Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-01-02
CAPITAL CHAT.
Continued from Page One.)

experts will be very far out of the way
in their estimates. The Census Blu
reau has had its special agents in va
rous localities, especially in the
larger cities, AZ different times since the
last general census was taken. 1t
knows something about the increase of
population and the distribution of the
increase. AS Gov. Burleigh is the
second member of the House Commit
tee on Census there is little doubt that
the Superintendent of Census will give
him the best estimate possible. Apart
from its own work III getting up a Gen.
sus of manufactures. the bureau keeps
q record of censuses taken by state
and municipal authorities.
With such figures before him, Gov.
Burl"i2h cHa go over the prospective
situation np,.n intelligently and work
ont the most feasible plans for an ap-
poriion.ncnt favorable to Maine. When
he r.' ( N.'i.,' other states are likely to
he ;.,t,ct,-,i !nfaE'raily. if the present
ln,,i!., rs!ip of SO i not increased, he
wiz br abe TO talk over plans with
tn. members from those states and
map out some line of campaign, pro-
vided. of course. the situation is not
shown to be absolutely hopeless.
one great obstacle to further in
creaSing the membership of the House
is the size of the hall of representa-
tivcs. That was urged as Il leading
law for $50 members was enacted.
Soon after that the seats in the House
were rcarranged. The old desks were
\
built in blocks from aisle to aisle were
installed. The hall OF the House was
also renovated and some additional
space gained thereby. Something less
| than 400 seats We're provided by the
new arrangement and there are still n
| few vacant desks. But the repre-
| sentativcs from the new state OF Okla
hOma will take five of them. AS Ok
| lahoma and Indian Territory, which
J will comprise the new state, have a
population that would warrant many
| more than five representatives., the
new state will have to have considera-
| bly more space after the next census
| is taken. Accordingly the capacity OF
| the present hall is likely to be all TAX
| en- on the present plan. Arizona AND
| New Mexico are likely to be admitted
as states by the time the next census
| is taken and will he entitled to three
or four representatives, which makes
the difficulty even greater for those
| who would advocate an increase in the
| House member ship.
| Names membership in the Nationa
House has declined steadily in num-
| bcrs since her admission to the Union
/ in In nv,ly Ia
primitive transportation, the complete
| delegation did not secure an election
| ana reach Washington till the frs,
session of the Seventeenth Congress
| opened December 3. 1921. In tho
| previous Congress, the records give
two Senators from Maine-JOhr
| Chandler of Monmouth and JOIN
| Holmes Of Falmouth-and but one
| member. Joseph Dane of Kennebunk
| Eut in the Seventeenth Congress the
| Few State of Maine had seven ac-
] credited OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Cush-
mHn of Winslow; Joseph Dane OF
| Ecnncbunk; Mark Harris OF Portland
who served out the uneXpired term OF
| Representative Whitman: EbeneZel
Ierriclg Of lewiston: Mark L. Hill OF
PhipEsburg; Enoch Lincoln of Paris
Ezekiel Whitman OF Portland. and vii.
liam ID. Williamson Of Bangor. BY
the census Cf 1880 and the apportion.
ment that followed under it. Maine
| gained Congressman and for a few
years. beginning with the Twcnty-thirt
Congress, the first session Of which
convened December =. 1893. Maine hat
| eight members in the National House
/ (,f ', thnc,. dave the nnnI1l I n
Of the country was much smaller thar
now. the unit Of representation wa:
much smaller and the membership o.
the House WIS also much smaller. II
the Twcnty-ninth Congress the appor
tlonment was again reduced to sever
members for Maine and in the Thirty
third Congress. which convened De
cember 5. 1852, Names representation
was reduced to six.
| Under the census of 1850 Maine:
quota in the House was fixed at fiv,
members and in the Thirty-eight Con
gross. which convened Dec. I. 1863, this
new apportionment law went into ef
feet with James G. Blaine of Augusta
Sidney Pcrham Of Paris. F. A. Pike o
Calais. J. II. Rice of FoXcroft. alIt
Lorenzo d. NJ. Sweat of Portland. n
| Mainc'S representatives. This mem
| bcrShip for Maine was allowed 10
Twenty years till 1889. when. with TIL
beginning of the Forty-eight Congress
elected under the apportionmcnt tina
was based on the census of 1880. TIN
Pine Tree States representation wa
reduced to four members. Reed. Bou
telle. Dinglcy and Milliken We're thel
its four m nmbers. The same allot
mcnt has now been in force going OF
% years and holds at the present time
| Representative and Mrs. Bur!eigl
have been in Washington during tn
hnli lays. Their daughter, Mrs. Mar
tin, and Rurleigh Martin, freshman
at Bow ioin College. are also with then
at the Richmond. Mrs. Martin viii
| ,o,o,;p until tho ond of tho cecSjop