The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-03-16
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16. 1910.
RULE.

AOS -
.THEud0LDEN RULE
The various agencies that have beef
engaged In the worthy endeavor o
boosting for s-"Greater Montana
have, as . general rule, observed The
proprieties by extending to all com
munities fair and neighborly treat
ment. There has been no manifesto
ton OF that .sel6sh spirit which
prompts one citizen or community ia
obtain benefit by inficting injury OF
Injustice upon others. Almost with
out exception there has been q CON-
mend sble purpose to regard the ad.
monition: "Boost, an1 don't knocks
These remarks are suggested by a
recent incident in ,Chouteau county
affairs which indicates ignorance of,
or Indifference to, the ,'.Eolden rule"
A large nQmber of the citizens in the
southern part of the county petitioned
the board of county commissioners
for Improvements on q contain piece
of road v q which they have frequent
occasion to travel, and the condition
OF which was q menace to life and
property. Tie matter was investi.
gated by the ssaembers of the board
personally, who reached the -eonclu-
zion that the work requested was
necessary and should be perforued-
provided, OF course. that the expense
would not be out OF proportion to the
public benefit to be derived.
Bids for the proposed work were 70
be received by thejcousty commission.
ers at their March meeting, and Just
before the dstei6xed for opening the
bids each member of the board re-
ceived q personal letter to which
twelve signaturesSwere attached. pro.
testing against au expenditure of the
money Of the taxpayers of the county
on this particular piece of road at the
present time. The signatures we're
represented assthose Of the board of
directors Of the Havre Chamber of
Commerce. Thel communication was
sent to each county commissioner in.
dividually, and.was not filed with the
county clerk as q document of official
record.
The ease for this unusual and
irregular method of attempting to
influence the county commissioners is
presented in the document as follows:
That such an Improvement would
be wholly 10 the interests of the tax.
payers of Fort Benton and vicinity.
1t is explained that, in the event of
q division Of ~,theEcounty. the money
expended or roads is no. an asset
that can be apportioned between the
separated portions, and for this al.
legged reason the protestau.s said;
We respectfully urge the board of
county commissioners to defer action
IN THE work until such time as it
shall be known definitely whether or
not the county 10 to be divided.
If that was the true reason for maxi
Ing such protest, the same will apply
to every proposed expenditure for
road work in iChouteau county. In
view of q prospective division of the
county, the directors OF the Havre
Chamber of Commerce are opposed to
the expenditure of road money that will
benefit Chester, thejSweet Grass hills
and Marias country, Chinook, Rar-
lem, the people OF the Little Rockies
district, Big Sandy or the Bear Paw
country. That Is their position as
set forth in this protest; as honest aud
fair.minded citizens they cannot dis.
Grimm ate In such matters. They
practically commit themselves to the
proposition that road work in Chou
teau county should be suspended.
County division has been In pros.
pect for the past seven years, but II
has not interfered with necessary road
work or any other department of the
county government. About two years
ago, large expenditures were made or
a public road between Warrick and
Havre, most Of which passes through
the Fort Assinniboine military reser'
walton. 1t was projected, 80 we are
informed. with a view to depriyine
Big Sandy of the Warrick mail route
and other business, and transferring
it to HaVre, One contractor was Daif
$1,000 for his work on this road, ant
other large expenditures have beer
made and are yet to be made upon it
but the directors of the Havre Cham
Der Of Commerce have not entered
protest against disbursement of pub
lie money for this purpose until a di
vision Of the county shall be effected
For the benefit of the directors O
the Ravre Chamber of Commerce, ant
others: "As ye would that me,
sh0n1d 60 IN Won do " o1oo .,