The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-07-05
REAPPORT|ONTMENT IS
AGAIN UP IN CONGRESS
HOUSE is ABOUT TO REPEAT
WORK THAT WAS SET ASIDE
BY THE SENATE.
ECONOMY VICTORY SEEN
Census Committee Aims to Expedite
Bill and Plans to Eliminate Waste"
Several States May Lose in Num-
Der of Representatives.

| Several States May Lose in Num-
/ Der of Representatives.
WASHINGTON, D. C.-Within
the next week or so it is likely that
the house of representatives will again
pass upon the question OF reappor-
tionment OF membership among states.
The house will have this work to
do over because the senate, at the last
session, permitted the house bill to
die in a committee pigeonhole. Ap-
parently the ruling leadership in the
senate did not fancy the statesmanllke
and economical achievement OF the
house in everything the majority OF Its
census committee, which had reported
| favorably a bill to increase the house
to 483 members, and in adopting IN
stead the report Of the majority OF the
committee in favor of retaining the
present number OF 435.
A good deal of resentment was telt
in the house at the course OF the SEN
ate in thus treating the house action
on a matter primarily of house bust
ness. There is no reason to believe
that the present membership OF the
house is of a different opinion OF the
merits of the question from the opin--
ion expressed by the last house; and
the added factor, now existing, OF re-
sentiment at the senate hold-up may
actually increase the majority by which
this house will reaffirm the decision OF
| its predecessor against augmentmg the
size of a body already too large Tor
comfort or business.
Committee Aims at Expedition.
In order to expedite the process OF
passing a reapportionment bill the sec
| ond time the census committee OF the
house has appointed a Subcommittee
composed of Messrs. Fairfield OF In
diana, Langley of Kentucky, Glynn
of Connecticut, Larson OF Georgia and
Brinson of North Carolina to hold
hearings without delay with a view OF
reporting bill. 1t is believed that this
subcommittee can have all the neces-
! sary hearings within a very few days,
and that the full committee can with
| in still shorter space OF time there
after agree on the bill to be reported.
1t is rather significant that the sub.
committee of FIVE, the trst three OF
whom are republicans and the last two
of whom are democrats, contains tour
members who signed the minority re-
port which was sustained by the mouse
at the last session, retaining the pres
ent numerical limit OF ass and reap
portioning it among the states IN &C
cordance with their relative gain or
loss in population as shown by the
1920 census.
Under that report California would
gain 3 members, Connecticut |, Mich
igan 2, New Jersey /, North Carolina
/, Ohio 2, Texas l and Washington
| /. The losses would be as follows: In
diana /, Iowa l, Kentucky |, Louis
lana l, Maine l. Mississippi l: Mis-
souri, 2, Nebraska l, Rhode Island |
and Vermont |. All the other states
would retain their present number OF
members.
The subcommittee has decided that
it will not permit the rehearing, OF
testimony given at the last session.
Must Congress Aeapportion?
Therefore, the subcommittee this
time and probably the full committee
also will consider only these questions
First. shall there be an increase IN the
size of the house? Second, shall there
be any reapportionment at all!
The second question is rather novel,
and involves the contention OF Repre-
sentative Tyson of Alabama, a men,
Der of the census committee, that the
constitution of the United States does
not make mandatory the reasonably
prompt reapportionment which has al
wavs followed the census, though the
census itself is required by the con-
stitution.
Mr.. Tyson holds that the last CEN
sus was taken in abnormal times, when
there was an undue preponderance OF
population in the manufacturing cen
tiers of the country as compared with
the agricultural sections, and that,
therefore the 1920 census is not a tar
basis of reapportionment. He would
solve the problem by leaving the APP
portionment and the numerical limit
of the house just where they are I'M
It'll there is some new reckoning OF the
population under normal conditions.
This is interesting, at any rate,
though it is hardly to- be expected that
congress will care to set the precedent
of not reapportioning promptly after
a decennial census. 1t is true that the
constitutional requirement may be one
of the spirit rather than the letter.
Technically, congress might wait
until 1923 or 1929 to reapportlon, tor
that would be within the ten-year pc
Rod. But congress would have to
have a lot of nerve" to exercise the
prerogative.