The Washington herald., 1911-02-06
Sees $4,000,0oo,ooo
CONGRESS NEAR Us
Tawney Tells Why He OPP
poses Crumpacker Bill.
CONFIDENT OF DEFEATING IT
Larger Memb bership of House Would
Bring Larger Appropriations and
penditures-BiEEest Problem of
Day, Says Minnesota Watch Dog.

There will be a $4,000.GN,0OO Congress
five years from now if the Crumpacker
hiIl to increase the membership OF the
House of Representatives to 4SS is
passed. according to a prediction made
lily Representatives James A. Tawney,
OF Minnesota. in a statement issued by
him last night
MIR. Tawney has organized and is lead
ing the opposition to the Crumpacker
bill. He is confident of defeating it.
He believes that. despite the increase in
population, the membership of the House
should be retained at 81 its present
figures The Minnesota member will
tire from Congress on March !. hut be-
tween now and then he proposes to do
all in his power to defeat any and all
propositions looking to an increase In the
! total membership or any effort intended
to prevent those States which have made
a poor showing in population during the
last ten years from losing.
Most Important Measure.
THE most important matter now pend
ing in the House." SAYS Mr. Tawney, lis
this question of reapportionment. All
ether questions. including tho fortfica-
tion or naturalization of the Panama
Canal and other problems which now
confront the people and are subjects of
general discussion in the newspapers arc
GWarfed by it. 1t may be accepted as
automatic that an increase in the mem
hcrship of the House will ho followed
hy large increase in appropriations.
The question is simply one of State pride
versus legislative efficiency.
Members of Congress do not consider
the question of appropriations from a
national standpoint. They are more in
tcreStcd in the sum of money they can
secure from tho Federal government for
expenditure in their districts than they
are in the aggregate of the annual dis
EurScmcntS that must he made by the
national legislature. They are mere con-
csrncd about being returned to the House
than about being citizens of a sane and
solvent republic. They have their ears
to the ground but they mistake the
chirpinE of cricketS for the voice of the
people.
Burden on tho Treasury.
ITO increase tho membership of the
House will nc but to augment the de-
mand for money from the Federal gov
crnment: to saddle on the Federal treas
ury burdens that should BE- born by the
States And. ny the same token, the
standard Of individual membership in the
House will he lowered. In former days.
both rich and poor were wont to come
to Congress without regard to the salary
that went with the position. At present
the mere item OF salary alone is an in
c-.ntiye to men who. in the natural
course of events. could not make $3.50
a wear in any business or profession TO
which they might turn. All this is re-
grettable. but true. and is all intimately
connected with the proposition to in
crease the membership of the House.
The importance of this question cannot
he exaggerated.
''Sevantcen years ago We had for the
first time a billion-dollar Congress. The
country was shocked But Tom Reed
explained then that this was Il billion
dollar country. If this rcapportionment
bill is passed. the annual expenditures
of the government. which are already
increasing at an alarming rate. will jump
30 much annually that soon somebody else
will he called upon to explain that this
is not billion-dollar. two billion dollar.
or four billion dollar country, but no
limit land where the drain upon the
Federal treasury is limited only by de-
mandS of paternaliSm. the necessities Of
numbcrIess localities. and the rapacty of
members of Congress, chosen, colec
lively, TO represent the whole people"