Ione's Editor Wants Stevens County Split — and Newport Can Have the Temporary Seat

Since the first attempt at county division was made four years ago there has been no organized movement to that end, but owing to the many inconveniences of the present arrangement there could not help but be considerable quiet discussion as to the advisability of setting off the east side of Stevens into a separate county.

The principal objections urged against division four years ago were lack of population and assessed valuation. In the time that has intervened the Pend Oreille valley has become the scene of the greatest development activities in Eastern Washington. The railroad has been built and placed in operation and the largest industries in this part of the state have been established. Large areas of land are being cleared and brought into cultivation, and diking projects for the reclamation of the Calispel valley are under way.

Therefore it is natural that thoughts should turn to the subject of securing relief from present conditions. W. A. Logue, editor of the Ione Record, opens the question anew for discussion and summarizes the situation as follows:

From time to time the Record has called attention to the matter of county division. There can be no question that the time is ripe for the division of Stevens county. The county is large and cumbersome and Colville, the county seat, is very inconveniently situated for the majority, and especially for the Pend Oreille valley. Topographically the county naturally divides on a range of mountains running northerly and southerly, leaving the valley of the Pend Oreille in the east side or eastern county. So rapidly has the Pend Oreille valley been developed with the advent of the I. & W. N. railroad, so rapidly has the population grown that we of the east side are entitled to a county government of our own. There is now more than ample assessed valuation within the valley to more than satisfy the law in the matter of division and creation of new counties. The Pend Oreille valley is an empire of itself.

Of course, the question of county seat arises. In our opinion the county seat of the new county should be at Ione. It is altogether probable that the Newport people have a slight impression that the new county seat should be at Newport, while Metaline Falls, the new town on Sullivan creek, may have aspirations. Again, the question of a temporary county seat, to be named in the enabling act, arises. It is probable we all feel that our town is just about it for the temporary county seat also.

Now the thing to be done is to lay all jealousy or ambitions aside, and everybody get in and pull for a division of the county. A temporary county seat must be named in the enabling act. The Record is in favor of allowing Newport to be named as the temporary county seat in the enabling act. Now, don't let the Newport people think that we are going to pull for her for the permanent county seat, for we are not. We are going to scrap her to the eternal finish, because we think Ione is the proper place for the permanent county seat. We know that a temporary county seat must be named in order to start the ball. We are willing to give Newport that much advantage in the race, and if she wins out in the race for the permanent county seat, let her go to it. We would rather have the county seat at Newport than at Colville.

Can't we get together and get an enabling act through this coming session of the legislature?