Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-11-06
MAYOR A|NsL|E CALLS
UPON COUNCIL TO ACT
Ward boundaries Must BE Changed
TO Meet Requirements of the
Act of Assembly.
ALDERMEN MEET ON TUESDAY
Message Of Executive Directs At
tcntion OF City Fathers to Legal
Requirements - Goes to Clerk
for Transmission to Board.

Acting upon his announced intcn-
ton, as published in The Times Dis
patch yesterday morning, Mayor
Ainslie yesterday afternoon prepared
the following message directing the
attention of the City Council to the
legal requirement fer change In
the ward boundaries OF the city and
forwarded IL to City Clerk Alfred IL.
Mcdowell to be Transmitted to the
Board of Aldermen. which meets In
day night:
"To the Honorable Council Of the City
of Richmcnd
"Gcntlcmen:
Under the laws OF the Common
wealth governing cities. ii is con-
templated that wards Of cities shall
be OF approximately the same size ::
and it is specifically made the duty
of the City Council to rcdistrict the
city into wards, or SO change the
boundaries of existing wards, or so
increase or diminish the number of
wards, as that no one ward shall cS-
coed any other ward in population By
moro than three thousand inhabit-
ants whenever by the last United
States census II shall appcar
that the population of any ward ex-
ceeds that of any other ward by as
much As three thousand inhabit-
ants -
by the United States census re-
Gently completed, the population OF
our wards Is given as follows:
Lee, 49,OSl.
Jefferson, 4l,946.
Madison, 40.796
Clay. 39.Si4
1t will be observed that Lee Ward
has 9.e37 moro population than Clay.
S.2S5 more than Madison. and 7.l35
more than Jefferson, which Is the con-
dillon under which the law makes II
your duty so &c change the ward lines
as more nearly to equallzc the nom
Glation OF the wards
1t is also made the duty OF the
City Council by the laws Of tho Conn
monwealth to establish for each ward
as many election districts as IL NAV
deem necessary, and 4 voting place
in each district. but Sc that there
shall be not less than one election
district for ever one thousand voters
or fractional part thereof above nye
hundred - -
On account OF n practical doubling
oil the number of our registered
voters by the registration of newly
eniranchised voters, there arc n num-
Der OF our election districts Cor pre-
cincts). which have more voters In
them than the maximum of fifteen
hundred tho law contemplates, which.
TO my opinion. is too large; and, on
thiS account. many voters were much
annoyed and inconvenicnccd, and
some were shut out after spending
much time in line at the polls at the
recent election, because the number
Offering to vote was greater than the
election officers could handle.
AS you may not change the boun-
darics OF an election district within
thirty days next preceding a general
e!cction: and as we shall have an
other election next fall; and as IL
taxes some time to change the boun-
oarieS OF wards and election districts.
respectfully recommend that your
honorable body take immediate stems
10 cause our ward boundaries and
those of our election districts. the
number of which will have to be
largely Increased. to be so CHANGED
as 10 conform 10 tho laws CT the Com
monwealth In such cases made and
provided"