The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-02-10
433 MEMBERS
FOR CONGRESS
Democrats With Republican Aid
Push Re-appOrtiOnment Bill
Through House
DEMOCRATIC STATES GAIN
Total Would be 435 if Arizona and
New Mexico Are Admitted to
Statehood.

Washington, Feb. 10-The Democrats
of the House. aided by a few Repub-
licans who declined to be bound by
the party caucus. have won their fight
for an increased representation in the
lower branch of Congress under the
census of 1910. They voted down the
Republican caucus bill to maintain
the membership at 391 as at present,
and then passed the original Crum-
packer bill fixing the membership at
433 on and after March 8. 1913. If
Arizona and New Mexico should be
admitted to Statehood they will be
given one representative each. bring
This action by the House must be
ratified by the Senate. The House
leaders believe that the Senate will
follow the wishes of the lower branch.
No State Loses.
Under the new reapportionment plan.
no State loses a member The fol-
lowing States gain the number indi-
Gated: Alabama. /: California. 8; Col
orado. /: Florida. 1: Georgia. 1: Idaho.
/: Illinois. 2: Louisiana. 1: Missouri.
2: Michigan. l: Minnesota as o l; o, Mon y.
North Dakota, 1: Ohio. 1; oklahoma.
8: Oregon. 1; Pennsylvania. 4: Rhode
Island. i; South Dakota. 1: Texas. 2;
Utah. T.: washington. 2: West Viz
ginia. 1. The House spent more than
five hours in discussing and voting
upon the bill and various proposed
amendments. An amendment offered
by Representa- tive Bennett of New
York and designed to cut down South
ern representation. was voted down
by 1874 to IS. Representative Crum-
packer of Indiana. chairman of the
committee on the census and author
of a number of bills to reduce the
representa- ton from States in the
State. voted against the Bennett
amendment and it was applauded by
the Democrats.
The Democrats lost but one amend
ment during the entire fight. A COM
mittee amendment in the bill provid-
ing that States should be redistricted
by the Legislatures. was voted down
on an appeal by the Republicans h,l in in
the States should be permitted to re-
district themselves in their own way.
The advocates for a membership Of
391 fought for their cause up to the
very@ last minute. Just before the
Campbell of Kansas moved the re-
of the 433 bill with in
structions to the committee of the
whole House to report substitute for
391 members. This motion was lost
by a vote or III TO III. inns reueCC-
ed the sentiment of the members so
decisively that the vote by which the
bill was passed was decided In the af-
firmative without a division or a roll
call.
CrIImpacker's Bill.
Representative Crumpacker. author
of the 433 bill. which was unanimous
ly reported from the Census commit
tee and afterward rejected by the Re-
publican caucus. began a debate by
urging the necessity Of action at this
session.
Representative Campbell advocated
his bill approved by the Republican
caucus for the retention of the pres
ent membership of 391. He said he
personally would prefer to have the
number reduced rather than increas-
ed.
Representative Gillett of Massachu-
sets and Barnhart of Indiana spoke
for the Campbell proposal: Thomas of
North Carolina and Langley of Ken
lucky. in favor of the Crumpacker
bill.
Champ Clark. in favoring an in
crease in membership. said that the
real work of the House would con-
tinue to be performed in committees
and that the number Of representa-
tives on the floor would make no diff
ference.