Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1910-12-24
HOW STATES WILL FARE
Iowa, Maine, Indiana and Missouri May
Lose Seats.
VIRGINIA NEAR DANGER LINE
Largest Gains in Hew York, Texas,
Pennsylvania and the Far Western
States.


Some interesting complexities will
arise when the Census Committees in
Congress during the next few weeks
undertake to frame the new Apportion-
ment law.
The ratio of representation to be
adopted will be purely arbitrary one,
so far as the Census Committees are
concerned, but the size of the House as
fixed by its members when they come to
act on the committee recommendations
will be, as in the past, a result of log
rolling and combinations by the various
State delegations, based upon the way
in which they will be affected.
The most definite fact now developed
as the result of the announcement of
the population in 26 States and two
Territories is that the minimum will hot
be below 100000, nor the maximum
above 225,000. This is the view taken
in the Census Office. Iowa is the only
State showing an actual loss in popula-
tion. If anything higher than 2ll,Ss2
is used as the ratio, Iowa would lose a
Congressman.
States That Would Gain
the House through the use of this ratio
would be:
Gain seats-New York
Gain seats-Pennsylvania and Texas.
Gain 3 Oklahoma, California
and Washington.
Gain seats-New Jersey, Illinois,
Massachusetts and New Mexico.
Gain / seat-Alabama, Florida, Georg-
ia, Rhode Island, Michigan, Minnesota.
West Virginia, Arizona, North Dakota,
Oregon, South Dakota and Wisconsin
Under such an arrangement there
would be an increase of 45 seats in the
House, from the present membership of
39l to 435. The increase has seldom
been larger than 80. In the last reap
portionment it was 20. Many members
consider the House unwieldly, and there
is strong majority against still further
Result Under Different Ratios.
If 2l2,000 were used as the ratio, the
States named above would each gain as
enumerated, with the exception of Ohio,
which would gain one instead of two,
and Iowa would lose a member, leaving
the net gain 43. The use of 2l3,000 as a
ratio would produce the same results as
2l2,000, but Maine and Missouri as well
as Iowa would then join the ranks of
States losing one seat each and the net
gain would be Al.
The lowest ratio that can be used
without depriving Missouri of a seat
would be 2l2,473. This would rob Iowa
and Maine each of seat, and give the
gaining States a new seats, making the
net gain AZ. The membership would be
433. Iowa, Maine and Missouri would
each lost a seat if 2l4,000 were the
ratio. This would reduce the gain of
Illinois to one without changing those
of the other States. 1t would give the
House net gain of 40, making 43l
members.
Under the 2I5,ooo Plan.
A ratio almost half way between the
possible maximum and minimum would
be 215,000. The use of this devsor
would give the following results:
Losses-Missouri, Iowa and Maine,
one each,
Gains-Texas, +; New York, ): Okla
homa, California, Washington and Penn
sylvania, 3 each; New Jersey, Massa-
chusetts and New Mexico, . each; Ala
bama, Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, Rhode IS
land, Michigan, Minnesota, West Vir-
ginia, Arizona, North Dakota, Oregon,
South Dakota and Wisconsin, IA gain of
| each; total, 81.
This would make a net gain of "a in
the House. 1t would bring the total
membership up to 425.
Six seats would be lost if the ratio is
made ,000-exactly halfway between
the possible maximum and minimum.
Nebraska, which cannot stand the use
of any higher figure than 2l6,767, would
join Missouri, Indiana, Iowa and Maine.
Virginia cannot stand the use, of any
higher ration than 2l7, OF and would also
join the list of endangered States under
the 100000 ratio The net gains would
be:
New York and Texas, each; Okla
homa, Pennsylvania, California and
Washington, each; New Jersey, 2;
Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, Massa-
chusetts, Michigan, West Virginia, Ar
zona, North Dakota, Oregon, Wisconsin,
New Mexico and possibly South Dakota,
| each.
This would mean gain of 35 seats,
with a loss of 8, giving a net increase Of
20 seats-exactly the same as it was
under the census of 1900.
If the Maximum is Adopted.
The use Of the probable maximum of
225,000 as ratio would give a gross
gain of 20 members. and net increase
of %. The size Of the House would be
4l4.