The Topeka state journal., 1913-06-21
CUT DOWN HOUSE
Congressman Campbell Has a
Washington Reform.
Would Reduce Membership
From 435 to 233.
DECLARES BODY Is UNWIELDY
Given Support of Plan by
Press of Capital.
Kansas POStmasters Confirmed
by Senate.
DECLARES BODY IS UNWIELDY

Washington, June 21.-A greatly re
duced membership in the house OF
representatives is proposed by Con
gresham Philip Pitt Campbell, a Kan
sas Republican. The present member
ship of the house is 435. Mr.. Camp
bell wants a reappcrtionment and a
reduction Of the number to 233 by the
year 1917. His proposition is meet
ing with a great deal Of favor since it
is realized that the house today is real
ly unwieldy. Every year the belief is
growing that the house is getting too
big in point of membership to do bus
iness-good business.
In commenting editorially on Mr..
CampbelPs timely measure, the Wash
ington Evening Times has this to say:
Congressman Campbell of Kansas
"a gentleman with whom it has not
too often been the privilege of this
newspaper to agree about public ques-
tions-has earned unqualified COM
mendation by his action in introducing
a bill providing for a reduction of the
mem bership of the national house.
'Mr. Campbell would lop off almost
half the membership. At present 435
He would reduce that total to 233. He
proposes that his measure take effect
March 8, 1917; that is, that the new
and smaller house should come in with
the advent of the next national admin
istration.
Sooner or later something will have
to be done in this direction. 1t was
a very real misfortune that, following
the census of 1910 a reapportionment
was adopted which added near a half
hundred to the numbers of the house.
At least, beginning in the right di-
rection ought to have been made by
adopting as a basis the proposition
that there should be no increase in
numbers.
"Mr. Campbell will probably remain
n a
reaches to the day when he sees such
legislation pass; but none the less it
ought to pass. Likewise, if he ever
arouses public interest and under
standing of the subject to the point
where congress is forced to accept his
proposition, he will be highly unpop-
ular with colleagues. 1t would mean
deliberate legislating of almost half
their number out of the seats which
all congressmen-being human like
the rest of us-conceive they peculiarly
ornament. But the public business
would be vastly benefited. 1t would
be possible for the house to resume in
some measure the methods and capa-
bilities of a deliberative body. There
might be possibility of real debate, of
popular rule, of making the house the
leader of the legislative establishment,
as the fathers intended, instead of a
rather sorry tail to the senatorial kite.
Much power to the elbow of the
get busy and keep on the trail of this
reform"
An English sparrow fluttered into
the house chamber the other day and
perched itself about Speaker C1ark's
rostrum, twittering necessarily. Con-
gresham Bryan of Washington did
his best to talk against the feathered
songster. Congressman Phil Camp
bell interrupted him with the remark:
Docs the gentleman yield to the
sparrow ?'
Il do" snapped Mr.. Bryan, ''but not
to a member"
The bird remained.
The senate has confirmed the fol-
lowing Kansas presidential postmas-
ter appointments: Edward Corrigan,
Effingham; Viola Hamilton, Alta
mont; Marion E. Henderson, Haven;
E. C. McDermott, Spearville; Thomas
O'Mara, Colony; Eugene Skinner,
Cherokee.
Charles T. Siegrist has been ap-
pointed postmaster at Pontiac, a
fourth class office in Kansas.
Congressman Dudley Doolittle of
the Fourth Kansas district has intro
duced a bill to establish a bureau for
the institution of system to loan
money to farmers upon agricultural
-. ,rt%