The Wrangell sentinel. (Wrangell, Alaska) 1909-current, 1941-05-09
Bill Provides
For Eighteen
In Each House

Delegat Dimond has introduced a
bill, H. R. 1897, in Congress To
amend the Organic Act of Alaska .
providing for realloeation of mem
bership in the Alaska Territorial
legislature on a proportionate re
presentation or population basis
The bill provides for a membership
of eighteen in each house, the same
fer the Senate as for the House. The
terms of the members now in office
are not affected and the period OF
membership remains the same, four
years for the Senators and two years
for the members OF the House of Re
representatives..
Mr.. Dimond explained the rea-
sons for the bill and the contents of
this measure in the following state
ment:
when the act creating the Leg
islature for the Territory of Alaska
was passed in the year 1872, the
Territory then, as now, was divided
into four judicial divisions and
those judicial divisions were adopt
ed as legislative districts. In the or
iginaI act, it was provided that two
members of the Senate and four
members of the House should be ell
eeted from each of the four judicial
divisions, thus making a Senate OF
eight members and a House of six
teen members. While at that time
there was some difference in the
population of the several divisions,
the numbers residing in each div
ision were sufficiently close to just
ify the adoption of the formula
then used. Since that time, and par
ticularly between 1880 and 1910,
several of the judicial divisions OF
Alaska have increased largely III
population and one of them only
slightly. For example, according to
the 1910 census, there are now 20
241 people residing in the First Ju=
dicial Division and only 1877 in
the Second Judicial Division Ac-
cordingly, under the present system
of electing members OF the Territor-
ial Legislature, each voter in the
Second Division has the equivalent
of two votes as compared with each
voter in the First Division. There is
every prospect that the disparity in
numbers between the population Of
the several divisions will increase
In fact it is certain that since the
1910 census was taken in Alaska
fand it was actually taken in 1880
the populations of the First and
Third divisions have materially in
creased out Of all proportion to in
ereases in some other parts of Alas
ka
Distribution
THE only remedy which is in
harmony with democratic principles
lies in the distribution of legisla-
tive representation in accordance
with population. This is sought to
be achieved in the bill introduced
by providing for membership OF
eighteen in each of the houses OF
the Territorial Legislature and fur
Their providing that one member
shall be elected from each judicial
division to each of the two houses
for each 1000 of the population of
such division, or major fraction
thereof. The use of 1000 as a pop
ulation unit gives to the mosl
sparsely settled division of Alaska
the Second Division, the same total
representation in the Legislature
which it enjoys at present Under
this plan, the four divisions will
have membership in EACH house a:
follows:
First Division 6
Second Division
Third Division
Fourth Division
Since the houses are to be equa
H. number, the representation from
o4eh division is the same in eacf
house. For example, at the presen
tine, the Second Division has foul
members in the House and two il
tho Gapata or n total of civ ITOdpl