The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-21
JONES PREPARES PLAN
FOR NEW WARD LINES
Redistricting of City After Anncxa-
ton Is Mandatory Re
quirement.
WILL NOT ENLARGE NUMBER
Lines So Drawn That No Member OF
Council Is Distracted Into New
Ward-Each Given Territory for
Development.

man of the Special Council Committee
on Redistrlcting. will present for the
consideration of the committee ut it's
meeting Friday night plan for divid-
/ ing Greater Richmond into four wards,
which, 1t is believed, will. with perhaps
minor notifications, win the support
Of the City Council.
The plan has been reviewed by Presi-
dent Peters, of the Common Council,
and other members Of the RedistrIcting
Committee, who are in accord with it's
| provisions. Mr.. Peters has consented
to become patron of the redistricting
measure that will be introduced in the
| Council.
!. map of the new wards has been
prepared by Special Accountant Cofcr.
after consultation with City Auditor
Crenshaw. Mr.. Jones and other members
of the Council. 1t will be exhibited
to the committee. which was yesterday
called by Chairman Jones to meet at
is o'clock Friday night. Besides pro-
J viding for q redistricting of the city
to take care of the new territory which
committee is authorized also 20 re-
district the precincts and, If found adj
yisable. to establish new ones.
RECASTING OF WARD
!, LINES is REQUIRED
The City Charter makes a recasting
of the wards compulsory whenever any
one ward exceeds In population any
1 other ward by as much as 5000 in
| habitants. The map-makers were.
| therefore, confronted with the problem
| of preserving, as far as possible, the
contour of the present wards. and at
| the same time effecting division of
! the increased population, SO that no one
| n nj lor
! Most of the difficulty was encountered
in dividing the western half OF the
city between Clay and Lee Wards. 1t
was at first suggested cha. the bound
AIRY line. between these two wards be
shifted northward from Park and
Stuart Avenues, the present line, TO
| Broaa Street. Broad Street Is an
easily recognized dividing line, and on
the map. at least, suggests Itself as
AN ideal boundary.
Such division. however, would
have thrown most of the Lee Ward
! Councilmen into Clay Ward, and It
was at once recognized that II would
meet with stern opposition in the
Council 1t was next suggested tina:
| Monument Avenue be made the divld-
ing line between Clay and Lee Wards.
| The avenue splits the city to the fur
| thermost western boundary, and would
| have been n practicable dividing line.
! This plan, however, would have put
! Councilman Fred II. Powell in Clay
Ward. and was open to other objec-
+. lions.
NO MEMBER OF COUNCIL
LOSES HIS SEAT
! Under the plan that will be present
| ell to Redstricting Committee Friday
night, the balance of population Is pre-
{. served and no member of either branch
! is thrown into n new ward. This cir
| cumstancc VIII go long way, 1t Is
conceded. towards securing for the
| plan the support of the committee and
! the Council.
The suggested plan gives 10 Lee
Ward all the northwestern section OF
| the city north of Patterson Avenue.
Stuart Avenue, Park Avenue and Main
Street, between the western and north
ern corporation lines and the eastern
boundary of the ward which will be
North First Street. Hospital Street
and the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail-
way Companys line to the city
| limits.
So constituted the ward would en-
brace Barton Heights. Highland Park.
Ginter Park, North Richmond, Bat
terry Court and the other northern
suburbs. The southern boundary OF
the ward would remain unchanged. eN-
; cept where 1t is extended along Pat
terson Avenue to the new corporate
limits. The ward would have a popu-
lation of about $4,000.
| BIG AREA is GIVEN
| To CLAY WARD
Clay Ward. under the proposed plan,
would retain It's present eastern and
southern boundaries. which are, respec-
| lively. South Third Street and the riv-
! Grand would also retain unchanged
/ IT'S northern boundary. Main Street and
! Park and Stuart Avenues. except that
the northern boundary would be eX-
4 tended along Patterson Avenue to the
I western corporation line. This arrange
ment would give Clay Ward about 49,
! 900 inhabitants and would leave II
much undeveloped residential territory
! for future growth.
| To Madison Ward the plan suggested.
! gives all of the city south OF the river
! and the central section north of the
! river, embraced by Third, Main and
| First Streets, and Bacon Quarter
Branch and Hospital Street on the west
! the river OIL the east. The ward would
! nave a population of about $4,000.
The rest of the city Is assigned to
| jefferson Ward. The bounds of this
ward, roughly sketched, would be
! Seventeenth Street on the west. the riv-
or on the south, with the corporation
line on the east and Hospital Street.
Bacon Quarter Branch and the north
! ern corporate limits bounding the ir-
! regular northwestern section of the
yard. 1t would be the largest ward In
! the city and would have population
| OF about 10000
GIVES TO EACH
ROOM FOR GROWTH
| 1t is pointed out that the plan pur-
| pcscly makes Lee and Clay Wards
! smaller in population than the other
| two wards because of tho more rapid
| development that may be expected
| within their limits. Both wards are
! given much open residential territory
! which will, in the next few years, be
! developed and settled.
Madison and Jefferson Wards. which
under the plan are given the largest
| number of inhabitants. are compare
lively thickly settled. and are not ex-
pected to develop at SO rapid rate
as Clay and Lee Wards. Madison, how
! ever, is given the whole Southside
I which is gaining rapidly In popula-
ton, and Jefferson Ward receives large
! territorial additions in the northeast
capable of wide development
! The plan will be submitted to the