The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-10-23
S SMALL MAJORITY
IN HOUSE, S:sA!IM
OF C. 0. P H.
Leaders, However, Admit Doubtful
Districts Are Increasing
ANXIETY IN LABOR CENTERS
Committee Reports Unusual Activity
in Districts Normally Counted
Republican.

New York Oct. 23.-That the next
House is to be Republican by small
but comfortable working majority
was the report made yesterday to Ma
tional Chairman William r. Wilcox
by Representative Frank p. Woods Of
Iowa, head of the Republican congress
ional campaign committee.
The committee has been conducting
its own campaign for the election of a
Republican House, with offices in this
city, Washington and Chicago Con-
gressman Woods, who puts in most of
his time in Washington, passed yester-
day in this city, comforting with Mr.,
Wilcox and with Senator John w.
Weeks of the senatorial committee.
with which the congressional commit
tee is cooperating.
The fight for the next House of Rep
resentatives has grown exceedingly
bitter in the last few weeks and it was
admitted by Republicans yesterday
that the number of doubtful districts
had increased rather than diminished
in this time 1t is the labor centers
which are causing trouble.
Reports received by the committee
show that Samuel Gompers and tho
American Federation of Labor are at
work with speakers and literature in
every one of these districts, trying to
elect Democratic Congressman, u.s.
ing the Adamson law as their chief
argument.
The political activities of the fe1er-
alton, according to those in close
touch with this situation, exceed any-
thing ever seen and the labor leaders
are making a terrific drive in many
districts which ordinarily would be
considered safely Republican. The re-
suit of this has been to make prog
nostications regarding the Congress
ional election difficult.
The Democratic majority in the pre-
sent House in twenty-three. To insure
q Republican House the Republicans
must carry at least twelve of the Dem
ocratic districts and hold their pres
ent strength. While Congressman
Woods and his associates are not
ready as yet to give out any figures,
they have told Chairman Wilcox and
other Republicans here that they ex-
pect to win the House by at least ten
seats.
This is a most conservative esti-
mate, however, and is based on condi-
tions as they are at the present time.
1t is the general belief that conditions
will improve in the ndxt two weeks,
and some estimates of the probable
Republican majority are running as
high as eighteen.
A total of ninety Democratic dis
tricts are figured on as affording
chances for the Republicans n this
election, out of which the committee
is hopeful of securing at least thirty,
These are the States in which gains
are expected;
Maine, one; Rhode Island, one; New
York. two; Ohio, two; Missouri,
three; Kansas, two; Indiana, six; IL
linois, two. South Dakota, one; Okla
homa, two; California, three; Nebras-
ka. one; Iowa, one; Washington, one;
West Virginia, two.
The committees reports fail to
show that any of the Republican war
horses are in any serious danger this
year. Uncle Joe" Cannon, William
B. Mckinley, Nicholas Longworth'
Ebenezer Hill and James r. Mann, the
present minority leader, are almost
certain of being returned, and should
the next House be Republican IL is
likely Mr. Mann would be chosen
Speaker.