The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-04-11
CAN'T AGREE ON
REDISTR|CT|NG
Bill Meets With Difficulties in
Senate at Lansing

| Lansing, Mich, April with the
/ legislative session drawing near To- q
! close. the members OF both house ana
senate are mp against difficult prop
! ositions relative tu reappnrlionmcnt
/ for congressional districts, Tor repre-
scntatives in the Legislature and Tor
senatorial districts.
The Catlin bill providing for reds
lricting of the state into H. congress
! ional districts has passed the House
and Is in the Senate where opposition
tu is ~ plenty Catiu IS Democrat
and in his bin some at the Republ
cans see attempts 10 Gerpmander the
! state tor the benefit ct the Democratic
party Senator V"rdior Is opposed to
| ;he law nt "a" Firth district for in
| stance. AZ the bin has passed the
! House, Ottawa county is taken from
| he Finh district ana Barry is put ia.
This would make III" district more
nearly Il Democratic district ana Yer
der IN behalf of Congressman Mapes
| wants Ottawa left IN.
Difficulties in Eighth.
The Eighth district presents dinicul-
yes. The friends of Congressman Ford
iney object to taking Tuscola county
,dt OF the district. In the Tenth dis
rict more difficulties are presented, for
up there the Republicans and Demo
Gratis alike are looking 10 see the for
nation of a district that win give
iGom Z chance Ia go after Congress
man Woodruff. the Bun Alooscr one
plan suggested is Ia hook up Saginaw
and Bay Counties together thu"
throwing Tordney and Woodruff To-
erthcr.
The conditions around the Ninth and
Eleventh districts cause more diff
cultics Nobody wants Francis .
fmdquist of Montcam hooked up
with any other congressman already
n ihc job Thus the conditions are
unltipncd until the Hill is resting in
The committee and it higgins To look
very doubtful If a congressional APP
portioumcnt will be passed at All.
The plan to rcdistrict the state for
representative districts presents diff
,ultics that seem 10 he insurmount
ble. \ bin has passed the House
but il aS all other bills that may he
drawn ON this subject is uncOnstitu-
, tionul The constitution provides that
rot more than loo Representatives
. may be- provided. that no county MAY
zoe divided ana that each county hay
ing moio'y Of the basis of reprcsen-
Dalion shall have one representative
! 70 moot ull these conditions is a ply
, zeal amt mathematical impossihliN
sp the provisions of the constitution
, must ne violated in some way ar "ihc
ur there can Ia" no bin.
Reduce Number OF Representatives..
only one way is possible. THAT Is
'u reduce the number al representa-
tt,cs rum 100 10 something ar"un
g. rms would increase The basis col
pporlinmcnt ana make possible IL,
cutting out 90 some Of the committee
LAYING moiety Of the present basis
aud of course reducing the represen
lation of such counties a Wayne an'
N,ut which now have more than on,
representative.
, Instead of Wayne having ~ repre-
, g5ntatiNcs as now or ~ as 1t is emit
lied To- under the present basis tha
, Zig county would would be reduce,
under the possibl" plaza Ia a half doZ
ON ana Kent instead or having five a.
now. or six as she is entitled 10. WouiJ
3 e. reduced Ia perhaps two. OF cours'
biz ycll would go up over any sucf
/ ulan os this, so 4, is not likely hil
Z win pass
Odell Has Plan.
The ether plan is one proposed hy
, sam Oacli. which is tn ignore the con.
/ vtitutinu as IL now stands, pr"vidna
that the stat" shall he rcdisnicted his
, year and mscad inroducc concurrent
lysolutiuus 10 amend the constitution
, T., clear up the impossible provision.
as they now stand. He proposes 10 in.
trnducc such resolutions So that Nv,
+ years from now the state may he re-
r distrctcd ana comply With the consi-
tuition.
So far as senatorial districts ar.
concerned the constitution provides
that the state shall bc rediCtrictcd fol
! this purpose his year also. As nothinl
can be accomplished i'm this rcdistriCt'