The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-01-17
TWO COUNTY DIVISION
PROJECTS FROM EAST END
SIXTEENTH SESSION IN UfROAR OVER PROPOs
ED CREATIONS OF SEVERAL NEW COUNTIES;
TWO PROPOSED SCHEMES WILL EFFECT
VALLEY COUNTY; SENATE ENDEAV-
ORS TO BLOCK ALL DIVISION.
Special to The Courier.

Special to The Courier.
Helena, Jan. 15.-The three out
standing features Of the Sixteenth ses-
sion of the state legislature at the end
of the first ten days of the legislative
session are the joint inquiry into the
high prices charged for necessities and
the profiteering problem, the large
number of cities and towns that want
normal schools constructed and the
fight that is being made for the crea-
tion of large number of new coun-
ties. These have overshadowed the
important taxation measures, recon-
structions problems, and the legisla-
tion sought by members from the ag-
ricultural counties, which their rapid
growth has made necessary.
There are two county divisions pro-
posed affecting Valley county, now be-
fore the lower house of the legislature.
One is covered in bill providing for
the creation Of Daniels county out of
portions of Valley and Sheridan coun-
ty with Scobey as the county seat and
the other is for the proposed county
of Cogswell to be created out of por-
tions of Sheridan, Valley and Richland
with Wolf Point as the county seat.
Highwood county to be created from
the southern part of Chouteau county
and Glacier county from the northern
part of Teton; Pondera from the CEN
trail part of Teton and a few townships
in Chouteau; and new county from
the northern part of Lincoln with Eu-
reka as the county seat are the only
propositions affecting the northern
section of the state. There are at least
a half score propositions in other Sec
tions of the state, most of which have
reached the legislature.
An effort was made in the senate
Wednesday to block all county divis-
ion schemes by instructing the COM
mittee on rules to report a rule pro-
viding that no county division schemes
will be considered. The vote was % to
19. The matter must come up again
when the rule is reported. A similar
effort in the house failed and indica-
tions are that the house is the more
favorable OF the two houses to the
county division schemes.
The committee on new counties and
divisions in the house reported favor
ably on the creation of Treasure coun-
ty out of portions of Rosebud and Jor-
dan county out of portions of the
western end of Dawson. A favor
able report on Lake county was sent
back to the committee for further con-
sideration, petitions against it having
arrived late from some portions of
the territory affected.
Great interest is being manifested
in the agitation for the construction
of state normal school in eastern
Montana and there seems to be ground
for the opinion that the legislature
may pass measures providing for the
building of two such institutions.
Bills providing for their locations at
Terry, Billings, Miles City, Lewiston,
Chinook, Malta and Glasgow have al
ready made their appearance in the
session, and there may be others.
A complete probe into the high cost
Of living is being made by the assem-
bly, through joint committee COM
posed of Senators Booth, Lowe and
Healey and Representatives Higgins,
Sinclair and Muth. They have started
nightly hearings and expect to have
testimony from retailers and wholesal-
ers, producers and consumers from all
sections of the state. The purpose
is to gather data on which to base the
preparation of laws that will eliminate
profiteering and yet at the same time
return to the producer fair compensa-
tion for his labor. Not only the pri-
ces of general commodities, including
all necessities, but the operations of
mills and elevators, will be probed.
The first public hearing was held on
Wednesday night of this week with
Food Commissioner Alfred Atkinson
as the principal witness.
Deficiency appropriations bills for
$4,000 expended by the state, $685.
900 of which is for the insane asylum
and $4,000 for the state prison, have
been introduced in the lower house by
the committee on appropriations. The
sums represent what the increased
cost of living has done to state insti-
tutions. Other such bills will soon
be forthcoming.
Members of the senate and house
who are interested in farming have
formed an association, regardless of
party affiliation, for the purposes of
deciding what character of legislation