Evening star., 1924-01-06
REPRESENTATIVE RULE
in U. S. AT END, is CLAIM
Move Started in Congress to Rearrange
State Apportionment of Seats
in House.

sentative Fitzgerald says He fears
that the situation might drift on to a
point where it would become impos-
ernment His bill is designed to
keep things on the square" until
Congress acts.
This situation of representation be-
ing thrown out of balance by the ebb
and flow of population within the
ten-year period. was emphasized on
he opening day of the present Con
gress, when Texas, through resolu-
tion of Its legislature, demanded an
additional seat in the House.
Representative Fitzgerald reads the
Constitution the same way that Tex
as read 1t, putting OH the interpeta
ton that after the federal census Is
taken 1t is not necessary for Con
gress to act, but that the proportion
ment representation is determined by
the result of the census. Under this
Interpretation Texas elected another
representative in Congress and de-
manded that he be seated Texas
and California are destined to be
mighty empires as population grows
and may in a few years rival New
York in population, so that Texas has
great deal more at stake than 9th
er states which have about reached
their maximum population.
Related Advantages.
Besides the question of seats in The
House there are many related advan-
tages which some states are now de-
prived of as a result of proportionate
representation being thrown out or
balance by the swing in population.
This includes quotas of government
publications, cadetships at Annapolis
and West Point and distribution Of
other benefits of government which
as a result are now unfairly divided
Those who are opposed to increas-
ing the size of the House call atten-
ton that reduction In representation
of a state Is not without precedent
Eighteen states have heretofore had
their congressional representation re-
duced by various apportionment acts
several of them more than once. The.
membership of the House was re-
duced in 184D. 1t was not until 1880
that the practice of apportionment
SO that no state would lose any OF
its representatives became an appar-
ent policy of Congress. Prior to tha-
time It was common to reduce fhe
number of representatives in various
states.
Besides the Fitzgerald measures
there are four reapportionment bilfs
before the House census committee.
three of which are Identical, based on
House OF 435 members, the same as
at present. These bills were all in
troduced on the same day. Two Of
them are fathered by Representatives
Louis W. Fairfield Of Indiana and
Henry e. Barbour of California, re-
publicans, who signed the minority
report submitted to the House July
%, 1921, when the census committee
proposed an increase to 466 members
The identical bill is sponsored by
Representative Eugene Black, Demo
crat, of Texas.
Decreases Are Set Forth.
A fourth bill by Representative
Thomas L. Blanton, democrat, OF
Texas, which proposes to reduce the
number from AS to 3o4. Under such
an apportionment Arizona, Delaware.
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and
Wyoming would be the only states
to retain their present number of
House members. The following states
would have their representation de
creased: Alabama, from 10 to z:
Arkansas, from to 5; Florida, from
4 to s; Georgia, from IL to s: Idaho
from 2 to I: Illinois, from 81 TO 10;
Indiana, from IS to 8: Iowa, from II
to 2; Kansas. from to 8: Kentucky
from II to Z; Louisiana, from to 3:
Maine, from to 2; Maryland, from
6 to 4; Massachusetts,, from 16 to IL.
Michigan, from Is to 10; Minnesota,
from 10 to z; Mississippi, from to S:
Missouri. from 16 to 10; Nebraska.
from to 4 New Hampshire, from
2 to 1: New Jersey. from IL to 2,
New York, from 43 to so; North
Carolina, from 10 to Z; North Dakota.
from 3 to 2; Ohio, from 22 to 16:
Oklahoma, from to s.; Oregon, from
3 to 2; Pennsylvania, from So to Is:
Rhode Island, from to 2; South
Carolina, from to 5; South Dakota.
from to 2; Tennessee, from 10 to Z:
Texas, from IS to 13; Utah., from
2 to l; Vermont, from 2 to /; Virginia,
from 10 to Z; Washington. from
to 4; West Virginia, from TO 4, and
Wisconsin, from IL to s.