Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-04-28
NJ NJ { RSH|P OF
HOUSE INCREASED
BY FORTY-TWO
CRUMPACKER MEASURE
ADOPTED BY DEMOCRATS
One Congressman for Each
2lll877 Of Population Is
Basis of Representations
Legislatures Have Power to
Fix Districts,
Especial Dispatch to the Morning Journal,

icptrWi bitpntch To the morning JOurnali
Washington. April 2T.--A bill pro-
viding for the enlargement Of the ma
uonal house of representatives from
Ssl to iSS members and the appor-
tionment of these members TO the
different states on the basis of the
population shown by the recent feder-
al census, passed the house early this
evening after vain efforts of members
of both political parties to amend IL.
The proposed size of the house is
Identical with that provided for in
the Crumpacker bill, passed by the
house at the last session of congress,
but not acted upon by the senate. The
Houston bill, passed today. leaves to
the legislatures of the different states
the power to rearrange the congress
sional districts In their respective
states, as on the new popular basis
OF one member for each 2i1,S77 In
! habitants.
The two important amendments
proposed and defeated today were to
put the redlstricting power In the
hands Of the governors CT states when
the legislature had failed 10 act, and
to limit the house In the future to a
| membership of 4So or 4sS. leaving flu
tnre reapportionments TO the secre-
tary of commerce and labor.
Each amendment was vigorously
championed by the republicans and
had some democratic support MIR.
sheries OF Kentucky first Offered the
"Crumpacker amendment" as II was
known, 10 restrict the size of the
hous to AGO. and later Mr.. Crumpaok- :
er sumbitted II again as part of u
formal motion to recommit the bill
to the committee on census to have
the amendment put into II. The DEM
| ocrats voted this motion down, IT'S
to 80. The amendment offered earli-
er ~ Mr., Grltmpaker, formerly the
republican chairman Of the commit
tee on census. which has charge OF
the reapportionment subject to give
the governors of states power to carry
out of the rearrangonent Of con-
gressional districts was declared by
Mr.. Hamlin OF Missouri, democrat, to
he a deliberate effort of republican
politicians TO give the republican gov
ernor OF Missouri power to make up
the new districts so that republican
districts might be constructed by
gerrymandering methods" Mr., Ham
lin said that with the Crumpacker
amendment rs part Of the bill. the
republican governor Of Missouri could
veto tho reapportionment made by
the democratic legislature and could
then carry out the reapportionment
measures.
Mr. Bertholdt, republican. also
from Missouri challenged this state
mont and asserted the last demo-
cratic legislature that reapportloned
the congressional districts Of Mis-
souri, had violated the federal statutes
by making the districts of greatly
varying size.
The increase of the size of the
house was agreed to by members of
both parties, but many republicans
attacked II on the ground that it
would make the house more un-
wieldy.
Insurgent republicans were partlc-
ularly vigorous In opposing the in
crease, declaring that 1t II were not
for the democrats Of those states
that would otherwise lose members
there would be a general sentiment
In favor Of keeping the membership
al the present figures of 39l.