The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-09
SOUTH AND WEST ID GAIN MOST IN
 A POLITICAL WAY
Alabama One of States Which Will Likely Gain Additional Representative as Result
 Population Increase
By Associated Press

ts Washington, October S.-Examination of the final census figures of the coun- try, which place the total population of Continental United States at 1O5,- 6S3,10S, indicates that the west and south proportionately will gain more in political way than the east or middle west through increased member ship in the House of Representatives more votes in the electoral college and in larger delegations to the national political conventions.
 This result will obtain whatever basis of apportionment is adopted by Congress next winter. fixing the size of the next House, which. in turn, is reflected in the electoral college and the conventions of the big political parties.
 As the result of the increase of 13,- E 3l0,S42 in population during the past ten years fifty new seats must be add ed to the House to prevent any state from loSng any part of it's present rep resents ten.
 Should the present membership of 435 be left unchanged by increasing the basis of apportionment, there will have to be a transfer of thirteen seats, now held by twelve states, to nine other Atates.
 For the past half a century the precedent has been to increase the size or the House so as to prevent loss of existing representation by any state. AS result the House has grown from 24S to 435 members, with only three states-Maine, New Hampshire and Yer mont-losing one member each in the last fifty years.
 MANY STATES GAIN
 If this precedent is followed this year, five additional representatives must be given to California, four each for New York, Ohio. Pennsylvania and Michigan; three to Illir ois and Texas i; two to Massachusetts, New Jersey and North Carolina, and one each to Ala bama, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, Okla homa, Oregon, South Carolina, Ten nessee. Washington, West Virginia Wisconsin, Virginia, Arkansas and Minnesota.
 While the present basis of appor- tionment is 211,S77 inhabitants or its major fraction to the congressional dis trlct, Congress can increase the basis to 219,427 without causing any loss. To advance beyond the latter figure will mean that Maine would lose one seat, while Montana would fail to gain one, with the net result of forty-eight new seats in Congress.
 Congressional leaders are strongly opposed to any large increase in the House as they regard the present rnem- hership of 435 as too unwieldly When the House census committee, headed by Representative Siegel of New York begins consideration of the problem, effort will be made to hold down the increase, but pressure for the increase is expected to come from the states which would benefit from larger House.
 Only. one-in 1S40-has the size of the House been reduced. At one other time, just before the Civil war, the ap- portionment was held down with the resulting loss of seats falling most heavily on the southern states.
 By holding the House membership to 435, gains would be distributed with three to California, two to Michigan and Ohio, and one each to Connecticut, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma. Texas and Washington To offset these gains, Missouri would be forced to lose two congressman, while Indiana, Iowa. Kansas, Kentucky Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, Rhode Island ~Vermont and Virginia would lose one each. All other states would retain their present numerical delegations in Congress.