Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1921-05-05
MONTANA WOULD LIKE TO Be
in PROPOSED new STATE
Senator Hutchison, of Spokane, Says Definite Plans
for New State Will Be Adopted Meeting to Be
Held in September--History or Previous Attempts
Form New State.

According to reports which reach
the Herald office from time to time
the new state idea is steadily gaining
favor. j. Bert Cowen, cashier of the
First State Bank, states that he met
a number of Montana people last
week at the good roads meeting in
Standpoint and that he was informed
that the people of western Montana
are quite anxious to be included in
the proposed new state.
State Senator Hutchinson, of Spo-
kane, is working hard to secure the
formation of a new state from nor
thern Idaho and eastern Washington
and 20 of the Washington state legis-
lators. exclusive of the Spokane dele
cation, have signed a petition to sup
port secession. 1t is planned to hold
a new state convention in Spokane
in September when definite plans of
procedure will be adopted
Senator Hutchinson said that the
Spokane Chamber of Commerce would
be asked to call a meeting soon of
Spokane county's legislators and other
public-service men, when the county's
10 representatives and five senators
would doubtless sign the petition in
favor of the new state.
The convention in September, Sena-
tor Hutchinson said. would be at
tended by federal and state legislators
of eastern Washington and Idaho. In
vitations will soon be sent to Senators
Miles Poindexter and Wesley Jones
Congressman Webster and Summers
and the senators and congressman of
Idaho.
Since the legislature adjourned, "
Senator Hutchinson asserted, eastern
members of the house of representa-
tives have swung strongly to the sup
port of the proposed new state. I
have 20 Representatives signed to at
tend the convention. They are chiefly
from the central counties, but the
names cannot be divulged until June.
They will attend the convention.
which will be attended by virtually all
federal and state legislators of eastern
Washington and Idaho, by the new
state commission of the Idaho legisla-
ture, and delegates of all civic bodies
THE new state movement has not
been checked" the senator declared
1T is just beginning. Northern Idaho
is practically lined-up, while eastern
Washington is swinging into line.
Many people assert that the expense
would be excessive. Why should the
expense be more heavy than at pres
ent? Eastern Washington has a peni-
tentiary, an insane asylum, a home for
feeble-minded, an agricultural college,
and other institutions; while northern
Idaho has university and other in
stitutions.
"All that the new state should need
at the start would be a capitol build
ings, and the city of Spokane should
be ready to provide the site.
1T is practically certain" Senator
Hutchinson said, that the city of
Spokane would donate 90 acres on the
bluff, at the south end of Howard
street, for the capitol site. 1t would
be an ideal site"
Agitation for formation of a new
state from counties of northern Idaho
and eastern Washington has existed
in one form or another for more than
half a century.
AS early as January, 1861, a memor-
ial to congress, asking for the crea-
tion of the territory of Walla Walla"
from parts of the territory east of the
Cascade mountains, was brought up
in the Washington territorial legisIa-
ture, but was lost. Two years later
the legislature, in compliance with
petitions signed by the people consid-
cred a bill to submit to the voters a
constitution for the proposed new state
of Idaho. After having inserted