The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-20
20 MORE MEMBERS.
Provisions of the Minority Be-
port on ReappOrtiOnment.

Washington, Dec. 2O.-The report Of
the minority of the house census com
mittee on the Hopkins reappOrtionment
bill was submitted to the house today
It is signed by Messrs. Burleigh, Russell,
Heatwole, Crumpacker, Griffith and Viii
son, and proposes as a substitute for
the Hopkins measure a bill fixing the
total number of representatives at 1856
instead of 357 as in the Hopkins bill. Re
ferring to the Hopkins apportionment
the minority report says;
1.-The anomalous character of this pro-
posed apportionment as well as its
obvious injustice is clearly demonstrated
by the fact that it is necessarily based,
in part upon majority fractions and yet
Colorado with a majority fraction of
121, 1867, Florida with a majority fraction
of 11O,586, do not receive a representa-
tive based upon such majority fraction,
while every other state with majority
fraction receives a representative for
such ma Ority fraction
I'VE believe that every state should
be treated alike with reference to its
majority fraction as no valid reason has,
or can be- assigned for the diScrimina-
ton between them. We also believe that
in the new appOrtiOnment no state
should lose a representative. We there
fore recommend a house consisting OF
1856 members In reaching TINS numper
we have adopted the method used by
the committee and have followed the
precedent established by the house in
1872 when the house added to the whole
number of representatives a representa-
tive each for the states Of New Hamp-
shire and Florida by reason of the fact
that they each had almost a majority
fraction after the whole number of rep
resentatives had been apportioned. We
take the computation based upon 1884
representatives upon ratio OF one rep
resep tative for every 1874 1872 of popula-
Te111 cir wit a
of 81, 629 and Virginia with a majority
fraction of 106,545, each lose represen-
tative and get no representative for the
majority fraction in either case
"These are the only states having ma
jority fractions that fail to get a repre-
sentative therefor. This seems to US an
injustice Therefore, following the pre-
cedent in the case of New Hampshire
and Florida in 1872 we assign to each of
these states one representative for each
majority fraction, thus adding two to
the whole number, making in all under
our proposed bill 1856 representatives"
Under this the gain is as follows:
Arkansas. California, Colorado, Con-
necticut, Florida, Louisiana, MaSSa-
chusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, North
Carolina, North Dakota, Washington,
West Virginia and Wisconsin gain one
representative each; Minnesota, New
Jersey and Pennsylvania gain two; Hill
nois, New York and Texas gain three.
I'VE submit that this apportionment,
involving an increase in the membership
OF the mouse OF ~, IS IN line Win the
uniform practice of the house in in
creasing its size so as to keep pace as
near as may be with the increase in
population of the country. No practical
Inconvenience al to the seating capacity
of the house can result from this in
crease. A plan prepared by the archi-
tect of the capitol shows that a slight
frightening of the outer row of seats
in the corners on each side of the cham
Der and a Encouragement of eight seats
in the body of the hall will accommo-
date the additional representatives.