DISTRICTING 65 



Minneapolis has already taken advantage of this act on several dif- 

 ferent occasions. The city council has passed ordinances classifying and 

 designating certain buildings, business occupations, industries and enter- 

 prises as business industries and denning and designating certain districts 

 in the city as industrial and residential districts, within which such build- 

 ings, occupations or enterprises may or may not be maintained or carried 

 on. The question of the constitutionality of these ordinances has not as 

 yet come before the courts. 



Wisconsin 



The legislature of Wisconsin at its last session passed an act (laws 

 1913, chapter 743) authorizing cities of 25,000 inhabitants or more to set 

 aside exclusive residential districts. There are at present eight cities in the 

 state of this size — Milwaukee, Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison, Oshkosh, 

 Racine, Sheboygan and Superior. 



The common council may set apart portions of the city to be used 

 exclusively for residential purposes and may prohibit the erection and 

 maintenance of factories, docks or other similar concerns within such dis- 

 tricts. The council may also restrain the encroachment of business houses 

 upon purely residence districts, and require the consent of the majority of 

 landowners and residents of such districts, before such business is per- 

 mitted. The power granted may be exercised upon the initiative of the 

 common council, or upon the petition of ten or more residents in the dis- 

 trict or block to be affected. The enactment of ordinances excluding fac- 

 tories, docks or other similar concerns from residential districts shall be a 

 final and conclusive finding that factories operated in such districts are 

 detrimental to the health, comfort and welfare of the residents of the city. 

 Milwaukee is at present mapping out residential districts in accordance with 

 this act. 



On January 13, 1913, several months prior to the passage of the above 

 act, the common council of Milwaukee passed an ordinance making it un- 

 lawful to maintain slaughter houses, rendering plants or rag shops anywhero 

 inside the city limits. 



This ordinance also established what is known as " the business sec- 

 tion." Businesses within the business section are subject to no restrictions, 

 but outside the business section the ordinance forbids the maintenance of 

 certain businesses unless such business shall first obtain the written consent 

 of two-thirds of all the real estate owners within 300 feet of the space 

 proposed to be occupied. The businesses coming within the prohibition are : 

 Livery, boarding or sales stables, gas reservoirs or holders, paint, oil or 

 varnish works, salesrooms or storage rooms for automobiles and garages 

 for the keeping of automobiles for hire. When outside the business section 

 these businesses must be maintained in buildings that conform to the require- 

 ments prescribed within the fire district. An ordinance passed on January 

 11, 1913, imposes similar conditions on garages maintained in certain blocks 



