of the
block upon which they reside.
(Here, of course is a condition
that causes sleepless nights for
the chief rangers in the division
camp, this part which says
"signers shall, where they re-
side outside of town or village,
designate the section, township
and range of their residence, and
where such signers reside within
any village or town, they shall
designate the number or name Of
the block upon which they re-
side" This little provision
comes to the division pow-wow
like a fash of lightning from a
clear sky, because it will prevent
their following the old plan of
securing the signatures to the
petition of Tom, Dick and Harry,
sometimes several times and also
of non.residents. This, we adj
init, is a double-jointed thorn in
their breasts, principally because