Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-04-19
IOWA AND OTHER STATES
WON'T LOSE CONGRESSMAN
Senate Probably Will Agree TO Measure
Despite Opposition Of La Toilette and
othsrs-Poiities and Partisanship
Have Influence on Qusstion-othsr
WASH nston News.
Especial Correspondence

Will De answered during lAe eASAo
session. The house passed a bill in
creasing the number of members from
391 to 4S3. but the senate failed to act
upon il. The bill was planned to so
increase the mem bership that no state
should lose representative by reason
Of the changes in population disclosed
by the thirteenth census, taken last
year.
The census committee of the house
Will m eet soon and probably will then
decide to report bill practically the
same as that passed by the last con-
gross. The democrats are now in pow
er. and as the losses entailed by hold
ing the membership down to the pres
ent number Of 391 would fall heaviest
upon democratic states, the party Is
practically a unit in support Of the in
crease.
One Objectionable Feature.
The only question before the COM
mittee upon which there is proba-
bility of division hinges upon a pro-
vision to permit future reapportion-
ments to be made automatically by the
secretary Of commerce and labor. This
provision was in the bill as passed by
the last congress. and prepared by
Representative Edgar D. Crumpacker,
Of indiana. then chairman Of the CEN
sus committee. Mr.. Crumpacker has
reintroduced his bill and it is before
the new committee.
representative William G. Houston
of Tennessee. now chairman of the
committee. has introduced a bill which
makes the same increase Of from 391
to 433, but which omits the provision
delegating future reapportionments to
the secretary Of commerce and labor
Tho Houston bill ----,G''-- I'LL he re-
ported by St :. o>'+.-t1,
laFoIlstts, May Block Measure.
Senator LaFollette is chairman Of
the census committee OF the senate. He
Is opposed to increasing the member
ship OF the house. in fact he favors re-
ducing the present number. He also
has no patience with the theory that
the apportionment bill ought to be left
entirely to the wisdom OF the house
He halds that II left to itself the house
will increase its membership every ten
years and that 1t VIII become more and
more disorderly and more and more
lose its character as deliberative
body.
Despite his personal objections sena
tor LaFollette said today that he be-
lieved the senate would pass the bill
as it comes from the house. In the
last congress he was the only member
Of the committee that dissented from
the favorable report on the Crumpack-
er bill. which was made to the senate
by Senator Hale. of Maine. AS mat
ter Of fact all the democrats in the
senate will favor the increase for par
tisan reasons and there are a sufficient
number OF republicans from states that
would lose in membership except for
the proposed increase to give the
friends Of the measure q majority.
Opens Way For Gsrrymander.
The delay In passing the bill was In
spired to some extent by republican
partisanship. If. it had passed in the
last session the legislatures Of the
various states already would have been
busy with the gerrym ander. AS there
are democratic legislatures In many
states normally republican, the new
gerrymanders would have operated to
republican disadvantage by making
several districts surely democratic that
are now normally republican. In states
where the governor also is a democrat
the gerrymander may be made In an
extra session, but in West Virginia,
Missouri. and Tennessee the governors
are republicans and they will most
probably refuse to call extra sessions
OF the legislature for the purpose Of
making It more difficult to elect repub-
licans to congress.
Even in New York, Ohio, Indiana,
New Jersey, and other states where
there are both democrats governors
and democratic legislatures, the calling
Of an extra session will focus the white
I; oh nm nd M
be impossible to do as neat job as
might have been possible II the reap
portionments had been made last winter
and the redistricting bills passed in
the regular sessions Of the legislatures.
New Rates Probable.
Under the census Of 1900 the ratio of
apportionment was fixed at one repre-
sentative for each 194.1S2 of population,
or majority fraction thereof. The
Houston bill makes the ratio 211,S77
so that altho the house will be increas-
ed by forty-two, each member will
represent nearly 10000 more persons
than under the old apportionment. This
ratio is the highest possible, and the
membership Of 433 Is the lowest pos
sible, that would prevent the loss OF
membership by, any state.
Under the Houston bill the forty-twc
additional members are distributed az
| follows: Sixteen states. Alabama
Colorado. Florida, Georgia, idaho
Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota. Mon
/ tana. North Dakota. Ohio, oregon
Rhode Island. South Dakota, Utah and
West Virginia, will gain one member
each; five states, Illinois. Massachu-
sets, New Jersey, Texas and Wash.
ington, will gain two members each;
Two states, California and Oklahoma
will gain three members each: one
state. Pennsylvania, will gain foul
members. and, one state. New York
viii gain six members.
II the house was held to its presen'
membership twelve states would los
4 . total Of thirteen representatives. Mis-
souri, would lose two. and Illinois. Ind
4 lana. Iowa. Kansas. Kentucky, Ne
|. brasla, North Carolina. Ohio. Tennes
-. virginia and Wisconsin, woult
Sloeos oue each. Theee thifteen lossO