The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-08-24
vr. sENArE AppoRrIoNMENr


coming Population.
One Of the important results Of the
census OF 1910 win be the reapportion.
ment Of state senator's. According to
the fourth article Of amendment 10 the
state constitution, the Senate must be
composed Of thirty members. Each coun-
ty.is entitled to one senator, and the
remainder Of the senators are to be ap.
portioned according to population, re.
gard being always had to the counties
having the greatest fraction
According to the census OF 1900, the
population Of the state was 3i38al.
Divided by 80, the number Of senators,
ll,45f Is found 20 be the population
required for a member Of the Senate,
This ratio permitted the apportionment
Of senators as followsi Addison, 81
Bennington, 81 Caledonia, q Chittenden,
3; Essex, Il Franklin, 2; Grand Isle, u
Iamoille, i Orange, 2; Orleans. q Rut-
land, 4; Washington, 3; Windham, b
Windsor, 3.
Grand Isle county, with population
Of 4t02, and Essex, with s.5e6, fell
considerably below the numbes required
for senator, but under the constitu.
tion they were entitled to representa-
ton. Rutland had the largest popula.
ton Of any county, and although il was
not quite four times the ratio Of II .454,
its fraction Of a,4s7 over the number
required for three senators was the larg.
est Of any county Six counties OBJ
tanned member on the strength Of
fractions large enough 70 secure one adj
ditional senator. These were Addison,
Bennington, Orange, Orleans, Rutland
and Windsor In other words, these six
counties lack an exact multiple Of II ,454.
giving them two, four, or three sena-
tors, as the case might be- but their
fraction Of the ratio was 50 large that
they obtained their present representa-
ton.
The only change 10 the apportionment
from The basis Of the census Of 1890 to
that Of 1000 was the loss Of one senator
by Franklin county and the gain Of one
by Washington county Under the cen.
sus Of 1900 Addison, Essex. Grand Isle,
Lamoille, Orange, Orleans and Rutland
counties showed decrease Of popula-
ton. Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden,
Franklin, Washington, Windham and
Windsor counties showed an increase Of
population. With two exceptions the
increase was small, and il was as fol.
lows: Bennington, 1856 Caledonia
945; Chittenden. 4,2lli Franklin, AS;
Washington, 1901; Windham, 49,
Windsor, $40. It win be seen that /
Washington county showed by far the
largest gain, and Chittenden ranked
next.
The losses by counties were; Addi
son, 500; Essex, 1855; Grand Isle, ssl;
LamoiIle, 5i2i Orange, 262; Orleans, II;
Rutland, l,lss.
OF course, any attempt to discuss the
based on the census OF
this year must be based on speculation.
IT il probable that Washington again
will be the banner county, Barre and
Montpelier are likely to show material
gains, while NorthfeId and Waterbury
probably have grown IN the past ten
years. The gains made in this county
during the decade Of ls90-l9oO were as
follows: Barre City, 1909; Barre Town,
$50; Cabot, 50; Calais, ~; East Mont.
pelier. los; Montpelier, 2,l06; North.
field. 227; Waterbury, SIS; Woodbury., \
So.
The probability is that Rutland coun.
ty will show little, il any, gain, and
that Chittenden county. on account Of
the growth Of Burlington, VIII show a
gain. In 1900 Rutland
countys population exceeded that Of
BY 4609. II would not be
strange If Chittenden, which, ten years
ago, mad fraction Of 5.23S over the
number required for three senators,
passed Rutland and gained one. II
should gain a. much, and
Rutland should lose as much as in 1000,
then this county would pass Rutland,
It is probable that Washington viii gain
largely, and that its population will be
very near that OF Rutland, so that Chit
tenden, Rutland and Washington are
not likely to be far apart.
1t would not be strange if Orange
county loses senator. In that case, !
It remains TO be seen whether Wash
ngton county will get fonr senators, !
whether Franklin will win back the
member lost a decade ago. or whether !
Rutland, through the loss Of, Orange,
nay keep its fourth senator. Fortu
lately, the announcement OF the pcpula
ion of Vermont may be expected be-
fore many weeks pass, and few very
simple mathematical calculations will i
answer the question here raised. Mont
Delier Journal.