The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-10-19
COUNTY SEAT

COUNTY SEAT REMOVAL.
According to q decision rendered by
the supreme court, the question of re.
moving the county sea- of Chouteau
county from Fort Benton to Havre
must be submitted to the voters at the
general election on November 8. Such
. decision was not expected by those
who are familiar with the circum-
stances, and who we're under the i'm.
preston that certain formslities pre-.
scribed by the Montana laws were
necessary before the matter could be
submitted to the voters.
The subject of removal of county
seats is given attention In Section 2 of
Article XVI of the state constitution,
TO this effect: The legislative assem-
bly, shall have NJ power to remove the
county seat Of any county, but the
same shall be provided for by general
law; and no county seat shall be re.
moved unless . majority Of the quail
fed electors of the county, at q gener.
al election on . proposition to remove
the county seat, shall vote therefor;
but no such proposition shall be sub.
mitted oftener than once In four yesrs.
Pursuant to this constitutional re-
quirement, q legislative assembly
. law upon the subject provid.
ing the manner in which it might be
presented. The law requires . petition
that shall be signed by . certain mum.
Der OF taxpsyers and voters, such Pc
tition to be c%anvsssed by the board Of
county commissioners and compared
with official records to ascertain
whether or not it contains the number
of signstures OF taxpayers and voters
required by the law.
For nearly two years past, . com
mittee OF Hsvre citizens has been cir
culating q county seat removal petit
ton to which q large number of sig.
natures were attached. Most of these
signatures did not comply with the
statutory requirement ss to tsxpaying
and voting qualifications; some who
signed the petition have since died,
and others have removed from the
county.
The petition twas presented to the
county commissioners without pre-.
vious notice at their September meet.
ing, and at the suggestion of the At
torney for the Ravre committee-who
acknowledged that it did not contain
the names OF . majority Of the tsxpsy-
ers-it was denied by the commission.
ers without canvsssing the names as
required by the law.
In the meantime there had been filed
with the county clerk . large number
OF Withdrawals by citizens who had
signed the petition, about Is per cent
Of the taxpayers and voters who sign
ed the petition requesting that their
names be Cancelled or removed from
the list. AS no canvass of the petition
was made, the request of these taxpay'
ers and voters did not receive any at
tention.
Without questioning the supreme
courts view of the matter, as obtained
from probably incomplete information
IS to all the circumstances, it appears
to the River Press that the citizens
who desired the removal OF theil
names from the petition were entitled
to recognition by the board of count,
commissioners. The latter, probably
were trapped by . smooth legal trick
but their failure to perform the duties
required by the law should not infic
injustice upon citizens who, in goot
faith. made application to the boart
for q square deal.
The delay in presenting the petition
the legal trick by which its canvas
was prevented, and the immediate
tr ansfer of the matter to the courts
indicate q purpose to attempt count!
seat removal by snap judgment ant
unfair tactics. 1t is not believed tina
such methods will receive popular ap
prevail.
Food Values In Vegetables.
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