The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-01-24
VERMONT MAY
KEEP ITS QUOTA
Plans Under Way for Com
promise on Size of
House
CONGRESSMAN
g.. TO TAKE STEPS
Dale and Greene as Well as Senators
Dillingham; and Page Confer with
Other Members With Relation 10
Plans for Preventing Cut.

WASHINGTON. Jan. 81. - Yer
mont. in company with certain other
states may be able to retain her pres
cnt quota of congressman in the GSth
congress if plans under foot for a COM
promise on the rcappaintment OF the
house are carried out through action of
the senate.
Senator Howard Sutherland of West
Virginia, chairman of the committee on
census, is hopeful that the problem may
be adjusted in such Il way that Vermont,
Rhode Island. and other states may not
be deprived of a portion of their repre-
sentation in the lower branch of con
gress.
Senators Page and Dillingham; have
been in conference with Congressman
Greene and Dale ON this subject, and
the whole matter has been put up 10
Senator Sutherland. Protests against
a loss of congressional representation on
the part of several states have been pre-
scented to the senate census committee,
although as yet the state of Vermont
has not been heard from to any consid-
cradle extent by the senators and repre-
sentatives from there.
Although the plans which Senator
Sutherland has in mind are not fully
disclosed, il is understood that he hopes
to work out a compromise on a basis Of
a membership of $50 in the house which
would be acceptable to the body, par
ticularly If the members hear protests
of a sufficient volume from the folks
back home against the present arrange
ment.
There are three methods of effecting a
revision of the houses action. One
would be by definitely establishing a suf-
ficient inaccuracy in the 1920 census to
upset the calculations. Rhode Island al
ready has taken steps to that end by
| filing with Senator Sutherland, through
Senator Colt of that state, propositions
| for the submission of affidavitS showing
at least as many people in Rhode Island
which that state lacks TO retain its pres
| ent quota of three congressman (Somc-
| thing like 1.641) had failed of being
counted by the census enumerators. In
! this connection telegram received by
| Senator Colt declares that in the town
| of West Warwick alone 500 persons
were not included in the enumeration.
| Doubtless Vermont has similar instances
| y second method would be by effect
ing a compromise whereby the house
would agree to an amendment to the re-
| appOrtiOnment bill which would increase
/
| This plan would take care of both Yer
mont and Rhode Island, at least.
| The third proposition involves the en-
ployment of different mathematical meth
DDS for calculating tho apportiOnment OF
| representatives to the various states, and
! this plan is also under consideration by
Senator Sutherland. Prof Edward
| Huntington, head of the Harvard Engin-
| eering school, is now in Washington, and
viii probably be summoned before the
senate committee to explain his methods
of calculation. Mathematical experts as
sert that the method used by the census
bureau in working out the calculations
is unsound from a scientific mathemati-
cal viewpoint. .....-..-.-- -4e.-.
Under another method sponsored by
Professor Huntington, which would use
the same basic figures furnished by the
census, one representative would be taken
away from Virginia's quota of 10 and
given to Vermont New York would
lose one to Mexico also From n politi-
cal standpoint it is held that a Repub-
lican house ought not to object to such
an arrangement.