The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-10-01
Trains Going West.
ANOTHER N. .. CONGRESSMAN.

North Dakota expects another con-
gresham as a result of the gain in
population during the last decade.
The census returns are expected to
show the state is entitled to three
members of the lower house and IL
the plan wins, the state may be re-
districted. At present both members
are congressman at large. Should the
state be redistricted 1t is probable the
country west Of the Missouri will be
divided into north and a south dis
trict.
There is a great deal of speculation
over what will be done by congress
The membership now is large and un-
weildly. The newer western states
are entitled to more representation
while the older eastern and southern
states will not want to have their rep
resentation reduced. 1t is more than
likely there will be an increase in the
total membership.
The constitution of the United
States provides that after every GEN.
sus congressional membership shall be
reapportioned among the states-ac-
cording to the population in each. It
adds further that the number of rep
resentatives shall not exceed one for
each $4,000 inhabitants.
The number 10000 is thus fixed as
the minimum Of representation, but no |
maximum at all is named. OF course
the lower the basis of representation. |
the greater will be the number of CON |
gressmen-and the higher the basis
the fewer.
The constitution set the total num-
Der OF congressman for the first con-
gress at sixty five, and apportionea
these among the thirteen original
states, according to their estimated
population. This lasted only until the
first regular census. The next amor
uonment was in 1890, the number Of
congressman being 106-and they were
apportioned one to every $4,000 of p5p-
ulation
EVERY ten years since then the num-
Der OF people for each congressman
mas been steadily increased, until the
iast apportionment following the 1900
census. The number for each renra-
sentative was then fixed at 1941s2
The total number of congressman al
90 has steadily increased until the
present congress, which numbers 3a1
members.
Rather large body is that. and
somewhat unwieldy already. The oues-
tion that is now being discussed All
over the country is whether this num-
per shall be increased following the
1910 eensus-or whether 1t shall he
reduced or kept as 1t is.
1t is everywhere admitted that the
larger any body or men is the harder
L is to get any business transacted hv
them. To add, therefore, to the nres-
ent already large congress additional
members would seem foolish. IL the
number continues to increase. it win
not be many decades before another
wing viii have added to the capitol in
order to accommodate the representa-
-iyes--and congress viii have to be
leld in two sections.
If the republicans have majority
p the next house, which win be known
liter the November elections-it il
ikely that the apportionment win be
postponed for the new congress. But
t the democrats capture the next
louise. the republicans viii no doubt 1
'ttempt 70 fix the apportionment at
he short session unless a combina-
ion Of democrats and insurgents can
= formed to prevent It. Under the !!