The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-08-31
Made to The Disadvantage Of South
Portland Village.
Shoe String Districts
One Man Calls Them.
Interviews With Many Citizens
on the Subj ect.

Some months since the board OF alder
men Of South Portland constituted itself
into one large COMMITTEES to take up the
matter of the division of the new city
into ssvsn wards as provided by that
section Of the city charter which reads as
follows; For the purpose OF holding
elections, the territory Of the city shall be
divided by ordinance by the city council
into seven wards to contain as nearly as
may be, consistently with we'll defined
limits, an equal number of legal voters
=; and 1t shall be the duty of
the city council once in ten years at most,
and not oftener than once In five years,
to review, and II in their opinion it be
needful. to alter such wards in such man.
ner as to preserve as nearly as may be, an
equal number Of legal voters In each
ward"
| After long and patient worksthescom-
mites got together last week and prao-
tically settled in these ward lines which
as mapped out were given so the public
and the following is an approximate
humber of voters by wards: Ward ons
$50; ward, two. 800; ward three, 270;
ward four. 200; ward five, l5o; ward
six, 500; ward seven, $50.
| IL Is understood that some slight
chances have been made In the original
report but that In the main the first lines
adopted by the majority of the COMMITTEES
will be adhered to and will be submitted
at an early date for the action.of tho
mayor and city council in public meeting.
The proposed division has been subject
Of earnest discussion in all parts of the
city and yesterday a reporter of the
PRESS asked for an expression Of opin-
ioa fram some well known citizens and
their replies are given below.
THOMAS b. HASKELL.
81 am in favor Of Judicious lines max
ing the wards as compact as possible,
giving each it's requisite number of
voters as set forth In the charter, regard
less of politics and in no 'gerrymandsr-
ing spirit. am practically in favor of
the northerly line OF the Eastern railroad
as a boundary line for ward seven.
mean the line running from Fox Brook
to the Scarboro line. This ia line that
cannot be moved. 1t has an element of
permanency. Instead of having done this,
If the lines recently published are
adopted. we shall have for boundary
line the north easterly side of Lincoln
street from the railroad to ice road. This
will result on throwing about 10 voters
into the lower PleAsantdals ward known
\ 81 Al,
divided for this section. peculiar thing
will happen. A voter In going to this
polls by the electric road to ward five
where he Is expected tt yota will pass by
the voting precinct in ward six. This
hardly seems fair to the voters Of uppe
Pleasantdale 1t strikes me In all fair.
ness, that the spirit of the section of law
might have been more practically fol-
lowed in the matter Of the numerical
strength of t he different wards. 1t hard
ly seems fair that one ward should have
ITO voters and a ward at South Portland
village have 800, when the representation
of these two bodies of voters Ia bound to
be the same numerically In the board
namely one alderman. If South Portland
has the numerical strength for three
wards think in justice she should have
that number"
/ G. A. TlLTON.
"The sentiment In South Portland vii
lage is Numerically opposed to any such
injustice as is being done us. think 1t
is incumbent on the city government to
follow the spirit of the charter from
which they get their authority to make
wards. In that document 1t Is plainly
seen that the fundamental doctrine and
thought Is an equal number. assnear as
may be, of legal voters. consistently with
well defined Amits.'- This thought Il
strengthened by the provision made in
the latter part of the section for REVISION
once in five years II necessary to preserve
) as nearly as may be an equal number Of
legal voters in each ward The excuse
for dividing the city so as to bring 100
voters In one ward and 300 In another
cannot be maintained for the lack of
well defined limits for right here In
South Portland where the greatest injus
tice is being done, we have streets of suffi
Client number along which we'll defined
limits. or dividing lines. may be mads
, without trouble thus assuring compact
ness of wards. Further it is apparent thai
: the largest wards numerically, as pro
posed. are located in the growing SEQ
! lions Of the city. Thus showing plainly
: a lack of good judgment and might say
of fairness in he determination of this
4 matter as shown by the proposed diyis
! ion."
L. Il. DYER.
81 was talking this morning with Mr.
Sawyer, deputy surveyor at the Custom
3 House. on this very subject. He seem
) to think, and agree with him perfectly
!. that the western boundary of the WARE
Including South Portland Heights en-