The sun., 1892-01-28

The Legislature has already addressed
itself vigorously and intelligently to the
task OF increasing the number Of wards in
various cities OF the State. 80 that hereafter
they may correspond more properly with
the growth Of such localities In population.
| This is one Of the tasks which the Repub-
licans. when in control Of tho Legislature.
persistently shirked. as they did others In
volving the growth and progress Of Demo-
cratic constituencies. But while other
cities have invoked this evidence Of consid-
| Grafton for their needs and demands. 1t
does not appear to have occurred to any one
| that New York. the leading city Of the con-
tinent. Is somewhat in need Of such internal
division. and that the present would be an
uncommonly fit time to secure It.
The ward boundaries OF this city. as they
now exist and are used officially for geo.
graphic boundary lines and other purposes.
were established in 1926. During the sixty
seven years which have elapsed since some
Of these wards have been subdivided. and
two were added in 1874 by annexation from
Westchester county; but essentially the
arrangement Of 1926 continues as to most
Of them. and 1t is such that the Twelfth
ward is further up town than the Twenty
6cCOuu " WulCu oOJOluS WAAO tAC kcoNCuOu
and Thirteenth are side by side. and the
Ninth and Tenth are very far apart.
The inequalities Of size are still more
striking than that OF designation. The
First ward includes 154 acres. while the
Twelfth includes $500. Tho Fourteenth
ward includes 96 and the Twenty-third
1900. The Second ward includes 81 acres.
while the Twenty-fourth includes 5000.
Nor Is the inequality Of size greater than
Of population. Putting the latter ut 1.sOO.-
900. the average number Of inhabitants Of a
New York city ward should be about $4,000.
Now the Twelfth Ward has population OF
275OOO. the Nineteenth of 100000. and the
Twenty-second Of 100000. while. on the
other hand. the Fourth ward has but $1,000.
the Fifth $4,000. the Third 1000. and the
Second 1000.
The Aldermen. who are the present rep
resentatives Of the people In municipal
matters. have been chosen since 1882 on the
basis OF Assembly districts. The Legisla-
ture Is about to change these Assembly dis
tricts. Why not. therefore. 1t Is urged at
the same time bring the wards under a
more modern division. SO that henceforth
the Assembly district boundaries and those
OF the wards may be identical? As each
ward would elect IN Alderman. there will
thus be established an equality Of represen-
tation. which in the interest OF fair admin
istration is undoubtedly demanded. At the
present time. though no fault Of the city au-
thorities. no such equality exists. Al
derman BAILEY represents constit-
uency which cast 24.5OO votes: Al
derman HARRIS O constituency OF a.
mn vntoa. md AIdorrnon II MA 80
10000 votes. On the other hand, three
downtown Aldermen represent respective
ly $500, $500. and $500 electors. Yet each
Alderman has one vote. 6s.5OO electors In
one portion Of the city having thus no
greater voice In the Board OF Aldermen
than 16.s0O electors In another portion.
This disparity Of representation has been
shown on several occasions when the de-
mand Of the uptown districts for the re-
tention OF the most approved means Of
rapid translst, inexorably required and
favored by their residents. have been off,
set. II not overcome. by the opposition from
small downtown districts.
So long as the Republicans held control
In Albany home rule was denied to the
residents OF populous and growing locali-
ties throughout the State. and In the train
Of such refusal came score Of Inequalities
and injustices which the present Legisla-
ture Is endeavoring. one by one. to redress |
and abolish. But 1t is no imputatlon |
against the wisdom or patriotism OF the |
lawgivers Of 1925 that the ward boundaries |
they then prescribed do not prove OF great |
practical excellence In 1892. and it would |
not be subject Of surprise il the Legisla-
ture should take this matter In hand and |
radically revise our ward boun aries