The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1911-01-11
NEW COUNTY SEATS
County Commissioners Given Power
to Act in the Matter.

County Commissioners Given Power
to Act in the Matter.
The initial steps toward dividing
Chouteau county were taken at the
Monday session Of the legislative as.
sembly, when Representative A. II.
Reser gave notice of the introduction
Of q bill for the creation Of Blaine
county from the northe astern part OF
Chouteau county, and Representative
H. F. Schwartz gave similar notice re.
garding the proposed county of Hill,
to be formed from the northwestern
part Of this county. The bills will
follow at az early date.
A new departure 10 the creation OF
new counties is proposed 10 q general
bill introd uced IN the assembly q few
days ago. II provides that hereafter
the temporary county seal shall be
design ated by the county commission.
ers Of the new county. Heretofore this
has been done by the legislative as.
sembly, one of the sections of the bill
creating q new county providing that
the temporary seat Of government
shall be located al q certain place.
It has been discovered, however, that
the legislative assembly has 40 cor.
stitutionsl right to do this, and q bill
dealing with the subj-ct has been pre-
pared and will probably be enacted
into law.
The Blaine county bill, which will
be introduced by Mr.. Reser. will name
the temporary county commissioners
OF the proposed new county, and au.
thorize them to select the other tempo.
rary officials Of the new county. This,
also, Is q new departure in the method
of creating new counties. The draft
of the Blaine county bill, when in
spected by the River Press, did not
contain the names of the county com.
missioners, q final decision as to their
selection not having been reached.
It is understood that the names of Cal
Shuler and Thomas Dowen, Of Chi.
nook, E. M. Kennedy, Of Harlem;
John G. Cronk. Of Coburg; George
Dutro, of Dodson; George E. Heath,
Of Zortman, and possibly others. are
under consideration for Blaine county
commissionership honors.
1t is provided that the organization
OF Blaine county shall 60 into effect
July l, 1911. On or before that date
the new county commissioners shall
meet and decide upon q temporary
seat of county government. A ma.
jority of the board may decide the
matter. but il an agreement cannot be
reached each member shall write upon
q slip of paper the name of the place
he favors, the clips placed in a box,
and the county clerk draw one of the
slips therefrom. The place named on
such clip shall then be declared the
temporary, county sest of the new
county until otherwise determined at
an election upon the question.
Another section Of the bill provides
that fifty resident taxpayers of the
new county may sign and present q
petition for q special election to
change the temporary county seat
designated by the county commits
sioners, the methods of preparing for
and holding such special election be.
ing described in the bill.
In the case of the bill creating Hill
county, the full list of county officials
Is incorporated in the bill as at pres.
ent drawn. It is understood, how
ever, that in conformity with the pro.
posed general law ON the subject, the
new method OF locating the temporary
county aeat will be adQnted.