Newport Wins a Court District—Now It Needs the Judge's Signature

Late this afternoon the board of commissioners of Stevens county, in session at Colville, passed a resolution dividing Stevens county into two judicial districts, naming Newport as the place for holding court for the district comprising the eastern part of the county. A telephone report from Colville to this effect was received by The Miner at 4:30 p.m.

Commissioners Sutherland and Bryant voted in favor of creating the new judicial district and Commissioner Beggs opposed it. All that is required now is the approval of the judge of the superior court, Hon. D. H. Carey, and as Mr. Carey has at all times felt the need of the new district, and has been in favor of its establishment, there is no doubt but that he will approve the order of the commissioners when he returns to Colville next week.

The matter of establishing the district did not come up until this afternoon, as the new law permitting the division of counties into districts did not become effective until today. The commissioners also did not wish to go ahead with the matter until they had been assured that the town of Newport would provide the required accommodations, which was guaranteed them by a pledge of nearly 125 citizens of the town and the east side of the county.

Temporary quarters for the accommodation of the court are already being arranged for, and the matter of building a city hall to be used for the purpose of housing the court, the jail, and officials is also being considered. The town council can bond in the neighborhood of $15,000 without calling an election for that purpose, and the citizens can vote in the neighborhood of $15,000, five per cent of the assessed valuation of the town.

The action of the commissioners is an important one to the people of the east side of the county and one that was justified by existing conditions.