The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-30
FOR A MUNICIPAL STATE.
Partisans Of Greater New York Think
That Municipality Ought in Time TO
BecOne Separate COnmOnWealth.

Partisans Of Greater New York Think
That Municipality Ought in Time to
BecOme Separate Commonwealth.
Extreme partisans OF the Greater New
York now propose the Inauguration of q
movement to make the great munich
pality free and independent state.
says the Sun. They argue that 5000. 900
persons are entitled to have their pc
culiar wants considered when they
unite to ask a hearing OF their desires.
When by reason Of contiguity Of resi-
dence and inter-relation or dependence
of pursuits they form a homogeneous
community the justice of their demand
for proportionate representation In the
councils Of the state will not in the alb
stract be denied. But three millions of
people in something like one hundred
square miles comprised in the greater
New York have only half as much to
say In the higher legislative body at the
national capital as A5. 7sl persons in Ne
vada- That was the population of that
state in 1890. At the time Of Nevada's
| greatest population. according to the
Federal census reports, in 1890, she had
only 81 266 inhabitants.
Three millions Of people here have
| only half as much to say in the same
branch Of congress as less than half
million people in Colorado ColoradO's
population In 1890 was AZ, l9S., In other
| words, Colorado has In the senate six
| times the representation Of the met
| ropolitan community in the State OF
New York. The assessed valuation Of
property in the State of Colorado In
| 1880 was $l93 ga, 1913 In the following
year the assessed valuation In the city
of New York alone the then New York;
was sl,7s5, ,s57,33S. or nearly ten times as
| great as that of the whole Centennial
state. Colorado put out. according 10
her own estimate, seventeen and one
third million dollars worth Of gold from
her mines last year, and one of her lead
| ing papers expressed just pride In 1t.
New York city, without her new acqui-
sition, spends nearly 100000 u year In
charities alone, including public and
private contributions Private chari-
table institutions here represent a val
uation OF more than double the gold
output Of Colorado. or $s6 O'00O0. Nearly
double the amount Of ColoradO's output
OF gold for last year Is lying in one
vault in New York-that Of the Clear
ing House. The value of the enormous
bulk of foreign commerce of this city
| would probably make all the known
contents of Colorado's mines look insig-
niicant; yet flfty-cents- -on-the-dollar
dorado senator has as much to say In
modifying the appropriation for har-
Dor improvements as the senator repre-
senting New York. .-
The Greater New York has seven
times the population of Rhode Island
| in one-tenth of the territory. In an
area Of nearly 5000 times that Of the
new greater city. Texas has less than
75 per cent. of the population Of the
| new municipality. The Greater New
York has three-quarters Of q million
people more than the state of Massa-
chusetts. California has. only. a little
more than q third as many people az
make up the population of the Greater
New York. and all the mineral wealth
taken from her mines since 1S4S falls
short Of the assessed valuation of New
York city by more than 00,0O0,O00.
Half a dozen years ago the cities Of
New York state had only about so per
cent. of the states population. 1t was
stated before the senaN: :cities commit
tee last winter that the cities now
have II per cent. On an estimate that
the states population has increased as
much proportionately within the last
five years as has that of New York
city proper. the Greater New York has
46 per cent. of the states people.
II the population Of the union were
divided equally among the states. the
new state of Manhattan would be en-.
titled to one-forty sixth of the whole.
She would have within her narrow lin
its one-twenty-third of the whole. Her
people now have one-ninetieth of the
voice Of the federal senate. when they
should have. according to numbers,
one-twenty- third
These are Indications of some Of the
phases of the question of an independ-
ent state. The vast aggregation that
makes up the population of this great
municipality Is number to be reck-
Oned with. Three millions of people
clamoring for self-government have
stirred up considerable of fuss before
now. That's all there were in the colo
MES that followed up the Boston tea
party with a series of lively entertain
ments for the British. Xerxes would
have to squeeze more tears than he
shed for the army going on to Thermo-
pylae-alloWing a moderate discount
on Herodotus-if he dropped one for
each of us in the Greater New York.
The whole population Of England con-
quered by the bastard William, as he
cheerfully called himself, would be
swallowed up In the Greater New York.
for 1t numbered only about 100000.
| ~