Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-02-24
CHARGE MADE
THAT NJ GONE
ACT REPEALED
REQUIRED Valuation in
Parent Subdivisions Is
Cut Four Million.
Measure Made Special
Order Of Business for
Thursday, at 2::30 pm.
BY WARREN w. MOSES
Staff CORRESPONDENT.

Helena, Feb. 23.-Taking the view
that substitute for senate bill lit, by
w. j. Paul Of Powell county relating
to the creation and classification of
new counties. was virtually repeal
Of the McCone law and the erecting
of barriers to all proposed new
counties the house committee on new
counties. and divisions Wednesday re-
ported that measure into the house
with numerous amendments tending
greatly to reduce the restrictions
placed upon county creation and then
made it a special order of business
for 2:3O Thursday.
AS amended in committee the bill
now requires a valuation of SS,O0O,0OO
to be left in the parent counties, in
stead of S12.OOO00O as originally pro-
vided by the bill, reduces from 5000
600 to $5,OOO,O00 the assessed yalua-
ton required in any new county, re-
duces from 1900 square miles to 1900
square miles the area to be left in
the parent counties. reduces from 1900
square miles to 1000 square miles the
area required in the new county and
reduces from 20 miles to Is miles the
distance to be maintained between the
county seat of the old county and the
boundary line to be established for the
new county.
Who Shall Vote ..
It also provides that qualified elect
ors who shall have resided for at least
six months within the territory pro-
posed to be taken into any new county
shall be entitled to vote upon the sub
ject of county division, thereby elimin-
ating the provision in the original bill
that qualified voters of the entire ter
ritory of the old counties shall be en-
titled to vote, and amending the bill
so that it will not apply to any pro-
posed counties for which an election
has already been ordered
George Allen, of Maids On county
moved the adoption of the committee
report whereupon Dudley Jones. of
Phillips county moved as a substitute
that the bill as it originally came from
the senate be placed on general orders.
He said the committee had the bill
before it for several days and the
amendments had been made by sub
committee. He added that it was his
belief the legislature should not send
ont any laws which would assist in
the making Of any more new counties.
Bergeson For 1t.
@. A. Bergeson, of Chouteau county,
said the people of the proposed county
of Banner, for which an election is to
be held March %, had been working
upon that county for a long time and
had spent thousands of dollars He
said the Paul bill. as drawn, was not
fair and if it goes into effect will wipe
out all the efforts of the people of the
Banner county.
Edward ScharnikoW, of Powell
said that if he understood the
they would let down the
bars to every little town that wants
county seat He thought it better to
adopt the substitute motion and let the
natter be fought out on the floor.
Allen said that the members of the
committee took no pride in their re-
port and that they had been unable to
agree upon it, however no minority re-
port would be presented.
A. Q. Gullidge, Of Prairie county,
said that the Paul bill had been brought
n under a smoke screen. ''If we wish |
o repeal the McCone law, let us do
t, not camouflage. If county crea-
ion elections have been called for it
s not within the rights of the legis-
ature to defeat their wishes. Senate |
Dill lit was constructed of this legis- |
ature to defeat their wishes. Senate
dill III was constructed with the sole
intent Of cutting off the rights under
which these people are acting
Wants Fair Play.
Il. A. O'Hara of Ravalli county. sale
t occurred to him that the legislature
should be fair.
I'VE, ourselves. the other night in
Is minutes created three new counties.
wo of which did not have the assessed
-alnation required. The McCone law
$ an Irish home rule bill. This bill
II is Tory measure 1t will be abb
'olutely impossible to create a new
'ounty under it. / oppose the substi-
ute notion
Calvin Crumbaker of Chouteau coun-
Y, spoke briefly in support of the sub
titute but it was easily defeated where
lpon Jones moved to strike the enact
ng clause but the motion was held
o be out of order and the motion. to
ldopt the committee report was then
arried by a decisive majority, and was
ollowed by the special order action.
Bar Conscientious Oblectors.
In committee of the whole the house |
mended s. B. 1T, providing that pref |
renee be shown veterans and their |
Widows in appointment to public Of
ices, SO that it's benefit cannot be
nioyed BY conscientious objectors who |
nv possess honorable discharges.