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Show VIEWPOINT flv A CLIFF MEMMOTT, Editor VOTERS OF UTAH TO HAVE CHANCE TO DECIDE REAPPORTIONMENT ISSUE. ... When the voters of Utah go to' the polls next November 2 in a general election, at which time they will select county, congressional and judicial leaders, two very controversial con-troversial issues will appear on the ballot for consideration. One will be the Junior College issue, and the other the legislative reapportionment amendment. Beginning this week and continuing for the next nine weeks this newspaper will be carrying the full text of the amendment, as approved by the last general session of the Utah Legislature. Our readers are urged to study the facts surrounding the issue that will, if approved by a majority of the voters on Nov. 2nd, give each of the state's 29 counties a state senator. If rejected, the power of the legislature will continue to' repose in the thickly populated areas, which include three counties Utah, Salt Lake and Weber. Article 23, Section 1 of the Constitution of Utah gives the Legislature the power to amend the constitution by obtaining ob-taining a two-thirds majority of all the members elected to the house of legislature in favor of a proposal. When this approval is obtained, the statutes provide that the information in-formation shall be submitted to' the electors of the state for their approval or rejection. If the majority approves then the amendment becomes a part of the constitution, appealing that which it was intended to change or replace. It is anticipated that the battle between the Repul licans and Democrats for the two congressional seats in Washington will be mild compared with the heat that will come from the reapportionment issue and the one which will revive or kill Carbon College and send three other junior colleges, Dixie, Snow and Weber back to the domination of the LDS church, or be retained by the state. People living in rural Utah that is, those counties commonly referred to as the "Cow Counties," will have to band together with all the strength and power they can muster if they do not want to be strangled with the power the urban population would like to retain and further develop. We are at the cross-roads either we keep a voice in what the legislature does and says, or we relegate ourselves our-selves to the ranks of the "oppressed" and take the few crumbs the big city law-makers want to throw under the table to us. There could not be anything more fair than the present status of the national congress. Each state has two senators, and the lower house representation is based on population. Utah with its small population has two senators, the same as New York, California, Pennsylvania, but in the lower house our state has only two congressmen as compared with as many as 45 for the heavily populated New York; 23 for California, or 31 for Pennsylvania. Could anything be more fair? Utah's legislators last year felt that it would be an absolutely fair proposition for Piute County to send its own senator to the halls of our legislature every two years to help mould the political destinies of our state instead of having to double up with four or five other small counties coun-ties and send one man or woman to represent the group. The big counties will continue to control the lower branch of the legislature, just as the big states control the lower house in . our nations capital. But they are not satisfied with the big share of the political loaf they want it all, and if we fail to stick together and battle for pur rights, the strong will get stronger and the small counties will shrink into utter obscurity so' far as a voice in the legislative legis-lative matters of Utah are concerned. Again let me urge the people of this area to begin thinking and acting on this tremendously important issue. Let us begin a campaign to convert our city brothers and sisters that it is fair that we should continue to live politically, polit-ically, just the same as they. And that we are asking nothing noth-ing but that which we are entitled to . . . The Time Is Short! Act Now. v E v ON LABOR DAY 1954 .... This Labor Day, history will record that America's industrial in-dustrial employees have achieved the world's highest standard stan-dard of living, along with the highest records of productivity, produc-tivity, income and benefits. Thanks in large measure to industry's constantly improving im-proving techniques and equipment, the average industrial employee of today can produce more in 40 hours than his father of a generation ago produced in 60 hours. He is able to produce five times as much as 100 years ago and ' therefore to have five times as much with one-third the human effort. This is the essence of human progress, and history has not witnessed its equal in the recorded annals of man. v E v 'What a man changes into is more important that what he changes from. Then there was the farmer who was approached by an eager young salesman and asked to buy a set of books on "How To Farm Successfully." The farmer listened to the sales talk, then said, "Son, I don't need those books. I ain't farming hall as well now as I know how!" You'll never get indigestion from swallowing your pride occasionally. "In Russia, when a kid follows in his father's footsteps, foot-steps, he's probably trailing him for the secret police." Buddy Hackett. 30 |