The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-08-30
.RED|S7R|CT|NG
IS PERP:L.E|:.X|NG
Legislators Will Have Quite a
Problem to Equalizc
Population.
GREAT INEQUALITY o NOW
Second District Has About Dou-
bic the Population fa4e
the First.
INEQUALITY NOW

While 1t is too early for any definite
plans Of rcdstrcting to be formulated,
1t is generally accepted as q fact that
up Of the various congressional districts
of this State at the January session or
tho General Assembly: 1t is equally as
surcd that the First District will Go en-
larged SO to bring its voting populu-
ton more nearly up to the standard.
Whatever changes In other districts may
be determined upon will generally be ne
cessitated by the desire to enlarge the
First District.
Tho First District as now constituted,
has a voting population OF only z2,0G2
Whites. and 1925 color persons, total
Of 37,7SS while the Second District, which
ad]oins It has practically double that
voting population, or total Of $3.50.
The First District Is not the only ono
which falls below the average In fact,
only tho Second. Third, Ninth and Tenth
Districts exceed teh average which is
the smallest voting population Of tho ten,
Sixth, then the Eighth. and thon. tho
First. @
Hero is the comparison of population
by dlstricts: "a
b " y i Z q II { !
Comparison Of Districts.
| First District, 37,7ss.
Second District, rs 100.
Third District. 46.33e,
Fourth District, 1885.
Fifth District, 3672i.
Sixth Dlatrlct 1851. 81
Seventh District s,H7. S5
! Eighth District, H74S
| Ninth District, 51,So5.
| Tenth District, 1855. S5if
me Fifth and First and Eighth aro
tho districts most llkclykto DO enlarged
by the addition OF counties taken from
me adjacent Second and Ninth dis
triots, mus more nearly cqllalizng tho
population and forming more compact
districts. It Is likely, also, that some
thing may be taken from tho Tenth and
added TO tho Fourth or Sixth Districts
thus nearly equnlIzing them
Change Demanded.
/ Tho disparity between the ponulatIons
Of the First and Second, which aro con.
tiguous districts Is so great as to demand
some change, in tho opinion Of many,
j Then, too. the conflicting shlpynrd in
4 trrests In the Second District mako 1t
desirable that part Of the district DO
transferred to some other. Tho governs
mont yard at Norfolls and tho private
J Second District and Mr.. Maynard has
, to represent both. Tho people OF Newport
!. News and Elizabeth City county desire
. n change OF congressional districts. In
reducing the area and Formulation OF
the Second that Of tho Eighth and
: Fourth may no Increased, besides tho
First. BY transferring Newport News,
Elizabeth City Warwick, York, James
CITY and Williamsburg to the FIRST Dis
!, trict, the population OF the Second will
he reduced to 5i,647 and that of the First
Increased to 6S,2U, thus making the Tirs
, too largo. 3 s
by taking from tho First tho western
counties OF spotsylynnia and Caroline
s and the city Of Fredericksburg, the pop
: ulatlon of the First will be- reduced t.
Y Il, sCS, and by adding them to the Eight
= tho populatlon of that district Will bt
: Increased to 44bs3,
'Tnklng slrry and Southampton fron
. tho second and adding them to the Fourtl
would Increase tho reputation OF tn
,vo,,d reduce the Second to 47,19l. whic
ia not much above the average. IN
) Third ID already near enough to the aY
erage, being 4GS34.
= such redIstricting would nearly equal
. jze tic four eastern districts OF me hta1e
y ,rhe Tenth Is about the averase hlteaas
!. thus making Ave districts ahont eaual !
!, population.
: A Perplexing Problem,
a ,rh,s r,a> would leave the Fifth, Sixth
), seventh, Ninth and Tenth Districts to =
y readjusted Their aEsregate voting 4 POP 90
,Intinn Is 210,323, an average OF A2'ob
ME Ninth District must yield the surplu
!, from which tho other four are a 70 % NY ~
oragea up Tbs y a ans nat naturaiiy forme,
m a,,n Il diif,oult Of division among tn
n n,i,er counties, The Tenth can spare
z n are al too small. The sixth and Fit I,
might be Increased from The ,s Min5h' ,r 2,
Il i.' RSav.s make tlsa more So9pfsv. sE0 50