Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1912-03-15
COUNTY DIVISION.

Because Judith Gap is opposed to
county division ut this time, the llar-
lowton boosters for the proposition
threaten to make the north boundary
line Of the proposed new county on
the township line a mile south OF
town, leaving the township in which
Judith Gap is located in Meaghel
county.
AS it looks now, If Ilarlowt"n Is
going to eliminate all antagonstlc
territory To county division. the
boundary lines nj the new county
will comprise the same boundary
lines as Inc present city Of Harlow
ton.
DOesn', it strike you, dear reader.
as a chilG;sI, proposition to cut Off Ju
dith Gap and leave us in dear old
Meagher county in Il strip running
along the top of the Little Belt noun
tains, over which contiguous terri
itory we could never have Il public
highway to TIE county seat, just be-
cause there is some opposition here
to county division!
Because we won't agree to play the
game to the entire satisfaction of the
narlowton children, we can't slide
down their cellar door any more.
When the llarlowton people start
to circulate the petition for special
election they will beginto realize that
somebody has been fooling them.
The farmers are opposed to the pro-
position ut this time almost ullanim-
ously. They claim the country is too
new to undertake such Il burden as
the forming OF new county would
entail. They know that taxes are low
in Meagher county; that the county
is in better financial condition than
amy other county in the state. and
they will want to know where this
s4,Ooo,o 900 of assessed valuation is Sc
cured by the county division prOmot-
e!s. and how that amount is arrived
at. They are under the impression
that that amount is secured by in
crrasing the valuation Of improved
farms from SIS an acre, the present
valuation Of Meagher county, to $50
or s25. They will be anxious to find
out how much bonded Indebtedness
the new county will need, and how
much casa money will have to be
raised to grease the machinery Of the
new county and keep it III running or
der he first year. They know now
that there is no bonded indebtedness
to pay from characterization in Mengh-
Ell county, and that the tax levy is l5
mills on an assessed valuation of 81
an acre.
They know that their taxes in
Meagher county will gradually de
crease in the future, and they will
want to know why they should be
called ''ron to pay three or four times
as mach 10 the new county.
They know that they will have to
build school houses in nearly every
township and maintain schools, and
that will be Il heavy burden for them
to assume in addition to their presen,
low county taxes. Ii they have t.
pay the new county three or foul
times the taxes us at present and in
addition to that heavily tax them
selves to educate their children, tn,
burden will be unbtarahle and the,
will have to sacrifice their propert,
! and move out.
They VIII want to know why the,
should be asked TO practically ruiz
/ themselves, and what will the an
swer be?
First, that the present county sea
is located 90 miles from them. and j
not easy of access. How many far
mers have business at the county sea
that cannot be attended to by letter
except jury duty. and for which ser
vice they get paid per diam and mil
cage.
Second, that it is almost impossib
le to get road work done in this end q
the county When the officials are al
interested in the other end" TIL
commissioners are doing their best t,
build roads in this end of the count Y
and nave not shown amy disposition
to scrimp in the matter OF spendin!
money along these lines hereabouts
The building of roads is Il slow pro
cess, and i, is up to the taxpayer
themselves Just how much mon
ey is spent Tor this purpose. We ar
promised Il larger appropriation fo
road work this year, but the taNpay
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