Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-08-06
New Federal
Jobs In Sight
BY w. S. MANN.
downright. 1920, by The Washington
start

WASHINGTON, Aug. o.-OnleSs
AN signs fail, there are going to be
sixty-ive to sixty-seven new jobs
under the federal government pay
ling $500 each when March 4, 1922.
rolls around. The selection of the
men-or women-for these jobs,
however, will lie in the hands Of the
voters of the country, and not with
the executive, and the jobs them
selves Will be membership in the
national House of representatives.
This is the census year. and under
the provisions of the constitution.
after each decennial census there
must be a new apportionment of the
representation of the states in the
House, in accordance with the po-
pulation. 1t is estimated that the
population of continental United
States. exclusive of the District Of
Columbia, will reach 10000, 900.
At present there are 4s5 members
of the House. There is one represent
alive for each 211,000 population or
major portion thereof from each
state. In view of the increase OF
100000 in population in the last
ten years, it will be necessary either
to increase the unit of apportionment
beyond 211,000 or to increase
membership of the House the
latter course will be followed, In all
probability, judging from the pas
performances of congress. AFTER
every census, since .l1s0, n
membership of the House has been
Increased to keep pace with the
growing population of the country,
except after 1910, when the member
mir was reduced from 242 to 232.
II is likely that an effort will be
made in the coming session of con-
gress. when the new apportionment
law will be enacted, to prevent a
further increase in the membership.
But there is one potent factor
which probably will force the In
crease in membership. If the unit
of representation should be largely
Increased so as to keep the member
ship of the House at 435. some OF
the states whose population has not
increased in accord with the general
average for the country. will o
seats in the House. 1t is predicted
hat ten states will lose n or two
seats each if the old membership is
retained. They are Indiana, Iowa,
Missouri, which will lose two seats
each; Illinois, Kentucky, Maine,
Maryland, Nebraska, Vermont and
Virginia due to lose one seat each.
There may be other losses, too. 1t
is easy to understand that with ten
or more states combining in the
House and in the senate to prevent
their W losses in representation ia
the national House, it would be diff
ficult to put through a law seeking
to retain the old membership of the
House.
Another argument against increas-
ing the unit of representation in the
House is the already swollen size OF
the unit. A member of the House
who has 211,0 600 constituents to care
for has a big job on his hands. The
members are called upon to perform
services of all kinds for the in
diyidual voters in their districts. Ii
the unit were increased, say to
$50, 900 or 275,000. the work de-
manded of the members would be
even heavier than at present.
Representative Siegel, of New
York, of the House census COM
mittee, and Senator Howard Suther-
land, of West Virginia, chairman OF
the senate committee, will have to
steer the new apportionment bill
through their respective houses. and
they are already preparing for the
Job. 1t is interesting in this con-
nection to remember that Senator
Sutherland at one time was himself
an employee of the census bureau
in Washington.
Those who contend that the
membership of the House need not
be curtailed, and the unit of re
presentation increased, may point to
the membership of the legislative
bodies of two great constitutional
nations of Europe. The United
Kingdom and France. The member
ship of the House of Commons in
England, after the elections in
December, 1918. was TOT, although
the population of the United King
dom is only about 46, 100000. The
House of Lords membership in 1914,
If entirely filled was Sal.
In France the Chamber of De
puties or lower house has a member
ship a little in excess of 500, and
the senate has 800 members. and
the population of France is estimat'
ed at 40, 0 900.
The salaries paid the members oil
the British parliament and thu
French chamber of deputies. how
ever, do not compare in size with the
salaries paid members of the House
in this country-which are the same
as those paid senators-$7,500 In
the House of Commons, the members
are pad 400 pounds or approximate
ly $4,000, while the members of the
French chamber of deputies and the
members of the senate are pait
$4,000 francs a year., approximately
$4,000.