The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-08-15


While the act In question was pending
before the General Assembly. the city
solicitor was instructed by your honor
able body to express the desire on the
part OF the city that the number OF
wards should be fixed at ten. His Honor
William c. Baker. mayor of the city OF
Providence, has expressed a like opin-
aon and has advanced strong arguments
IN support OF his position. The members
sof the General Assembly from the city
OF providence, together with the public
at large. seem to be practically. II not
entirely, unanimous In favor of the re-
tention OF the ten ward system.
In this the undersigned. a majority Of
the commissioners. heartily concur. We
are OF the opinion that for a city of the
population and voting strength that the
city now has, ten wards are sufficient To
increase them TO twelve, an suggested by
q limited few, would be unadvisable in
many ways; Its immediate effect being an
increase OF six in the membership of the
school committed. body already fully
as large as desirable; and an increase of
TWO In the board OF aldermen, whose
room is already adapted to a body not TO
exceed ten, and whose membership GER
tafnly calls for no increase. We are of the
opinion further that, taking into consid-
GRAFTON the possibility OF future annexa-
lions to the city, the number of wards
should be retained as at present in order
TO allow for the natural increase when-
ever such annexation shall be consumma-
ted.
We have therefore selected ten as the
number of wards.
In re-adjusting the ward lines of the
city the name, residence and qualifica-
ton whether real estate voter. personal
property voter or registry voter) of the
zs'ozo electors aforesaid was first copied
on 27.o25 separate cards. Those "a 7O25 cards
We're then assorted according to the near
Py aUo streets In the city-all electors liv-
ing on one street In any existing voting
district being grouped together-a work
requiring no little time and care
experimental and provisional lines We're
tnen marked out upon a map of the city
and the streets and squares, or parts of
streets and squares, included within these
provisional boundaries were then exam-
/. tned and collated and the number OF ner-
1 sons residing within such ward lines was
: then determined by an actual examina
tlon and count of each of said cards ,n-
III each card was assigned TO its proper
ward. In many, perhaps in most cases
repeated experiments and amended pro-
visionai lines were required before the
normal number OF electors to each ward
was approximated. And the same process
was pursued In each OF the voting dis
tricts into which the ten wards uera
'subdfvided. And in conclusion there has
been final verihcation OF the districts
and wards as thus established by n count
or the exact number OF cards in each dis
.nct now that the 2L025 cards aforesaid
nave all been assorted counted and re-
counted at least twelve times I'm The nro.
cess or the work. The commission has AL
so computed by this card system tbe
number OF electors I'm each ward accord-
ing 10 the plan of division into twelve
wards which was not adopted.
The director of the census bureau. Hon.
w. X Merriam. at the request OF His
Exceilency. the Governor most wilIinyIv
placed at the disposal of the commission
Tor their information the advance and un-
oncial hgures OF the Federal census
taken I'm June last showing the pd,nula-
ton OF the city by enumeration districts
and the commission desires to exnress
Its thanks to the director Of the u. 8
census bureau and TO Mr.. William c.
Hunt. the chief statistician, for their
courteous cooperation I'm the work OF tho
commission. The thanks of the commits
sion are also due and rendered 10 tho
board OF canvassers and registration and
20 Mr.. William c. Bremen OF the CITY en-
gineer's department as we'll as TO their
chief clerk. Mr. John s. Kellogg. for val
uable assistance.
The commission therefore determines
and declares the wards and voting dis
tricts or said city TO be constituted as
follows. that is to say:
WARD ONE.
All that part OF the city Of Providence
bounded by the Seesonk river, line
through the center OF Providence river
20 the northerly line OF Burnside bridge.
thence IN direct line 20 the northeast
erly corner OF Exchange bridge. thence In
n straight une 10 Friend sfraef Friend
North Main Waterman. Benefit. Jenckes.
Barnes. Hope. Angel street and Angel
street extended.-shal constitute the
First ward.
WARD TWO.
All that part Of the city OF Providence
bounded bv Seekonk river. city line.
Nosehassuck river. Branch avenue. the
castsrly line OF the railroad property
epcrnted by the New York, New Haven