The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-02-26
COUNTY REDISTRICTING.
1t Forms the only Subject for Dis.
cussion at the B. of T. rleeting.
The Majority of the TENDERS Believe
that the City is Unfairly Treated.

pointed to see the county commission
ers in regard to redistricting the
county formed the only topic of con-
sideration at the meeting of the board
of trade Monday. County Com
missioner Roberts was present, and
the question was discussed for nearly
an hour.
Thos. Hughes said that the law pro-
vides for only five commissioners, no
matter how large county may be or
how great it's population.
JnO N. Hall said that the farmers
present at the meeting Friday were
not representative and that only a
small portion of the county was heard
from.
f. M Currier said that four ora five
towns were represented.
John Klein spoke in favor of drop
ping the matter where it is, as the
city gets all it asks for from the
board.
M. B. Haynes advocated taking fur
ther steps, AS justice and common
sense are on the side of the city.
Mr. Roberts said that the county
board acknowledges that the law
makes population the basis for the
districting, but that it looks at the
matter from the point of the business
interests of the country districts. Ii
the city had the population for two
commissioners, there would be no
trouble in getting them, but the
northeastern townships do not want
to be added to the First and Second
wards. which would have the greater
population and would choose COM
missioner from the city. Mapleton
does not want to be placed in another
district, with which it has nothing in
common. The lines of railroad divide
the county into natural divisions.
Under the proposed plan for redis-
tricting, two of the districts would be
twenty-four miles long, and the COM
missioners are supposed to have an
intimate knowledge of all parts of
their districts.
o. o. Pitcher said that the county
board will never redstrict the county.
There is no provision in the law by
which it can be enforced. The law is
very defective. The way to secure
division is for law whereby the dis
trict court should appoint three or
five commissioners for this purpose.
Mr.. Klein said that the city did not
elect a representative in the lower
branch of the legislature, but allowed
the country to take them all, and the
city deserves to take back seat for
ten years.
The question was asked how
much the city has gotten back
out of the road and bridge fund,
and Mr.. Pitcher stated that
he had looked it up when Mr.. Lee was
commissioner, and found that the
city had paid s75 900 and gotten back
only the $4,000 given by the county
toward the Minnesota river bridge.
Mr.. Hall said that the city has
never opposed any of the county
bridges.
Mr.. Currier said that there are two
sides to the matter. The county gets
the best thing out of the road and
bridge fund, and the city the best
thing out of the poor fund, and when
these accounts were balanced, it would
be found that there is not much dis.
crepency. The farmers are as class
just, but owing to political wire pull
ing, the commissioners represent theil
constituents in the action which they
have taken. The only way to do is tc
make two districts of the city.
Mr.. Roberts, referring TO Mr.
Pitchers statement about commits
sioners appointed by the court, SAID
that the majority would be appointed
from the country, and that the divis
ion might not be any more satisfac
tory to the city than II MADE Oy the
county board.
II. P. Jensen thought that the city
was getting all it wanted from the
board, and that it would be well
enough to let the matter drop.
President Shoemaker and others ia
vored going on, and considerable diff,
ference of opinion developed.
The statement was made that if the
county board was forced to redistrict
the county it would take the First
and Sixth wards and add them to the
first and fourth commissioner dis
tricts, which would be worse for the
city than it is at present. Others
met this by saying that such division
would not hold, for the city district
would still have 7,400, or 1000 more
than the average.
The board adjourned.