The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-12-03

adjustment of the precinct lines at this
time The official figures on the popu-
lation of the city are as follows: First
precinct 12,572; Second precinct, A.
S54; Third precinct, Il. 1888: Fourth pre-
cinct, 1854; Fifth precinct, s,408.
Need Of REIMBURSEMENT.
It viii be seen from the above figures
tnat the Fourth precinct has not half
the population that the Second pre-
clnct possesses, and yet the Fourth
mas Just the same representation in the
city council that the Second has. This
IS manifestly unfair and the general
Ieeilhg all over the city is that cOndi-
lions should be remedied and that now
is the proper time to take action in the
matter when the council has the of
fetal census figures to work upon as
a basis.
The First precinct. too, has its undue
proportion of the city's population and
IS increasing in that region faster at
this time than any other precinct in
the city.
If the entire population Of the city
could be equally divided among the
hve precincts each one would have TO-
bO0 people. This is Of course impossi-
bic, but it is possible to make the di-
vision approximately even, and the uni
Versal feeling among the people who
have given the matter thought is that
this should be done.
The Third precinct has about the
right number of people as il now
stands. but the Second and the First
have by far too many and are likely
to grow faster than the others If
more railroad shops are located in the
Second precinct, which now seems
likely. that section Of the city will
grow in population faster than it has
ever done before and make the in
equality greater with every year that
passes.
The Fourth and the Fifth are the
precincts that are not up to the stand
ard in population and in any readjust-
ment of the precinct lines of the city
the main problem would be to take
from the First ana the Second and
add to the Fourth and the Fifth To
accomplish this some of the old his
toric precinct lines of the city would
have to be disregarded-
The accompanying map gives the
present boundaries, it also gives a
realignment suggested by men who
have given the matter some
thought. The heavy black lines indi-
cate the boundaries Of the precincts as
they stand at present; the dotted lines
indicate the suggested boundaries.
A Fair Division.
It is thought that in this proposed
apportionment as suggested in the
diagram the population of the city
would be fairly divided among the five
precincts; il is also thought that it
would anticipate the growth of the
city pretty well for some years to come.
One bad feature of it is that it divides
some of the present voting districts
and this might make it necessary to
reaPportiOn the entire city as to dis
tricts as well as TO precincts. If a re
appOrtiOnment could be made as to
precincts without disturbing the pres
ent voting districts it would make the
task comparatively easy. II is the
opinion Of some who have looked into
the matter to some extent that it would
be necessary to send to Washington
for the official census figures by blocks;
then commence right down at the bot
tom and put the requisite number Of
blocks into each precinct to make the
equal and then divide the
precincts up into election districts
This would no doubt be the
most satisfactory way
An Old Apportionment.
The last apportioument of the CITY
was made by the city council on the
14th Of February, 1888, and that one
the pre- .iOUs appOTtiOnment of |
1874. but very little. The Second pre- /
cinct has had its undue proportion of I
the city's population from the first ap-
DOTtionment 4 strong effort was made
to have the city reapportioned after 1
the national census of 1890 and many
will yet remember what an effort 1
Councilman Oscar Hardy made to have
the matter attended to at that time I
It was defeated then on the plea that /
t would be well 10 wait until the state
census of 1895 was made. as the popu-
ation of the city was rapidly changing J
and a better basis Of division could be /
obtained on the later date. The state 4
census was taken in 1895. but the CITY
was not reapportioned and the pre- /
cincts stand now as they were fixed in ]
.sSS, and practically as they stood for 4
many years before that date.
Justice to the people of the city
would seem 10 demand that a more I
equal division of the population among /
the precincts be made Very many
people are thinking seriously on the
natter and it will undoubtedly be /
forced upon the attention of the city
council in the coming months. /
a TXToy7ay, with a Cloar fy,,.,-.1.,