The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-12-30
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
BY j. E. Jones

o0OPlSu ~ "~S
Der Of representatives shall not ex-
coed n for every thirty thousand
of the population. The fourteenth
says: Representatives shall be ap-
portioned among the several states &C
cording TO their respective numbers.
Ten years ago there were 800 repre-
sentatiyes. The census having been
taken a reapportionment Will be pro-
vided by congress, next spring. with
respect to this forthcoming reappor'
tionment the following facts will be
admitted by any honest congressman:
First, that the house Of representa-
tives is a ~lamentably inefficient organ
ization. Second, that this condition is
almost solely due to the size OF the
membership. Third, that the public
business would be best served by a
decrease of at least one-half OF the
membership of the house.
The writer witnessed the Wire-pull-
ing when the last reapportionment
was made, following the 1910 census.
Member after member in the house
got up and protested against increas-
ing the number of representatives
above $50. While they were making
their patriotic appeals, the 'wire-pull-
ers" figured out, state by state, a basis
which would give the republicans, then
in power, new members. Some states
got one new representative, others
more. Then the voters in the next
election returned a democratic house.
To provide for more room for these
all the desks were removed from the
chamber, and these were replaced with
benches, a la English, to make room
for 435 members.
Representative Hull advocates SUBJ
hitting to the states a constitutional
amendment to limit the size Of the
house to $50 members. Hulls pro-
posal is ridiculous on it's face, as an
honest congress that would put the
interests of the country above political
e~xpediency would not need to be hog
tied by a constitutional amendment.
Nevertheless there is merit in Hulps
suggestion since its application would
prevent congress from piling up the
dead-woo6 in congressional member
ship above a certain limit.
The senate works efficiently because
of it's limited membership. The house
gets worse and worse, and its men,
bers increase in numbers, and then
each congressman goes back to the
people to tell them of the great anxiety
about 1.-The public interest" Most of
the members right now are more in
terested in fixing up the liens Of their
own districts in order to get rid of
counties that went against them in
the last election, and replacing them
with counties that vote their way, than
they are in making a better and more
efficient house of representatives,
which every mothers son Of them
knows can be brought about by provid-
ing a reapportionment with a greatly
lessened number of congressman, in
stead Of more of them.
In the readjustment period the pub
lie seems to be showing a keen in
terest in securing the proper service
from the railroads and the public utili-
ties, while the price that they are pay.
ing for it is apparently a secondary
consideration. 1t would be a mistake
to interpret the above paragraph to
imply that the public does not care
what the necessities and conveniences
cost them, whether the selling party he
a public utility or a merchant, but it
is a visible fact that the nation has
taken IN a more independent attitude
as a result of the war, and a railroad
company or a public utility that at
tempts to furnish an inferior service
finds that it cannot get away with it.
This new attitude of the public is re-
fiecte0 in just the same way in the
small matters, and the merchant who
sells second grade eggs does not need
to wait very long before he finds that
his store has only second grade GUS
toners left.
There has been no end of debate
as to whether the manufacturers, the
wholesalers, jobbers or retailers have
been the greatest profteers. The fact
is that there have been too many
overly avaricious concerns and people
in all classes. The public has had to
stand for high prices, and just now
while these prices are being ham
mered down that same public is in
sisting on quality in the rendering of
service, as well as in quality in the
merchandise and food products which
it buys.
In the readjustment period it must
not be forgotten that no class of bust
ness can operate under pre-war rates
with after-war expenses that are 100
and 200 per cent greater than in 1914.
Therefore the readjustment prices do
not contemplate pre-war prices or
rates, but they do aim toward estab-
fishing a reasonable margin of profit