El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-20
Congressional Apportionment
CONGRESS MUST CHANGE RATE OR LARGE
HOUSE MEMBERSHIP WILL RESULT

The thirteenth census enumeration of
the people of the United States is now
complete, but it Will be several weeks
before the first official bulletins Will
appear and several months before the
grand total will be found and publish
ed. The census has become so broad
in its scope, and SO interesting in its
variety, that one is apt 10 forget its
main purpose and function, which is to
provide a basis of apportionment Of
members of the house of representatives
among the several states.
The constitution provides, in article I,
for the decenniaI census and requires
that the representative in the lower
house of congress and all direct taxes
shall be appOrtiOned according to the
enumeration thus made. The direct tax
alton provision practically is a dead
letter. And the congressional appor-
tionment itself has come to be regarded
by a great many people as least among
the purposes of census taking.
AppOrtiOnment Governs All.
Yet all the political institutions of
the nation, with the exception of the
senate. are affected and controlled di-
rectly by the congressional apportion-
ment, and even the senate is affected
indirectly. While the constitution re-
quires the taking OF the census and
makes it the basis of representation, il
leaves to congress the business of ap2
pOrtionment. The destiny of political
parties and, perhaps, even the political
future of the nation may hinge upon
that action.
The last apportionment was made in
1901. 1t provided that the ratio of ap-
portionment should be 194,1S2. States
were given one representative for each
I LOT lon,
thereof.
BY this act of 1901 the membership of
the house of representatives was in
creased TO $50 members, not because the
house wished to have more members,
but because it was necessary to keep
the ratio down in order that Maine and
Virginia might not lose a representa-
tive each. A combination of Virginians
and New Englanders, captained by SEN
ators Frye and Hale, determined the
apportionment. During the decade the
new state Of Oklahoma was admitted
with five representatives, although its
population entitled it to seven. This in
creased the size of the house to 39I.
Presuming, for the purposes of specula-
ton, that Arizona and New Mexico win
be admitted to the union by the present
congress, with one representative each
the house will have, under the appOr-
tionment of 1901, membership of 393.
Estimated Population s9,9I2.0OO.
While the figures collected by the
census enumeratOrs have not been tabu-
lated and no man knows what the re-
suits will be, it is possible to discuss the
probabilities by taking the census office
estimate as i basis. According to the
statistieians' estimates the population of
the country on June l will be S9,912 0OO
The census office believes that this
estimate will not be far out from the
correct figures as shown by the actual
enumeration. The estimate is made by
states and, for the purposes of this arti-
Gle, is assumed to be approximately cor
rect
The most conservative action possible
20 be taken by the next congress in
making the new apportionment will be
TO maintain the membership of the
house at 1913. To do this the ratio would
have to be increased TO about 233,OO0
The most liberal action possible to be
taken Will be to preserve the present
ratio of 194,1S2. To do this the mem
bership of the house would have to
be increased to 459.
House Already Too Large.
Taking the most conservative posi-
5ility, it is apparent TO every student
of parliamentary conditions at Wash
lngton that it is better not 10 further
increase the size of the house II is
already too large. If the congress
should decide TO fix the membership
at 3S3, comparatively few changes
would be made in the representation
of the states Iowa, the only state
showing an absolute loss OF population
according 10 the census estimate and
Nebraska, each would lose two repre-
sentatives, cutting Iowa down from
eleven to nine members, and Nebraska
from six to four. Georgia, Maine In
diana, Wisconsin and Virginia would
lose one member each. This would be
a total loss of nine
Oklahoma would gain two members
and seven states would gain one each,
making up the nine. The seven states
to gain one would be Minnesota, New
York, New Jersey, Oregon, North Da-
kota, Texas and Utah. 1t Is probable
that Washington also mi GIT gain one
member under the higher ratio, but spe-
cial provision would have TO be made or