The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-09
THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY.

The Ninth Legislative Assembly of
the State of Utah meets in this city
today. 1t Will doubtless be a lively ses-
sion, but one in which the acrimony
attcndipg the session Of two years ago
will 10 largo extent be lacking At
that time there was fierce furore on
the prohibition question, which now will
cut no figure. In fact, there is no de
mand from any quarter for any special
change in the liquor laws, even if the
Republican State platform on this ques-
tIon is enacted into law, requiring that
prohibition shall prevail in the rural
districts and counties, and licensing,
with regulation, in the cities; for that
would be no marked change from the
conditions at present existing. The de-
cision of the Supreme Court that licens-
ing boards, whether county commission
ers. city councils, or town trustees, have
complete option whether or not they
will grant liquor licenses, leaves the
whole liquor question practically in the
hands of tho people, where it belongs.
This was precisely the position taken by
The Tribune two years ago when this
question was up. We urged then exact
ly the view that the Supreme Court
formulated in a judicial judgment last
year
Another matter that will doubtless
create some stir and activity, is the
proposition for railroad or public util-
tiles commission. This, Of course,
would simply be, if enacted, the execu
tive branch of the Federal bunch s po-
lItical activities for the collection of
the 'tsinews of war" and for drum
ming up recruits and cocrcing reluctant
industries or interests to the support
of the bunch s political programmes. 1t
may be that there will be partisanshlp
enough Ia the legislature TO enact such
a commission, but we trust that the
patriotic sentiments of the members will
not mlslead them into such a gross piece
of partisanshlp as the creation of such
commission would prove.
The most important duty, as we look
at it. that the Legislature Will have
10 perform, is the apportioning of the
State into Senate and Assembly dis
trcts. Doubtless those who have been
| figuring on this proposition, as many
| of course have been, will see as they
proceed the difficulty of making con
sistent apportionment, especially on the
basis of numbers now fixed in the
Senate and the lower House. The in
crease of population has been so great
in number of the larger counties, and
the demands of Justice Will be so eX
tended as compared with the old APP
portlonment which was made on the ba.
sis Of the census of twenty years ago,
that those who are put in charge of
the new apportionment will find it nee
essarv to make increases, especially in
The lower house Senatorial districts
can be framed very fairly on basis Of
nineteen for the whole membership, in
stead Of the eighteen at present But
when it comes to apportionlng members
to the lower house, those who have the
work to do will find that 1t will be
necessary to increase the membership
by from twelve TO fourteen, in order 10
arrive at any equitable results. Some
Of the counties, as Salt Lake, Weber,
and Utah, are easily accorded their just
representation; but when il comes to
combining the other counties into SEN
atorial districts and apportioning Justly
he number of Representatives (each
county being entitled TO at least one
tufi ord 70 tSI
populationl, the necessity for copsid
erably larger lower house will immedi-
ately appear We think, as matter
of fact, that il will be found easiest
and most equitable to apportion the
State on the basis of nineteen Senators
to about fifty.nine Representatives, the
units of representation on these bases
being easiest adjusted to the most con-
ccntrated populations.
Another matter of apportionment will
no doubt come up also, that Of dividing
the State into two districts for Repre-
sentatives in Congress. This will be
comparatively easy, Take, for instance,
Salt Lake county, with its l3l, ,426 pop.
ulaton, Davis with l0,l91, Weber with
| 5,l19 and Summit with $500, and VIC
have district comprising population
of 1884, ,996 to a population of 1SS, ,355 for
the district comprising the remainder
Of the State-surely as equal division
as could be asked. especially as the dis
| trici that shows the smaller population
is the part of the State that shows the
most rapid increase in growth.
This Legislature will, also, have the
duty of electing a u. s. Senator; but
as in the States where the primary cleo
tion settles the choice, that choice is
practically settled now, and all that the
Legislature Will have to do will be to
60 through the motions Of formally re-
clecting Mr. Sutherland,
| The .,cpjslafure will doubtless also