The Cordova daily times., 1921-02-22
THINKS SENATE
 IS ENTITLED TO
 MORE MEMBERS
BY COL. WINFIELD JONES

SoI lOlS as LuS house has decided to retain its pres ent membership of 437 why not in crease the membership of the senate?
 There will be some who scoff at this novel proposition, but there is more merit in the suggestion than appears in the mere statement. Is. No one will deny that the present house membership is large enough. In fact, many believe that it is too large as now constituted, despite the | fact that other first class powers have larger memberships ia their lower national legislative houses. The English parliament numbers more than 500, and other nations have a l larger membership in their national assemblies than the American house. But it is generally felt that the pres ent house of representatives, with 435 members, which includes the delegates and commissioners from the foreign possessions of the United States, is now as large as it should be. That this opinion Is general was shown by the fact that the Siegal bill increasing the house membership from 435 to 483 members was beaten by viva voce vote, not even roll call being necessary to defeat the proposal to increase the house mem bership. It was shown by adoption of the Barbour amendment which left the house at it's present membership of 435, with a vote of 267 to 76. This vote undoubtedly reflected the opin- ion of the constituents of the mem bers who voted for it, and showed that the country at large believes the present house membership is big enough. During debate on the Siegel bill efforts were even made by an amendment to reduce the size of the house to 307 members. This was de- feated as was an amendment to in crease the size of the house to 46O members
 The fact is the house has so large a membership that any one member has become mere cog in a vast leg islative machine, which takes little count of the individual house member unless the member be chairman of a committee, or is a member of the Republican steering committee that runs the business of the house. The house membership, in the opinion of many, could be safely reduced to Iabout 300 members, without the inter- ests of the people of the country suffering in the slightest. Some con- gressmen who voted to retain the present membership are even now of that opinion, and sorry that the house membership was not reduced-if they could have stayed in congress under such a reduction.
 On the other hand many believe that the senate could be increased in size with great advantage to the country. Two senators, representing one sovereign state, are believed by many to be too small number to really look out for all the interests of state In the national egisature. Then, too, 1t often happens that one senator is absent or sick, and when this occurs the other senator has thrust on him the whole legislative burden which was shared by this col. league "
 Another argument for an increase \ Is found in the fact that states, ir. respective of size or importance, are equally represented In the senate Lit. tie states like Idaho, New Mexico, Delaware, Wyoming, Nevada, New Hampshire, Utah and Vermont, all with less than half million inhab. itantsfi are allowed two senators, and so are states like New York and Pennsylvania, with immense popuIa- tions and which states are in fact real empires in wealth and popu1a- t1on. This, to many does not seem like an equitable distribution of the legislative power In the U. s. sen. ate. Some therefore believe that the senate-representat should be ar, ranged on the same basis as the house membership-popul alone
 An arrangement of this kind would give greater and populous states like Indiana and Ohio a number of sen, ators, and little states like Rhode Isl and one senator. The little state would certainly fight such an ar engagement took and nail, but who could say that such an arrangement would not be fair to every state, if it is fair to all states in the house rep resentation.
 Reapportionment of the senate rep resentation could not be accomplished pOnctitn%jOnol