The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1911-03-15
WEDNESDAY, MARCH Is, 1911.
FORMING NEW COUNTIES.

A new law enacted by the Twelfth
assembly promises to become . subject
of lively interest in localities where
county division sentiment exists. l,
provides for the creation of new coun.
ties by popular vote, displacing the
old method Of leaving the matter in
the hands ~iofl.members of the legisla.
lsture who have no personal knowl.
edge OF local conditions that suggest
the desirsbility Of organizing q sep.
arate county government.
The bill providing for q new method
Of county division is q voluminous
affair, twenty pages being necessary
to set forth all its provisions. 1t ap.
pears to the River Press to be unnec.
essarily complicated and cumbersome
In many of its provisions, and except
in cases of almost unanimous cooper
alton among the residents affected,
it would be difficult to make it work
out satisfactorily.
Under the provisions of the new law,
counties may be formed from portions
of one or counties already in ex-
istence, with certain reserv atoms as to
the amount ofSassessable property in
proposed new county and to be left in
the parent county from which it is ere.
ated. It is required that the boundary
lines OF the new county shall not come
within eighteen miles of an existing
county seat.
When 1t is desired to form q new
county, it will be necessary to prepare
. petition to that effect and present it
to the board Of county commissioners.
This pe%titionsImust be signed by at
least one.half of the qualified electors
Of the proposed new county; it must
also give q particular description of
the boundaries of the proposed new
county and alstatement OF its assessed
valuation according to the last pre-.
ceding assessment, the name Of the
proposed new county, and q prayer
that suchiproposed new county be or
gained.
The petition must be filed with the
county clerk, and within thirty days
from date!of filing the county commits.
sioners must hold q meeting-for the
the purpose OF hearing all persons
who may oppose the granting of said
petition. Before such hearing, how.
ever, the petitioners must file a bond
to pay all expenses incurred in the
proceedingss.in the event that more
than IS perlcent. lof the votes cast at
the election are against the PROPOSE.
ton.
1t is also provided that II the resi-.
dents of a portion of the proposed
new county contiguous to its boun.
Diary line wish toisremain in tho old
county. they may present q petition to
that effect at the hearing above men.
toned. In order to secure compliance
with their wishes In this respect, the
petition must be signed by At least so
per cent. of the lqualiied electors of
the territory 1t is proposed to exclude
from the n~ew2county.
When all of the preliminaries shall
have been favorably arranged, in
conformity with the law, the county
commissioners are required to call
special election'to determine whether
or not the new county shall be formed.
The election must be held on q date
not less than ninety days from the
time of granting the petition, and only
qualified electors living in localities
included within the proposed new
county may vote at such election. 1t
is provided that IS per cent. of all the
votes cast at such election are neces-
sary to carry the proposition.
Other provisions in the new law re.
late to the designation of the county
seat OF the new county, the choice of
Its first officials, and other matters
incident to its organic alton. These
features OF the new law may be dis.
cussed at some future time.