The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-08
WOULD ADD so MORE
MEMBERS In HOUSE
Representative Siegel to Intro
duce Bill Amending Present
Apportionment.

In order to readJust the membership
portionately 10 the Increase In popuia-
ton as indicated by the 1920 census
Representative Isaac Sicgel OF New
York. chairman OF the House Commit
tee on the Census. is preparing
measure which VIII add fifty new mem
bers TO the House.
The new ratio set by Mr.. Siegels Dill
Is one Representative for each 10000 OF
population. The present proportion Is
one for each 2l1 900. Mr.. Siegal will in
troduce the measure directly Congress
reconvenes. II passed, H. would raise
the membership Of the House from 49,
TO 4S5 and New York probably would
get four Of the new Representatives.
Congress has the task Of fixing the
apportionment of Representatives after
eacn census. II can increase or lower
the number Mt viii so long as II con-
forms TO the mandate of the Constitu-
ton that Representatives shall be ap-
portioned among the several States ac-
cording to their respective numbers.
counting the whole number Of persons
In each State. excluding Indians not
taxed"
Champ Clark has long contended that
the House is too big and should be made
smaller by making each district cover
IEOIt people, MI f1lcBti DciANNNo ~ -
too small there being too much COM
mittee work for the best results under
the present division Of labor. He says
he will introduce his bill on December 6
merely to get discussion started. He
does not believe any apportionment law
can be passed until the coming of the
special session of the new Congress,
which President Harding is expected to
convene in March or April.
Favor Early Submission.
Mr.. Siegel has consulted Senator
Harding and many members OF Congress
in both branches He reports the gen.
eral feeling to be that a bill should be
in early to give plenty of opportunity
for public hearings.
"I have asked Samuel l.. Rogers. d.
rector Of the Census. to tell me how
many Representatives each State would
have on the basis of one for each 220,-
COO of population" Mr.. Siegel said to a
reporter for TIE NEW YORK HERALD
yesterday. prof william Wilcox of
Cornell, who assisted the census COM
mittee In 1910, probably will be en-
ployed to prepare the figures. 1t Is in
teresting to note that my friend Champ
Clark. who thinks there are too many
representatives. Will not be member oil
the next Congress. His plan would take
Representatives away from New York
Pennsylvania. Ohio and Illinois, which
pay more than so per cent. OF the taxes
/ am unalterably opposed to It, and so
are the other members OF the commit
tee.
II have written to all members OF the
committee to get their Views as to
whether a reapportionment bill could be
put through In the coming session OF
Congress 1t looks now as if there
would not be time. because Of the ap-
preparations bills. which have to bt
considered and which have the right OF
way. In the last session, thinking the
budget bill would become law. We
adopted rule providing for a commit
tee on appropriations Of thirty-five mem.
bers. As the budget bill did not &c
through the committee was not ap
pointed Therefore all the committed
work on appropriations. which usually
is finished before Congress meets. must
wait until after December G. But we
can start hearings on the reapportion
ment matter anyway"