Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1905-12-14
SENATORIAL
APPORTIONMENT

up at the coming special session OF the
State Legislature writer in the
PhiladeIphia Ledger" discourses on
the probability of the work being ac-
complished. In the speculative scheme
among the new districts mapped out
are the following, which Will prove
of especial interest to people o! this
| section:
Northumberland and Montour have
a population of 106, 437. They can be
made into one district without vlo-
lence to the constitution.
Lyooming, Sullivan, Columbia and
Montour at present comprise senat'
orial district. With Montour dropped.
the other three counties would have
population of 127 ,693. little more
than !, 900 in excess of ratio.
Centre, Union, Snyder end Mitflin
are adjoining counties, with "a total
population of 100, $50. and would make
a fairly compact district.
Juniata. Perry and Cumberland
would form as compact and as con-
tiguous a district as could be found in
the state, outside of single county.
They have population of ", 56l. This
is less than ur-fifths of ratio, but
il is difficult to carve out more pop
ulous district in this section OF the
state.
Lebanon is not entitled to be con-
stituted a separate district. Although
the four adjoining counties are each
entitled to lone or more senators, =
Lebanon has not "one-half ratio,
and therefore must be attached to one
of the adjoining counties. As Dauphin
has the least population by $4,000, it
follows that Dauphin aud Lebanon
shall constitute a senatorial district.
Adams, Franklin and Fulton are no.
part of three districts. BY combining
them a district is formed with pop
ulation of 80, 1922.
Although Bedford aud Somerset have
population of only 88,929, their
formation into a separate district Is
held to be unavoidable because of the
populous surrounding counties. except
Fulton, which is attached to an ad-
joining district.
Carbon, Monroe, Pike and Wayne
form natural district. Combined they
have a population of 104.6l8.
Susquehanna, Wyoming aud Brad
ford can hardly escape being Joined
together to form a senatorial district.
Their population is 49, ,598
Blair and Huntington form natur-
al senatorial district. They run par
alIel, and have population of ll9, 749.
Clearfeld with Cameron and Elk on
the north, come within the constitu
tional provisions as senatorial dis
trict. These three counties have q
population of l20. 565
Tioga, Potter and Clinton are not
compact, nor, strictly speaking, con
tiguous. Tioga is east of Potter and
Clinton is on the south of Potter Clin
ton and Tioga do not touch. Still i
would be difficult to improve on these
as one district.
{ The writer continues: The SENATOR
3 from the Jefferson Indiana and tht
: Mercer Lawrence districts will prob
ably support the bill ; as their district
are continued intact, and the senator
from the new Somerset Bedford dis
trict may be disposed to vote in TIL,
affirmative, as the only alternative t
his district is to make it smaller BY
. relieving it of Fulton county. Th'
same reason for voting for the bill ap
plies to the senator from tie Lycom
ing Sullivan Colum bia- Montour dis
trict, which has Montour eliminated
in the proposed pportionment.
TIE senator from the Norhumber
land Union Sndyer district is likely
to be for the bill, as it cuts off Union
and Snyder, which has been polite
al disadvantage and attaches Montoul
to Northum berland. The number o
possible supporters OF senatorial reap
portionment is brought up to thirty
four more than is necessary.
There may be several senator's Il
whom the reapportionment will be 1
disadvantage. who will feel conscien
tiously Obliged to vote for it in compli
ance with their oath to support tht
constitution.