The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-18

SCdGe Will. De one OF Cne paramount
problems for the legislative session OF
sus gives the basis on which that ap-
portionment will be made, and it shows
great need of change. The newer
districts of northern Minnesota have
only one-third the per capita representa-
tion that is allowed to some of the
older districts in the southern part Of
the state. The twin city districts, most
Of them, have similar grievance, and
if the new apportionment is made
strictly according to population, there
will W be grand shifting Of the balance
third districts will lose heavily, the.
second and seventh slightly, while all
the other congressional districts will
get larger legislative delegations.
The present apportionment was made
in 1897, at the first session following
the state census of 1895. The consti-
tuition gives power to make a new APP
portionment every five years, but it has
been the practice to change congress
sional districts after the federal cen
sus and to reapportion for legisla-
the reapportionments coming alternate
ly at ten-year intervals. Article 4, sec
ton %, of the state constitution says:
j. The. legislature shall provide by.
law for an enumeration of the inhab-
ltants Of this state in the year 1865,
and every tenth year thereafter. At
their first session after every enumera-
ton SO made, and also at their first
session after each enumeration made
by the authority Of the United States,
the legislature shall have the power to
prescribe the bounds of congressional,
senatorial and representative districts,
and to apportion anew the senators
and representatives among the several
districts according to the provisions Of
section 2 of this article. -
The section referred to says: "The
representation in both houses shall be
sapportioned equally thruout the differ
to the population thereof, exclusive of
Indians not taxable under the provi-
sions Of law
Times Are Changed.
been legislative apportionments in 1866,
1871, 1881, 1889 and 1897, and the pres
emit basis will, be ten. years old when
the next legislature meets. When it
was made Md the sta state d bad All 574e1s peo
more MOI than 100000 1 souls, and a gain
very unevenly distributed. Readiust-
ment of the legislative districts seems
inevitable, and is conceded by the poll
ticians of the sections that will lose
by the change. There will be ire
mendous deal of jockeying, however, to
preserve for each section as much rela-
tive influence as possible.
The existing superintendent calls for
63 senators and ITO members of the
house. If this number is retained, it
will only be necessary to balance things
by changing district boundaries. There
is some sentiment in favor of smaller
legislature. Under the present scheme
| each district has one senator, but the
number Of house members varies all the
| way from one to four, according to the
size of the district. Members Of the
last legislature have expressed them
selves in favor of dividing the state
into fifty districts of equal size, each
| district to have one senator and two
| representatives. This would be unpop'
ular because it would reduce the repre-
sentation of the southern part Of the
state at least one-half. In order to re-
tain the present, membership Of that
and representatives would have to be
! greatly. increased, and this would be
unpopular. It would make an unwieldy
1 Legislature, crowd the capacity of the
/ halls, and add heavily to the expenses
| Of the sessions. The probabilities are
then, that there will not be a great
change in the number.
The following table shows the, 1909
population of each congressional dis
trict and it's representation in eact
house Of the legislature. The lines OF
legislative districts sometimes cross con
gressional district lines, which account:
for the fractional figures. Brown ant
Redwood counties, tho in the same sen
atorial district, are in different congress
| sional districts. The same is true OF
other counties in the fourth, sixth, sew
enth and eighth districts. The table
| follnws: