Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1919-01-30
COUNTY DIVISION.

The time honOred county division
battles in the Idaho legislature are be-
ing waged with characteristic ferocity
Bill after bin providing for the division
Of county after county appears in the
legislature and already one new coun-
~ has been created Fremont county,
which often has suffered by reason Of
the fall of the county division axe.
again has been split, and from the west
half Of Fremont has been created the
county Of Clark. with Dubois the cOun-
ty seat.
Bills are before the legislature for
the division of BannOck county, and
for the creation of several other cOun-
ties from parts of two or more counties.
Among the bills is one to make Jerome
Il county seat. and another is calculated
to make Nampa 4 county capital.
Lobbyists are at work to bring about
division of northern counties, but up to
the present time no bill for the division
VI IL hbi NVtAliiN iAtlN HN't AAiAAN
duced into the legislature However
ii is known that plans are being laid
for the county of Lake. to be formed
from the northern part Of Kootenai, in
order Ia make Spirit Lake a seat of
county government
Something should be done to head off
wholesale creation Of counties for
which absolutely no excuse exists. OF
course. when counties can he formed
50 easily 'aS under the present Idaho
statute, almost every crossroads store
has aspirations to become Il county |
seat. and il seems that but little effort |
is required to convince many Of the |
lawmakers of the necessity Of author
izing additional counties. If Governor |
Davis signs the Clark county bill. Ida |
no will have forty-twO counties. If |
more additional counties are formed, |
the populations of some of the new |
counties will he little in excess of the
required number Of eligible persons to |
fill county Offices Such may be said of
the Soda Springs situation Soda
Springs wants to become the county
seat Of proposed Caribou county If
serves correctly Caribou coun-
~ would. have only about $50 voters,
all of whom reside within the
own of Soda Springs
OF course many of the counties in
IDAHO are vast in area, and difficult and
:ostly to administer, but the cost of adj
to the taxpayers in sparse
y settled counties is far less for a large
rea than were the same area to be iii
ided into two OF more counties p
rather than to serve handful of
Ounty-seat aspirantS who, BECAUSE of
urely selfish mercenary purpose, de {
land the division of a county. the leg |
lature should pass an enabling act,
roviding that the entire suffrage of a q
)unty must vote on division and {
lvorable majority of at least two t
Iirds should be required, before di- Il
sion could be effected. County divis- 4
n in Idaho, and especially in the "
uthern part of the state, is Il joke. k
olives for county division in the south il
c obvious. and can not be entirely at +
butod to simple county seat aspira- Il
ms. But that, on the part Of vii Il
e that has suddenly taken a squirt az
ward and increased its population by a.
~ or 100 souls, is enough to con-
mn the present law providing for
Sty creation of counties. without an
zing other phases of the situation.