Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-20
REAPPORTIONM BILL
MINORITY REPORT OF THE HOUSE
CENSUS COMMITTEE.
Substitute Proposed for the Hopkins
Bill-Membership Fixed
at :lS6.

The report of the minority of the House
census committee on the Hopkins reap
portionment bill was submitted to the
House today. 1t Is signed by Messrs Bur-
leigh, Russell, Heatwole, Crumpacker,
Griffith and Wilson, and proposed as sub
stitute for the Hopkins measure bill fix
ing the total number of representatives at
1885, instead of 357. in the Hopkins bill
Referring to the Hopkins apportionment
the minority report says:
The anomalous character Of this propos-
ed apportionment, as we'll as Its obvious
injustice. is clearly demonstrated by the
fact that 1t is necessarily based, in part
upon ma jority fractions, and yet Colorado,
with a majority fraction OF 121 367: Flor
ida with a majority fraction of 11O,SOI,
and North Dakota, with majority frac-
ton of 1O5 $3.50, do not receive representa-
tive based upon such majority traction,
while every other state with majority
fraction receives a representative for such
majority fraction.
I'VE believe that every state should De
treated alike with reference to it's majority
fraction, as no valid reason has been OF
can be assigned for the discrimination be-
tween them. We also believe that in the
new apportionment no state should lose
representative. We therefore recommend
House consisting of 1856 members.
in reaching this number we have adopt-
Ell the method used by the committee ana
have followed the precedent established oy
the House in 1872. when the, House added
to the whole number of representatives
representative each for the state of New
Hampshire and Florida by reason of the
fact that they each had almost majority
fl &C ton after the whole number of repre-
sertatives had been apportioned
I'VE take the computation based upon
1884 representatives upon a ratio or one
representative for every 194,1S2 of popula-
ton. Nebraska, with majority traction
of 97,629, and Virginia, with majority
fraction of 1O6546, each lose representa-
tive and get no representative for the ma
jority In either case.
These are the only states having ma
jority fractions that fail to get reprssen-
tative therefor. This seems to US an In
Justice. Therefore, following the precedent
in the case of New Hampshire and Florida
in 1872. assign to each of these states
one representative for each majority frac-
ton, thus adding two to the whole num-
Der. making in all under our proposed bill
1856 representatives
Under this the gain is as follows: Ar
kansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut
Florida. Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missis-
sippi. Missouri, North Carolina, North Da-
kota. Washington, West Virginia and Wis
consin gain one representative each: Min
nesota. New Jersey and Pennsylvania gain
two; Illinois, New York and Texas gain
three.
I'VE submit that this apportionment, in
volving an increase in the membership Of
the House of 20, Is in line with the uniform
practice of the House in increasing it's size
50 as to keep pace, as near as may be, with
the increase in population of the country.
No practical Inconvenience to the seat
ing capacity of the House can result from
this increase A plan prepared by the
architect of the Capitol shows that slight
lengthening of the outer row of seats in
the corners on each side of the chamber
and q Encouragement of eight seats in the
body of the hall will accommodate the ad-
ditional representatives.