Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-01
BY WILL T.. KENNEDY.

| - LARING inequalities among
III the states as to taxes paid
Y J. in proportion to the votes
cast and representation in
the Iawmaking, revenue-leving and
y-appropriating body are to be
thrashed out in the next session of
Congress. They are now being con-
sldered by the House census commit
Tee, OF which Representative Isaac
Slegel of New York is chairman, be-
cause this committee must originate
legislation adjusting the number of
representatives in the House to con-
form with the new 1920 census fig
ures. 1t is estimated that the House
membership will have to be increased
from 4S5 to more than 500 members
or at least ten states will lose one or
more representatives.
AS things stand the big four
states-New York, Pennsylvania, Tlli-
nois and Ohio-have paid more than
one-half of the s5.410,2S4,S74 taxes
and cast more than one-third of all
the votes in the last presidential
election, yet they had less than one
fourth of the electoral vote and less
than one-third of the House member
ship. New York alone paid one-fourth
of all the taxes and has only one
tenth of the House membership, with
ony two outl of twenty-five members
of the tax-framing committee and
only one out of twenty-five on the
appropriations committee.
Under present conditions southern
and western states, which pay only
an infinitesimal proportion of the
taxes, hold a majority in Congress and
dictate the raising of taxes they do
not pay. and the spending of money
they do not supply. They put this
financial burden on the industrial
states and keep it off their agricul-
tural products.
Based on Total Population.
Largely, this preponderance of pow
er has resulted from the fact that
representation in Congress is based
upon total population. The great
northern and industrial states-which
pay the bulk of taxes-have for years
been spending vast sums of money to
educate home-born and immigrant
alike with the duty of exercising the
right to vote. In the south partlcu-
larly the effort has been to discour-
age the majority of the population
from voting The result has been
that states which financially support
the government have representa-
ton in making the laws entirely out
of proportion to the number who
voted. For example (and no effort
is made here to cite extreme cases)'
Mississippi has a representative In
Congress for every 1900 who voted
and Florida for every 10000. while
New York and Pennsylvania. the two
states paying the most taxes. each
has a. representative for every 10000
of actual voters.
The situation will be growing worse
with the women voting, and TINS Is
shown in a notable way by ILLINOIS,
which pays third highest taxes, ana
where the women were debarred from
voting for state officers, but dld vote
for President. Illinois has put one
commemorative for every $4,000 votes
asst in the last presidential election.
When these figures are compared
with the fact that the present oppor-
tionment in Congress is based on
congressional district having 21l'ooo
residents or major portion OF sucn
number, it will be seen that In aceua1
nrac+;ce there has developed in the
United States taxation without reia-
lively fair representation.
with. strong sentiment in the
uonse in favor of cutting down the
membership instead of charging 1t
because it is already of unwieldly size
for expeditions transaction or lmpor-
font business-members of the census
committee are seriously considering
the ACCESSIBILITY of making the reap
nortionment on basis of votes ac-
trallv cast instead of upon total popu-
lation. This would mean the loss OF
ahout twenty seats in the House from
the number now held by representa-
tiyes from the south.
No Important Craftsmanship.
The inequality that now exists In
he House is further emphasized by
the fact that New York. paying one
fourth of all the taxes, has no lmpor-
tant committee Craftsmanship (none
save Sjegel, census; Gould. library,
and Dunn, roads,. But Iowa, which
pays only 1-14Oth of the taxes. has
Representative Good as chairman OF
the appropriations committee and OF