El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-04-20
Discrimination Against West Texas
By PORTER A. wHALEY.

IG as representative of west Texas.
the following population each;
Territory comprised in present
districts Is and 16 (portion
west TeXas) 1921 -----.--.--s ll5s iSi
. Territory comprised in present
districts and Cast $500.
Texas 1921 .----- .--s-- SSl'5lZ
Glance Into the Future.
But each of these districts as de
fined will have two congressman IN
1921. or lust before the new apportion-
menu shall have been made at that
time. The above figures then Simply
mean that east Texas districts (repre-
sentatfve) will have then not twice
the representation as at present per
unit Of population as west Texas, but
actually five times the representation
In other words, 391,912 people II east
Texas VIII have two congressman ana
21l3,T9T TeCple in west Texas VIII
have two congressman It furtner
means that as the population OF ala
bama is now about two and quarter
million and has as a state j. congress
mon. that in 1921 west Texas, then
nearly as largely populated as ana
hama will have only two congress-
men. These figures are absolutely au-
thentic and cannot be disputed
The United States COVE rnment Ilg-
ures show that group /, Texas 6dn
handle proper, grew at rate OF 80
percent during past decade tnaI group
9 west Texas. seven tiers OF COUNTIES
living below Panhandle, grew at rats
of 2S6.S percent during the decade anu
group l. central west Texas, grew a.
rate of S6.7 percent during the decaue'
and on the other hand that group o,
northeast Texas, grew at rate or is
percent and that group 8, sOuthedsL
Texas, grew at rate OF L. psICSl-I-
These figures may seem starting Whea
If is considered as regards group
that IL includes cities Of Houston, Cal
weston and Beaumont, but the Ils re-
are true. Nine counties IN that group
lost population
East Texas Grasps Advantage
It NAV be commended that west Texas
cannot maintain any such tremendous
nercentsge of growth during the next
ten wears as in the past "a conlen-
ton not we'll tenable when II IS con-
sidered that the reasons Wnlch CatlsSI
the mast growth are the same OIsS
,-bicfl must cause 4 continuance OF ~
hut granting that west IeAdS W.
only double its population ouIl.s
incoming ten years, or grow a. 49, -
+v-o-tbirds the rate Of the past -
1-ssrs then we would have starting
enough figures. for west IeNes WV
tbeD show a population Of approx
matelv 100000 people Ian alltogeLn,e555
reasonab BILE expectation, anu
ONLY have two congressman
uss+ Texas would on the other hano
bs,-e a representation approximately
the same as today It's rauo q 80 49,,
saotatfon would In TACT at Ihdl tLllS
he the lowest in the United states, eA-
- I'm the case Of one-congressmen
ststas s1ch as Nevada. While the
figures are not at hand it would seem seem
-75.f-+ 10 Is Panhandle OF Texas
-IInDi1q from Wichita Falls to Dal-
49, has the largest population or any
congressional district In the IL -, 80
States. and that district No 10, Iui Z.
80 fror, Abilene TO FL PasO runs II
c. very close second
How was this result brought a -lelll.
D. me refusal of the state or LeAdS
70 apportlon off new congress- -I1l ~,
SJ-+-5rFs on United states government
sf - nonulatfon to cOngresslcnal
55G5et~ict at its last session, evadlng, 1 ne
e-5~i+ n not the actual law itself oy
Creating two congressman az 80
" s-sess1tetion per population than any
ofPa~ norton Of the United States