The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-13

preximately ls.oooooo since 1900. sta- tsticians are making tentative con- putations a to how this will effect the size of the membership of the House Of Representatives.
 should the present basis of appor- tionment, ls4o00 people to e district pc maintained. the membership will is likely that the basis will be in- creased and will run considerably over xoo,00o, and possibly approximate zzs.ooo. A lively and interesting dis- eussion Is certain to ensue when the rouse attempts to fix the new ratio of Representation.
 The next census is sure to show tnat some of the States have not kept pace In the growth of population with tuners, and on this account there will pc opposition to increasing the basis of apportionment because it fould result In decreasing the size of a num- per or State delegations. In making the superintendent under the last censns. congress did not follow the ratio strictly. else there would have been several States minus a representative.
 plan already has been prepared by which the membership of the House can ne kept below 400. and this could he accomplished by making the mint mum population of a district 2e5,0o0. under this scheme. however, it has been computed that some of the deiege lions from New England and the West, among them Maine, New Hampshire. Vermont. Kansas, and Nebraska, would nave To be curtaiied.
 But under this new basis there would be an increase of at least nine members of the House which would bring the roster up to 400. Under the decennial census of 1890. the House had 356 members, and this was increased to 3S6 by virtue of the 1900 enumeration. When Oklahoma was admitted to Statehood the number was increased by five. making ss1 in the aggregate.
 With 225.oo the basis of apportion- ment.New York. Illinois, and Texas, # Is estimated would be given two new members each. while California, Okla homa, Washington. and Pennsylvania would get one more each. There would be no increase or decrease in the representation from Ohio, Indiana. kentucky. or West Virginia. inasmuch as these States according to the cslcu- iations of the experts would just about keep pace with the proposed new basis or representation. But should the population of q district be fixed mid way between 1s4.000 and 225,00o the central West would contribute to the increased membership of the House.
 The possibility of an addition to the size of the present delegation from ohio will have to be taken into con- sideration in connection with the gem eral political situation In that State. for this would neeessitate a gerry mander by the lsgisla ture, unless that body saw fit to leave the boundaries of the present districts unchanged and authorize the election of an additional member at large. which has been done In some of the States. But even should Ohio's delegation remain as 1t Is. it might be difficult to prevent a gerry mander, inasmuch as some of the con- gressional districts are disproportion- ate in their population as compared with others. Tke prospect of q re- drawing of the congressional lines should have the effect of intensifying the Interest In the election of the new legislature in the Presidents State.