The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1911-10-13
COUNTY DIVISION
Shall We Have a New County
Now or Several Years Hence
Is the Vital Question

The Searchlight would like to
have every citizen in the proposed
new county OF Gateway" under.
stand the facts in the case OF coun-
ty division fully and completely
before signing a petition for or
against the proposition.
The new county division law
passed at the last session OF the
state legislature provides:
THAT no new county shall be
established which shall reduce any
existing county to an assessed val
uation OF less than five millions OF
dollars, nor shall any new county
be formed which contains an as
sessed valuation of less than four
millions OF dollars, as shown by
the last preceding assessment OF
the county or counties from which
the said new county is to- be esta.
blished "
The assessed valuation OF the
proposed new county will be am
ply sufficient il we follow the
boundaries as land out by the com.
mittee at the mass meeting in Gull
bertson on August 30, 1911, which
includes Poplar and all north OF
the Sixth Standard Parallel in
Dawson County.
The assessed valuation of a
smaller new county, not including
Poplar and the proposed part OF
Dawson county, would not reach
nearly the required amount oil four
millions OF dollars. Now Poplar
and all the citizens west oil Poplar,
will vote against being included in
any proposition of new county
which does not include the pro
posed slice OF Dawson county.
The citizens of the proposed area
OF Dawson county are willing aud
anxious to be included in the pro.
posed new county and # that area
is included, Poplar is also willing
and anxious to become a part OF
the proposed new county.
As will be seen from the above
logical conclusions the whole mat
ter is reduced to the following
question: DO we want County
Division now, or at some future
datea II the proposition is de.
ieated now 1t cannot be taken up
again for at least two years.
We want to put it up to the vot-
ers of eastern Valley County in
plain language so you can all un.
derstand IT. Do you want two
years more of Ponderous Valley
County, Or do you want new
county created at once on the only
feasible boundary lines which will
enable us to have the necessary
valuation1
The Medicine Lake and Froi.I
papers want To continue for an in.
definite time under the present oh
noxious conditions for the reason
that when the county is divided
they want II to be a cinch that
Medicine Lake gets the county
seat. That's all they are acting as
obstructonists for. Just simply
playing waiting game.
The Searchlight believes that the
majority OF the voters want county
division at once and that they want
to include all OF the taxable pro
perty that they can get in the new
county. The Medicine Lake pol
iticians. on the other hand, do no,
want new county now at all.
They do not offer a counter pro
position with any other boundary
lines. They simply object to the
boundary lines as proposed by the
committee of which their delegates
were a part.
The Medicine Lake politician.
OF winch w. Schnltzler OF th,
Froid Tribune. Tor reasons OF hi,
own. IS one, know very well thai
they cannot Law out any new coun
ty in eastern Valley county which
will have the necessary valuation
| without extending the boundar,