Evening star., 1926-04-04
HOUSE TOCONS|DER
MEMBERSHIP PLAN
Will Take Up Question of Re-
apportionment Under ,
Census of 1920.

Under the very unusual proceeding
of "a constitutional privilege" the
House next Thursday will take up the
long deferred question Of reapportion
ment- of membership In the House
among the various States on a basis
of the decennial census Of 1920.
Less than two weeks ago the House
census committee, by vote of 10 4,
formally decided not to bring up any
reappointed legislation until after 1880.
Representative Barbour of California
will bring the matter up In the House
by raising a question of constitutional
privilege. which will be recognized by
the Speaker Mr.. Barbour will ther
move to discharge the census commit
tee from consideration of the reap
pointment question.
! Mr.. Barbour is sponsoring bill
which will hold the House of Repre-
| sentatives at its present size of 43o
members. With this limitation, under
a proportionate distribution of the
seats among the States. based on the
| relation the popula ion each state
bears to the total number of inhabit'
ans I'm The United States, states
would gain each from to 3 seats
IN the House and IL States would
| lose seats. The States that would gain
are California. 3; Michigan and
| Ohio, each. and Connecticut. New
| JERSEY. North Carolina, Texas and
/ Wa hington. each.
| states to Lose Seats.
The States that would lose seats
are Missouri. ;. and Indiana. Iowa
| Kansas, Kentucky. Louisiana. Maine,
| Mississippi Nebraska, Rhode Island
and Vermont. ! each.
| Representative Tilson Of Connects
cut. Republican floor leader. is not
| particularly opposing the move that
| will be made To discharge the census
| committee. of which Representative
Fem Of Connecticut is chairman n,
e nd expects that his convenience will
he consulted when the motion for dis
charge is made, although II could he
done almost at any time beca use 1t
has been held before. and Speaker
Longworth sha res the view, that re-
apportionment constitutes a matter OF
the highest privilege. In other words.
il has right OF way. Az now planned.
the action will take place on Thurs
dav.
Mr. TilSon however, is opposed Ia
increa sing the membership Of the
House. which now stands ri 435.
other Republican leaders are likewise
hut the feeling among those well in
formed as to what may he expected
to happen is that II The subject ever
ia brought M the increase Will he in
evitable. Various plans of re-appor-
tionment have been worked out The
one which gives a minimum fea asib'e
increase would inlarge the member
ship Of the lower body, already very
unwieldy body. to 465. Another pla n
would raise II to 4s5.
4 Political Issue.
Reapportionment Is a decidedly po-
itical question. Some experts say
that any fairly equitable plan adopted
would be to the advantage of the
Democrats. 80 the minority party
proba bly5scan begrounted Upon TO as
sist In putting through the motion
TO bring the subject before the House
and then look after it's interests in
whatever way seems wisest.
Frankly. some Republicans are ep-
| posed to taking up the matter. not
| alone because they believe 1t unwlse
further to increase the size of Con
| gress but also because they believe
a.
would gain by the complexion of the
| districts that would have to be estab'
| ished. although one OF the bills which
| the census committee put on the shelf
| provides that any additional members
which may accrue to state as re-
| suit of reapportionment shall be
| elected at large.
| Members of the California deleCa
! ton. who seek an increase OF three IN
their representation In the House,
! have been urging constantly that re
apportionment be taken up. kepre
sentative Barbour proposes that the
delegation from that State be raised
| from II to 13.
| Chairman Fem voted In favor of
shelving the bills before his committee
on March %. and Mr.. Tflson Is op-
posed to increasing the membership
of the House beyond 435. so that 1t
cannot be said their attitude is inhu
enced by the desire to get An add
tional member from Connecticut,
which now has six.
IOngworth Partial to Plan.
Speaker I.Ongworth, however. is
accused in some quarters of belns
partial to a reapportionment plan on
account Of the prospect that his stat.
will get an increase of two members
going from % to "a. That is, he Is
| said to be prejudlced because he
agrees with his parliame ntarian. Lehn
Fess. that reapportionment is n mat
ter Of the highest privilege. which
could be brought up in the House d.
almost any time. and so he would
have to recognize a member who
| sought the floor to make motion TO
discharge the census committee from
| further consideration of particular
| bill referred to it.
The parliamentarian however. as
sert that in view OF the well estab
lished precedents and the eXigencies
Of the situation. there Is no other at
titude that Mr.. Longworth could take
unless he wanted to appear in ridicu
louS situation.
The ('aIifornianS who threaten tC
bring up the matter have been urged
and pleaded with not to embarras;
the House leaders, who, so far az leg
islation Is concerned, have handled
the situation exceedingly well. They
refuse to WELD however, and are de,
termined to go ahead with their plans
to bring reapportionment bill before
the House, When they make the mo
ten they proba bly, will try to have
the Barbour bill brought before the
House, but there is every expectation
that if the matter comes up 1t VIII
he impossible to prevent an increase
In the House membership. To change
the representation on any other basis
would involve taking something from
some States and giving 1t TO other
States, and IL persisted in would cause
. serious disturbances.