Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-01-20
No CHANCE FOR IL
AT Whites Bill TO Split Up
Kent County
WILL NOT Be PASSED THIS YEAR
Irs AISog-fnsE Too Much Of . Democrats
schsms 20 Be Swallowed By Re-
publican Legislators

TIE sentiment regarding Al >.
Whites bill To cut s:gh. townsh ps
from the north end Of keot eouaty
ana with several townships from New
ago aud Aontcxlm ia make . new
county 10 Dc known as stoekbridzo
county, Is decidedly against the meas
urs. IL vac chief subject Of CONVEX
sat1on on The strees corners and about
the court 70 ms all day yesterday.
May citizens express surprise at AT
Whites temerity in supposlng TIE re-
publican legislature vii agree to ms
scnems Of slielng of eight townships.
All bat one Of winch are solidly repub-
hcan, and thus secure very probable
democratic malorltles IN Kent COUNTY.
OF all the objections raised none has
more weight than the one raised by
simon Sullivan, that the passage Of
the bill would call for . redlstrictng
of the state and that can not be- done
until 1896. alter the next census. A
few OF tne opinions expressed yester-
day are gwen below:
Frank I'll. GILL; think the bill is all
right. Great heavens, We must do
something. Just look at the way the
taxes are APPROX. rtioned between the
county and city ana see how powerless
the city Is IA the hands of that board
OF supervisors. Ii - ridiculous. and 1
tnink that Al ;. White should be sup
ported IN MS effort TO correct great
evil. His bill would give the county
sixteen members and the city fifteen
members. With the support of the
members who come from the town
ships bordering on the city, the city
would De better represented. IL that
was not enough the city could div q
some Of these large wards and thus
make several members Tor the city.
City Treasurer Sorrick-'l do think
the representation on the hoard of
superv sOrs should be more equally d.
vided between the city and county. |
do not know whether this IS the best
WAY to accomplish IL or not"
K. A. Msynard-"At White has
killed himself politically. Those PEG
pie ia the townships ne proposes To cut
OF from The county will be- Wild about
it. Cedar Springs may feel all right
for u would doubtless be the county
seat Of the new county. That would
build up another town TO take moro or
lees trade away from Grand Rapids"
Deputy Sheriff Davis-"On Lord,
that makes me weary. Stockbrldge
county, IA, ma. Why At must have
paress. That's q nice trick; IL would
make Kent county safely democratic.
Where are We st?'
Moolsey Cronk hlte-"I used TO live IN
those townships and they tried many
years ago 10 do the same thing. Ii
won't work. Cedar Springs would like
IL because It would be the county seat.
IL - = foolish move"
George togshall-"It would make
this q democratic county safe enough.
OF course I would like o. see the pow
ers of the board of supervisors more
equally divided between the city and
county and this bull, II carried, would
help Us IN that respect"
simon Sulilvan-.I do not believe
the bill would be constitutional. II
would necessltate redisLrlctIng that
portion of the state and they have no
power, a. / understand It, to redIstrict
except after q census has been taken.
l ara not sure that am correct, but
wish you would interview some lawyer
on that p INT / would like, however,
to see some means devised TO give the
city q more equitable representation on
the hoard of supervisors.
Supervisor Benjamin-'I think the
act would be foolish thing aud / do
nos beheve anyone IN Kent county
wants II One of the chief objections
is the fact that We have about 500, 900
debt now and to cut oil thos, eight
townships would but lax the people
VINO remain IN the county higher In
order { pay this debt. | have talked
with the supervisors IN those townships
and they say there 70 not desire ex-
pressed by any number OF citizens IN
their Townships for the change. In fact
they say they have heard no one ex-
press desire 10 nave . new county
formed. 10 looks a. IL there was no
reasonable occasion for the introduce
uOn OF such a bill"
c. II. Bender-''It looks to me as If
AZ White had made = mistake There
u 40 earthly reason for sucn change.
Al - mistaken II he thinks he can
work political scheme by such q thin
trick "a calling the proposed county
'Stockbridge county | don't see q
reason for such a oil. anyway"
Prosecuting Attorqy Wolcott-"lt
sesms foolish 90 ne to divide the
county. do not believe the people Of
tnose townships wish u.
Supervisor Proctor Of Cascade-"Mr.
Whites main reason may be to give
the city more representation on the
bosri. but at any rate Il would make
Kent county democratic. Now look
ing At u fairly, we from the country
have always used the city we'll. The
city pays but 81 per cent of the taxes.
We uOn't need any such change"
Chairman Page Of sparta said; 81
CONSIDER tie question "a being almost
too pregosterous "a answer. OF course